Hi I’m Dr Erica Bowen, pragmatic Hope-Maker, rebellious ambivert and radical empath. I am also the imagineer of Hope-Makers Ltd. 

I am a pragmatic hope-maker in that I believe change is possible for everyone, but you need a goal, a plan and you need to act.

I am a rebellious ambivert in that I love challenging the status quo (never tell me I can’t do something!), but need down time, an oat latte and good book to recover.

As a radical empath I connect deeply with my clients because I have walked the path they are on, and I use my empathy to help them create change for themselves.

I am a registered forensic and coaching psychologist with more than 20 years’ experience of supporting people to achieve their potential and live better lives, and it almost didn’t happen.

I grew up in a working-class dysfunctional family but loved reading, playing musical instruments and learning. I moved to secondary school – a girl’s grammar school – a year early and obtained a place at University much to the pride of my family. I was the archetypal ‘good girl’. And then I dropped out.

Three years later and married at the age of 20, after a friend pointed me in the direction of psychology, I started my BSc Psychology, and graduated with a first-class degree. I moved straight onto a PhD completing that in just under three years. Ten years later with a 6-year-old son and aging parents I was a Registered Forensic Psychologist and promoted to Full Professor at the age of 37, and I found myself on the verge of burn out asking ‘is this it?’. The more senior I got, the more my role was about management, the less fulfilled and more adrift I felt. 

In 2017 I knew I needed something more. I reflected upon everything I had loved in my academic roles, the high points, the moments where I had felt in a state of flow and ease and joy and realised that I needed to work more directly with individuals to inspire them to create and achieve their vision of a better life too. A purpose-driven life in which they are playing big without burning out. Can you relate?

This is now what I do. Every day I work with incredible successful women just like you, who:

• ·         once had big ideas about who they are, who they wanted to be and the impact they wanted to achieve in the world, but
• ·         who have become disconnected from their purpose,
• ·         are juggling so many balls that they struggle to put their needs first, and
• ·         are feeling disillusioned and unfulfilled.

My advanced understanding of psychology and neuroscience and powerful coaching tools are harnessed within my trauma-informed ‘Courage to Choose’ 1:1 and accelerator group coaching programmes. It is my greatest privilege to help you identify or reconnect to your purpose, clarify your values, create a clear vision, and create and implement a new way of working so that you can prioritise your needs, play big and get back to being who you are, once and for all!