Man can alter his life by altering his thinking
William James

 

Coline's clients come from different sectors of the business world, particularly the financial services. Coline helps her clients to discover how they can find their own solutions to the conflicts they are facing in their personal and professional lives. Her dual US/UK nationality and experience of living and working in both countries also places her in a unique position to understand some of the cultural conflicts and challenges that CEOs face in international companies.

Born in the US, Coline came to England after receiving her BA from Princeton University. She went on to do graduate work at Cambridge University and at LSE where she received a doctorate in sociology. Prior to setting up her private practice, Coline worked for many years as a consultant to local authority agencies throughout the UK and with the Metropolitan Police in developing programmes for young offenders. Her work with senior management in instituting organizational change in both the private and public sectors has given her a special insight into the problems facing many CEOs and senior executives today.

Coline is former Chair of the British Psychoanalytic Council. She is a Training Analyst of the Society of Analytical Psychology, of the British Association of Psychotherapists, and of the London Centre for Psychotherapy. She is former Editor of the Journal of Analytical Psychology.

 

 

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       Professional Services

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Corporations in transition need strong leaders to create and implement long-lasting, effective change. One of the stumbling blocks in managing change within an organization occurs when leaders in key positions have personality conflicts with others that can damage both their professional and personal lives. This may also have a deleterious effect on the productivity of the organization as a whole.

Over the last ten years Coline has worked with CEOs and senior executives in the financial sector on just this kind of problem. The results have proved to be very successful both in improving performance - and company results - in the short term and in creating a space for imaginative development in the long term. Clients are able to realize much more of their potential as leaders with the result that they can create a more loyal, flexible and innovative environment that is essential for a company's success.

 

 

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      Case Studies

 

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* A CEO of an international corporation came to see me because he was feeling isolated in his job and was under a great deal of pressure to come up with quick solutions to long-standing and difficult problems in his organization. Although he was a good communicator and an inspired leader, he had never felt so vulnerable in his career. Because of this, he was finding it difficult to consult the people he needed to and to reach out for help in a constructive way. He was having arguments with his Chair and was alienating his board members with his increasingly dogmatic views and defensiveness. After a short time of working together he was able to understand some of the roots of his problem and why he became so anxious when he was faced with certain circumstances that made him feel particularly vulnerable. With insight, he was able to develop a much better working relationship with his Chair and his board. The result was that he was able to enlist the trust and support of his board to implement a radically new management strategy for the corporation that has resulted in significant profits for the corporation.


* A senior executive, in line to be the next CEO of a large corporation, consulted me when she was struggling with problems both at work and in her marriage. Her career had been meteoric, she was highly regarded within her industry and yet as she became more successful she also became increasingly unhappy - and increasingly demanding of others. Her marriage was failing and her colleagues at work were suffering. Her Chair had noticed that she was having difficulties and became concerned when she lost her temper at a meeting, destroying the good will that had been nurtured during a takeover transaction. It had taken her a long time to admit to herself that she was in trouble before she agreed to see me. It was then a relief to be able to talk to someone about her difficulties in confidence and without being judged. During the course of our work she was able to become less driven while at the same time more effective in her work. At home, she was able to salvage her marriage and to begin to enjoy her time with her family without feeling anxious and under constant self attack. The net effect was that after a year, she was appointed CEO of her corporation. The fact that she was no longer so driven in her work meant that the culture of the corporation changed. Management worried less about the volume of deals going through the company and more about the quality of the deals with the result that, although there were fewer transactions, the ones that were made were far more successful.

* A CEO from the US had recently been appointed to head operations in Europe. He had been very successful within the US but he had little experience in working with European colleagues and with other foreign companies. He quickly discovered that his style of leadership was not only alien to his staff but that the decision-making processes within the company, although seemingly straightforward, nevertheless eluded him. After a short time in the post, he began to feel very undermined and inadequate. He had also started to denigrate those around him and to point out the superiority of his methods and experience with the consequence that he lost respect within the company. The crisis came when he decided to initiate a huge cut in jobs and handled it so poorly that a large number of employees walked out. Realizing that he was on a self-destructive course, he consulted me. Talking to an American who is conversant with both cultures helped the CEO to discover not only his own misconceptions but also to have a deeper understanding of his own difficulties in adjusting to a foreign culture. Within a year, the CEO had revitalized his company, gained the trust of his colleagues and was able to see the beginnings of new financial growth.



Coline sees her clients in her consulting room in close proximity to the City and the West End. This ensures that clients' privacy and confidentiality is protected. Seeing clients outside of their work environment is also helpful in providing a separate space in which they are able to think and reflect on problems from a different perspective.


As a preliminary step, Coline is delighted to see clients to discuss their individual needs and to draw up a plan for working together.