About Deborah
You've arrived here for a reason.
Perhaps something in your life feels heavier than it should. Perhaps you've been carrying something for a long time and you're ready to set it down. Or perhaps you're not quite sure what's wrong — only that something is.
Whatever brought you here, I'm glad you came.
I'm Deborah Edwards — a Reflective Life Coach, final-year Psychotherapist, and the founder of Deborah Edwards Coaching. I work with adults and young people who are ready to understand themselves more deeply, move through what's holding them back, and find a quieter, clearer way forward.
My Background - A different kind of journey into this work.
I didn't arrive at coaching and therapy through the traditional route. My background is in teaching and the performing arts — two worlds that taught me how to hold space for people, how to read what someone needs, and how to bring warmth, creativity, and adaptability to everything I do.
That experience shapes how I work now. Coaching and counselling can sometimes feel clinical or formulaic. Mine doesn't. I bring a flexible, creative approach to each client, because I know that people aren't problems to be solved — they're human beings with layered histories, real feelings, and their own innate capacity for change.
In my current practice, I work in two settings: alongside young people in a school environment, and with adults in a private practice context. That dual experience means I understand the pressures people face at very different stages of life. Whether you're 17 or 47, the feeling of being stuck, lost, or overwhelmed has more in common than you might think — and the way through it starts in the same place.
My Approach - Reflective Life Coaching-more than just setting goals
My signature method is Reflective Life Coaching: a purposeful blend of strategic coaching and therapeutic counselling that goes deeper than most coaching alone can reach.
Traditional life coaching focuses on where you want to go. That matters. But in my experience, it's rarely the whole picture. Before we can move forward with clarity, we often need to understand why we feel stuck in the first place — the deeper emotional patterns, the stories we've been telling ourselves, the moments that shaped us.
I draw on a wide range of approaches in my work: Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), therapeutic journalling, sound therapy, somatic awareness, and polyvagal theory. These aren't add-ons. They're the tools that help us work with the whole person — mind, body, and nervous system — not just the thinking part that knows what it's supposed to want.
What this means in practice: our sessions are calm, unhurried, and genuinely collaborative. I won't tell you what to do or hand you a five-step plan. I'll help you hear yourself more clearly, understand what's underneath the noise, and find a way forward that actually feels like yours.
Who I work with - Adults and Young People, on-line and in person
I work with adults and young people across a wide range of life experiences. The challenges people most often bring to me include:
Anxiety and stress management — feeling overwhelmed, unable to switch off, or trapped in cycles of worry
Self-doubt and inner conflict — a persistent sense that you're not good enough, or that you're being pulled in two directions at once
Loss and life transitions — bereavement, relationship change, career upheaval, or the disorienting feeling that life has shifted beneath your feet
Career crossroads and personal clarity — knowing something needs to change, but not yet knowing what
Sessions are available in person in Hertfordshire (Berkhamsted and surrounding areas) and online across the UK. You don't need to arrive with a clearly defined problem or a prepared speech. You just need to be willing to show up.
My Qualifications - Trained, Accredited and Committed to Ongoing Training
I hold qualifications across coaching, counselling, and therapeutic practice:
Diploma in Coaching (CMA)
Diploma in Counselling Skills and Studies (The Kings Trust)
Advanced Counsellor and Psychotherapist — ACCPH Senior Member (Membership No. 0001773)
Certificate in Counselling Studies (CPCAB)
Certificate in Counselling Skills (CPCAB)
Diploma in Therapeutic Journalling (CMA)
Diploma in Sound Therapy (CMA)
NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)
BA(Hons), PGCE
I am currently completing further training within a therapeutic psychological profession — deepening the work I bring to every client.
I hold full professional insurance with Hiscox, an enhanced DBS certificate (registered on the DBS Update Service), and I am ICO registered. I abide by the ACCPH ethical framework and am committed to ongoing professional development and supervision.
A note on how I work...
Something I hear often from clients, early on, is that they weren't sure they'd be able to talk about what they were carrying. They'd tried before and felt unheard. Or they worried they were making too much of something. Or they simply didn't know where to start.
If any of that sounds familiar: you don't need to have it figured out before we speak. The not-knowing is often exactly the right place to begin.
My sessions are a calm, confidential space — free from judgement, free from pressure, and entirely focused on you.
Ready to take the first step?
I offer a free, no-obligation 30-minute discovery call for anyone considering working with me. It's a chance to share a little of what's going on for you, ask any questions, and get a feel for how I work — with no commitment on either side.
I recognise that reaching out takes courage. I'll make sure it's worth it.