About me

Kia ora!

I'm Angela - daughter, sister, aunty, friend and certified coach living in Auckland, New Zealand.

I enjoy poetry, music, sports, stand-up comedy, and spending time with friends and family.

I lead a simple but superb life, filled with purpose and wonderful people. For this, I'm grateful.

Things haven't always been so good. For this, I'm also grateful.

Without a many-times-broken-and-mended heart, I wouldn't be who I am today.

My own experiences of conquering loneliness and anxiety help inform my practice, alongside studies in psychology, wellbeing, leadership, and a range of coaching modalities.

My story:

In early 2018, I had it all — I was living close to my loving family, doing award-winning, meaningful work, finishing half-marathons every other weekend and dating a wonderful man. I had it all.

Somehow, as fortunate as I was, I realised that I felt lonely.

Being a bit of a psychology geek, I remembered reading a 2015 meta-analysis about the dangers of social isolation and loneliness. I didn't want to feel this way and I knew it was bad for me... what's a lonely geek to do?

A rather crude solution came to mind almost instantly:

"I'm going to science the £*¢k out of this."

I started studying. I immersed myself in learning about loneliness - reading books, studies and articles, attending webinars, and taking courses. I explored ancillary topics to support my understanding. I connected with experts in the field and everyday people, too, to hear a diverse range of perspectives and experiences.

It's been a wild intellectual and emotional journey, one that continues to this day.

I realised two very important things during my learning journey. The first is that if I, with all my blessings and privileges, could experience loneliness, then anyone could... and if anyone could, then that was something I wanted to help with.

The second is that loneliness can be powerful. It's an indicator of our incredible social capacity. It can give us valuable insights about positive changes we might create - building pro-social habits, savouring healthy solitude, or embracing and enhancing the communities around us.

My practice is grounded in lived experience, informed by science, and focused on you.

I work with each client to examine their unique goals and circumstances, then create a bespoke, strengths-based strategy to optimise their social wellbeing.