HI, I'M HANNAH RAY,
life and career COACH IN AMSTERDAM
I'm happy you found me - you are very welcome here.
ABOUT me
I live in dreamy, windy, watery Amsterdam. Home, for me, is in many places though. With my family + friends back in the UK, friends that have moved to other countries, and places I have loved spending time.
I take this same view in my work and am pleased to have coached over 160 people (and counting!) from all over.
I get my energy for life from moving (whether thats a restorative stretch, a good long walk, trying a new class, a shake or a dance about the house), curiosity in the things and people around me, a good natter with loved ones who know me inside out, doing things or meeting people that stimulate my brain. I also really love cats, can be totally reset by a good view, and love eating.
HOW I GOT HERE
I've always felt in my element listening to people and making them feel open and at ease - giving them space to think, to explore themselves, get confident with their own opinion, and encouraging them to express it.
For example, as a child, I had a friend who found talking about feelings tricky, so instead, we'd sit together and write to each other about what was going on.
It's always felt natural to me to listen, to experiment with different ways of thinking about things, to reflect back to people in a gentle yet firm manner, but I had never considered that it could be a career path for me.
I moved to Amsterdam in 2018 after deciding that calm canals and cycling everywhere outweighed the always-on, do-it-all stimulation of London. I moved for a dream job at a dream advertising agency on a dream client that I'd been working really determinedly to get for 6 months.
Despite achieving this dream, the reality was that something was missing and I felt like I was performing a version of myself that didn't quite fit. I enjoyed the community, strategic nature and creativity of the work, but the misaligned feeling was a consistent niggle, and even painful at times; like I was constantly on the edge of burnout. I looked around one day and thought: What am I doing? I can't keep doing this. I need to make a change. Admitting this to myself was the first step, and involved a lot of acceptance, self-inquiry and reflection to sift through first.
I went on a journey for a few years - being made redundant from that job, being unemployed, freelancing, working in a cheese shop (one of my favourite jobs I've ever had!), doing an advanced therapeutic yoga teacher training, teaching a full yoga schedule, qualifying as an ICF Life + Business Coach, considering creating a wellbeing space (but then covid hit!), consulting as a brand strategist and coach for small businesses (AND many moments rollercoaster-ing between despair, feeling very lost, very excited, frustrated, not good enough, motivated, determined etc).
Eventually, I founded TAKE Coaching in 2021. Creating and holding space that feels safe enough for a person to start speaking from the heart, being honest about what they really want, think, feel and who they are is, really, a very special thing to get to do for a living.
I find it an honour to work with everyone I work with, and hope that, perhaps, I will have the honour of working with you too.
WHY I chose the name 'TAKE'
TAKE was born from a realisation that the best person to explore + create a life that fulfils, excites & serves you, is yourself. And the best way to do it is to be yourself, to honour yourself, and to ALLOW yourself permission to TAKE what is there, and has always been there, for you.
Many of us deny ourselves what is natural to us or we really want, or force ourselves to mould to the norm we think is expected of us, because... guilt, shame, not feeling deserving, worrying what people will think, worrying we're not good enough or credible enough, thinking we'll inevitably let people or ourselves down, culture telling us it's wrong... the list goes on. This can lead to us losing sight of who we are, what matters to us, and what we're doing with our special lives.
I wanted to redefine what it means to take. Many of us can be scared of coming across pushy or inconsiderate. But knowing who you are, knowing what you want, and going out and taking it is a special thing to do for yourself, and a motivating thing to see other people do. You don't need to force fit yourself in to performing or behaving a particular or 'expected' way to do this; you can connect with your own resources, personality + style, and experiment so that you can do it in a way that feels YOU.
Having learnt how to do this myself (and continuing to do so), is why it is also the thing I can support others in doing for themselves too.
Change is not about getting a quick or final fix. Our relationship with ourselves and our relationship with our work will change and develop over time, chapters and contexts. Coaching is a way to help you keep exploring, playing, adapting, growing and directing it; taking ownership of how we and life develops.
MY COACHING TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
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Qualified Life + Business Coach (2021). My training is approved by ICF, Barefoot Coaching + University of Chester - internationally recognised as a hallmark of quality; delivered by experienced and practicing psychotherapists + coaches. The qualification is also endorsed by the National Council of Psychotherapists. It combines psychological depth + safety academic rigour and a practical focus. I have a thorough understanding and respect of the boundaries and limits of how coaching can be therapeutic vs. the discipline of counselling/therapy that deals with mental health, trauma, psychological issues etc.
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I have coached 160+ people through change and challenge (and counting!) - from the Netherlands, UK, Germany, France, Spain, USA, Australia.
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Only about 20% of coaches take part in supervision of their practice - and I am one of them. This makes sure I am consistently receiving critical feedback and development around my expertise, blind spots, self-regulation, dynamic management, and safety in how I show up and hold space for you.
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Consistent extra training; recently: Mental Health First Aid Training @ MHFA England, Relational Self-Awareness with PESI, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Coaches with Barefoot Coaching, modules with Human Givens Institute.
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Business coach for women starting entrepreneurs and small business owners on the Momentum programme by Startupbootcamp Amsterdam and Equals (formerly We Rise)
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400hr advanced yoga therapy training with Stretch London/ Frog Lotus/ Embodied Beings - Calli Popham, Carl Faure (senior yoga teachers) + Conor Cregg (counsellor). Focus on creating safe containers for somatic and embodied exploration + expression.
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Created + facilitated numerous workshops and group coaching clubs:
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Intutive Self Care for Stress Management + Energy Balancing
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'Future you' workshop for teenagers
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Resilience and wellbeing coaching workshops / sharing circles for people-first companies
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Group coaching programmes for expats
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Group coaching and wellness workshops at conferences
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Panel guest on talks about career change (ADAMS Recruitment) and personal purpose (LWD Amsterdam)
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10+ years as a Brand Strategist for advertising agencies and small businesses.