An Interview with Tracy Newbury-Abegg
In this edition of Journeys in Coaching: Alumni Stories, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tracy Newbury-Abegg, a dedicated coach and coaching supervisor. Tracy’s journey to becoming an Accredited Transformative Coach with Animas, which ultimately led her to becoming a solo Mum, followed by training as a Coaching Supervisor with the ICCS, and now working for the charity Yes Futures, is utterly inspiring!
In our conversation, Tracy shares her experiences, challenges, and the profound impact coaching has had on her life. We also discuss the fantastic work that Yes Futures are doing and what coaches can gain from coaching supervision. This really was an incredibly powerful conversation which I’m sure that you too, will find pulls at your heartstrings and leaves you lost for words!
Tracy, where did your coaching journey begin, and how did you decide to train as a coach with Animas?
“I was doing an admin role, and I was starting to think that maybe it wasn’t for me. I’d gone through a lot of changes—I’d gone through a breakup, I was living back home with my mum, and I was in my third main job after leaving uni, and it just wasn’t feeling right. I felt like I needed a more genuine connection with people rather than being at the end of the phone, listening to complaints about deliveries not being made on time, which was tiresome.
“I got talking to a friend who had trained with Animas and the idea of having positive, future-focused conversations for a living sounded fantastic! So she told me about the course, and I went along to one of the introductory days. I can still remember it so clearly. We had a talk from one of the trainers about what the course was like. After lunch, in the room opposite, they had some of the students doing one of their modules, and they invited a couple in to talk about it. I’d kind of already sealed the deal in my mind, but then Bronwyn Nash, who is now a trainer with Animas, spoke about her experience. The way she spoke about the course and how much she had got from it—that did it for me. I didn’t look at any other schools. I went on my friend’s recommendation, and I thought, if I don’t like it when I get to the introductory day, then I’ll carry on looking. But I did, so I looked no further!”
How did a coaching training exercise give you the courage to go for it and become a solo Mum?
“During my training with Animas, we had a presence session. Anyone who’s done the course will know there’s an exercise where the coach is only allowed to say, ‘And is there anything else you would like to add to that?’. The idea is that the coach doesn’t interrupt you, giving you the space to explore whatever’s on your mind. And I remember sitting in Regent’s Park on a lovely, sunny day with one of my classmates, and I thought, ‘If I’m not going to be interrupted, I’m just going to go for it.’ So I let everything out—about how I wanted to be a mum, how I wasn’t sure if doing it by myself was the right way to go about it. I just kept talking, and it felt brilliant to let it all out.
“But the real magic happened after we finished the exercise. My classmate said, ‘I wanted to stay present and do the exercise properly, but would you mind me sharing something that might help?’ I granted her permission and she told me that she had actually looked into becoming a solo mum herself, and that there was a clinic that does regular talks on the topic. She suggested I go along to one of these talks.
“So I did. I booked onto the next available session, went to the talk, and got all the information I needed. I genuinely believe that this presence session during my training had a lot to do with giving me the courage to go for it and become a solo mum.”
What did your coach specifically do that created that space and enabled your thoughts to develop?
“As I said, it was a presence exercise, where the only thing the coach was allowed to ask was, ‘Is there anything else you would like to add?’ And so the coach gave me space. When I thought I was done speaking, she asked, ‘Is there anything else you would like to add?’ more kept coming. Every time I thought I was done, she helped me realise I wasn’t. She helped me get it all out of my mind and into the open, where it started to make sense. I was carrying the full weight of feelings and fears—other people’s opinions that weren’t even my own. I was worrying about things that I hadn’t even shared with anyone yet, and I was concerned about what other people might think.
“The coach just gave me space to get it all out.”
“Sometimes coaching can be as simple as not saying anything and just giving your client space, because they don’t always get that from family, friends, or colleagues. Everyone wants to give advice, and sometimes you want that advice, but with a coach who doesn’t know you personally, they come from a completely different place.”
How does it feel to be a solo mum now that you’ve made that decision and gone through the journey?
“It was everything I hoped for, yet nothing like I expected at all, all at the same time, like the day I brought him home, I felt like he had always been here, and it’s been like that ever since. Yet your whole life is turned upside down. And I wouldn’t have it any other way, but it’s tiring. You’re constantly tidying up…and it’s definitely a role I’m growing into. I constantly question myself. Am I doing the right thing? Should I be doing more for him? Should I be taking him out to places more?”
“But I wouldn’t have it any other way, even with the difficult days.”
How did your training with Animas lead you to Yes Futures?
