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. 

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 Development & Accreditations

  • * Certified Practitioner, The Map of Meaning – for completion 2025
  • Systemic Leadership Coaching & Constellations: Practitioner Programme (COLPI Level 2), The Whole Partnership 
  • Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, Cedar Africa Group (2024)
  • 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 (Level 1), The Whole Partnership (2021)
  • Gestalt Coaching Foundations, Kinharvie Institute (2020)
  • Certified Online Facilitator of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY®, SERIOUSWORK (2020)
  • Member, Association for Coaching (2020)
  • Charted Manager, Charted Management Institute (2020)
  • UK Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship in Leadership and Management, NESCOT (2020)
  • Bachelors of Speech Pathology (Honours), University of Queensland (2006)