About me

Welcome, I'm Joanna

I’m passionate about helping people build competence and confidence in the space between reality and possibility, and live more meaningful lives. 

In my early 30’s I found that I needed to ask tough questions of myself and the ways I showed up in my work and relationships. The old answers were no longer enough, so I needed to leave what had been comfortable and walk to the margins. 

I came to understand that these liminal spaces – the thresholds between what is known and what is waiting to emerge – are the places where we come alive. They are places of courage, creativity and new clarity.

My work is now helping others step to the edge of their knowing – in their organisations and in themselves – to feel the breeze of new possibility and bring vitality to the wider whole. 

In a world where the old ‘certainties’ are rapidly unravelling, regenerative pathways are fundamental to our survival as a planet. Leaders who learn to live and embrace the margins are key to flourishing organisations, humans and planet. 

I look forward to experiencing these ‘in-between’ spaces with you. 

Joanna Maberly

B.SpeechPath, CMgr MCMI, MAC

Renaissance woman or ‘squiggly career’?

My clients benefit from a coach and facilitator who sees wider and deeper than most.  

Background

My career began as a Speech Pathologist, addressing disorders of communication and swallowing from childhood to end of life. These years kindled my love of the human mind – neuroscience, psychology and linguistics – and taught me that we are wired for connection and belonging. 

Moving to London in 2008, I began an eleven year career in the technology sector, leading the world’s most prestigious telecommunications event – the annual GSMA Ministerial Programme at MWC Barcelona – and many other high level inter-governmental gatherings around the world. Below the complexities of UN protocol and cross-cultural communication, I sought to create spaces where people felt safe enough to forge meaningful connections with each other in order to co-create a better future together. 

I began that work as an ‘accidental’ manager and leader, but over the years that followed I discovered a passion for developing and leading high performance teams in high stakes environments. When I returned from maternity leave in 2017 I had the opportunity to formalise my knowledge and experience through mentoring and a two year leadership programme based on the UK Government’s Apprenticeship scheme, resulting in Chartered Manager status. 

However the greatest transformation took place as I began to integrate the joint challenges of leadership and motherhood. Theoretical knowing was being replaced by a lived experience of the complex challenges being human at work. Through this I came to understand that our inner landscape is our richest resource for meaningful change, and thus Liminal Play was born in February 2020 – just a few weeks before the pandemic.

Professional Memberships & Development

Professional Memberships

Continuing Professional Development

  • * Systemic Leadership Coaching & Constellations: Practitioner Programme (COLPI), The Whole Partnershipfor completion 2023
  • * Certified Practitioner, The Map of Meaningcommencing 2023
  • Psychological First Aid for VICSES, Phoenix Australia (2023)
  • Designing Resilient Regenerative Systems Series: World views – Moving from Sustainability to Regeneration (2022), Beyond Systems Thinking (2023), ETH on edX 
  • Gestalt Coaching Advanced, Kinharvie Institute (2022)
  • u.lab: Leading From the Emerging Future, MIT on edX (2022)
  • Introduction to The Map of Meaning (2022) 
  • Systemic Leadership Coaching & Constellations: Introduction to the Essentials, The Whole Partnership (2021)
  • Gestalt Coaching Foundations, Kinharvie Institute (2020)
  • Certified Online Facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, SERIOUSWORK (2020)
  • UK Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management, NESCOT (2020)
  • Bachelors of Speech Pathology (Honours), University of Queensland (2006)
Logo for Association for Coaching
Logo for Charted Management Institute (CMI). Text below reads Chartered Manager
Logo for Serious Work Certified Online Facilitator of LEGO Serious Play