“My journey with Yes Futures began when I started my diploma with Animas. I actually signed up for the diploma quite a few months ahead of being able to start it, but we got let into the Animas lounge early, and someone posted about a volunteering opportunity where they needed coaches, and you didn’t need to be qualified. It presented an opportunity for some great practice alongside doing my diploma. It went really well and I enjoyed doing it!
“And then towards the middle of 2019 I was looking to transition from a full-time job into a part-time role in order to balance it with my coaching. I emailed Sarah, the CEO of Yes Futures, expressing my interest in working for the charity on a part-time basis. It turned out that she was advertising for a part-time role, which I successfully secured! I’ve now been with Yes Futures since October 2019 as their Finance and Admin Officer.”
Can you tell us more about Yes Futures?
“Yes Futures are a small charity based in London, which delivers youth coaching programmes in primary and secondary schools. In primary schools, we’ve got our Finding Futures programme, working with Years 5 and 6, focused on supporting students with the transition from primary to secondary school, with all the excitement and challenges that can bring.
“Then, for the secondary students, their programme is called Rising Futures. We work with Years 7 to 10, with a real focus on thinking about their future, what career they might like to pursue, what their interests are, and encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone.
“With both programmes, the students participate in four coaching sessions each, and two workshops (including a self-coaching workshop) as well as two day trips. Our first one is called Into the Wild. They spend the day at an activity centre, trying out different activities that they may not have had the opportunity to do before. If you’ve got a fear of heights, it’s a good chance to do some abseiling and have the support of your classmates around you, cheering you on.
“We also have a World of Work trip, where they visit one of our corporate partners, often in central London. They get a tour of the workplace, and they interview people in different roles. Even if they’re visiting, say, an insurance company and think, ‘Oh, this isn’t for me,’ they still get to interview people in the finance department or the HR department and see that to make an organisation run smoothly, there are lots of different skills and interests involved. They may even see themselves in a future career in that area. Through learning about the different routes into different careers, they get to explore how their unique skills and talents apply to different roles and workplaces.”
What later led you to training as a coaching supervisor with Animas’ sister school, the ICCS?
“For me, it was about growing in confidence. I had a friend who was doing the Accredited Diploma in Coaching Supervision with the International Centre for Coaching Supervision, and she was posting things about what she was learning. I was like, ‘Well, being a supervisor sounds a bit scary, but from what I’m seeing, it’s definitely going to enhance my coaching ability.’
“I went into it not necessarily thinking I would be a supervisor, but that I could just build on my skill set as a coach. I really enjoyed it, and when you know a lot of coaches, it kind of makes sense that your next step is then to support and hold space for them in the same way that some of them held space for you, when you trained as coaches together. It was the logical next step for me, and I’ve really enjoyed it!”
What do we mean by coaching supervision and how does it differ from coaching?
“I think the easiest way I can explain it is sometimes things come up in coaching sessions and you think, ‘Oh, I could have handled that better,’ or ‘Should I have asked this question instead?’ Or, ‘Did I do the right thing there?’ Coaching can be a very cathartic space, and maybe something comes up that affects you. You can’t show that in the space, but you need to talk to someone about it afterwards, and that’s where supervision comes in. Having a supervisor that you can talk things through that have happened in your session is a great way for your development as a coach.
“The difference is, the work you do with your coach is about your business and how you present yourself to the outer world and your potential clients, whereas for me, supervision is about you as a coach and how you support your clients. It’s furthering your development, your training, making sure you feel mentally and physically well going into sessions. So when you’re working with a coach, it’s about your business. When you’re working with a supervisor, it’s about you and your client.”
Any closing thoughts?
“I think it’s important to acknowledge that training as a coach can change you by helping you to reconnect with who you really are, which some of your friends and family might not like at first, but they’ll soon see the changes as positive when they realise just how much of a good listener you’ve become. If you’re truly listening to someone, you don’t know what you’re going to say until they’ve finished talking. And I think that’s so important in our day-to-day relationships, because how many times do you just want to share what’s on your mind and get it out? If you, as the listener, can hold on, you might find a golden nugget.”
Where can we find you, and how can we contact you?
“I’m on LinkedIn and Instagram and my accounts are currently private, as I’ve taken the decision to dial down my coaching for the moment, whilst I prioritise my family life. That’s the great thing about coaching, you can dial up and dial down your practice to fit in with your priorities, as you see fit. But if you do want to connect, please do come and find me, and drop me a DM. I’d be delighted to hear from you!
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