About Sonya
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I was born in London to parents of Guyanese descent. Guyana a small country on the coast of South America is steeped in the history of different cultures.
It's name mean land of many waters and as the only English speaking country in South America has a culture that is close to many of the Caribbean islands, yet separate and distinct from the majority spanish speaking counties of South America; despite this it retains a strong independent culture.
I haven't followed a traditional career path, in my early teens I wanted to be a chef at a time when that was nigh on impossible, at least in the top gastronomic establishments. I realized by the end of my teens that this was a hard job, one you had to have a passion and a half for and I, disillusioned and unclear of a direct path to follow began on the quest that was to become very important throughout my twenties and early thirties, travelling, finding out about other cultures and learning what I could about their similarities and differences.
After a six month stint as an au pair in Paris in my late teens, I returned to my travels in my mid twenties. After completing a Sociology degree, I began working as a drugs counsellor (always drawn to the edge of society) and started my travel jaunts; a three week trip through Russia, followed by two months in India, traveling with an Indian girlfriend, (that raised a few eyebrows).
Trips to Africa were less successful I didn't warm to Kenya, where I got locked up for the night in a prison cell for being an 'international prostitute', (but that's another story) and Ghana where I felt really at home but made the mistake of travelling alone so I didn't get to really meet and connect with many people.
When I arrived it felt rather daunting and I realised that I was experiencing culture shock for the first time. This made me feel uncomfortable, then and for a long time afterwards until I realised that this is the natural process for many people of being in a new and different place.
A few years on and travelling extensively through the Caribbean I met my beautiful half-Cuban husband in Mexico, theres something about being away from home that really opens you up to new possibilities. Those 10 years of saving up and then travelling meant that career was never top of the list, I thought a career traveling was as important as a career 'rising through' the management ranks.
Finally by my mid-30's settled, married and living in London I made three decisions almost simultaneously, I became self-employed, I decided to have a baby and we bought a house, all at the same time. Why did I do this altogether? I really have no idea because it was risky but just felt so rightand on reflection that's one of the things that being in business requires, an ability to take risks!!
1995-2005 was a period of building; home, family and business; I 'honed' my skills as a facilitator, learnt to become a family and workplace mediator and ended up training mediators in how to manage conflict. Then in 2001 I moved into coaching at a time when it was just taking off as a new management and professional developmental tool.
Over the last few years I have grown my coaching and facilitation practise alongside growing my home and marriage, both equally important! That's been a reflection of many of the clients that I've coached, like attracts like or the 'Law of attraction' central has been themes of how to balance and juggle life and business, home and work.
Most recently I have been involved in setting up professional development programmes for service organisations. I am proud to have coached over 150 people through these 6 month programmes in the last five years and I have also worked with scores of individuals using the same proven model to help them work towards achieving true success by their own standards. I live in England in North London, still love to cook and travel and looking foward to the next stage of my life journey.
Sonya Welch-Moring
MSc HRD, Dip Systemic Managment, PCC (ICF)
