​60 second interview with Luisa Rafferty Just Smart Thinking - Life Coach

Luisa, why have you become an Associate Life Coach with Just Smart Thinking?
I have experienced the impact of Life Coaching with Adrian and his contagious ethos around the joy of helping people to grow themselves; both professionally and personally. I want to help bring Life Coaching to everyone, as I love to see people make positive changes in their lives and grow in confidence. 

What experience and qualifications do you have?
I have worked within third sector and public sector organisations for the past ten years; working with young people and communities creating and delivering personal development sessions. I have run successful volunteering projects which have been recognised with national awards and a cross-party debate at Scottish Parliament, because of the impact on the volunteers’ personal growth and achievements. I specialise in creating and delivering sessions with young people to develop self-belief and confidence. I am currently working towards the COSCA Counselling qualification, studying two nights per week at Glasgow University and have started an evening Mindfulness course.

Why do you think you’re good at life coaching? 
Because the people I work with can see how much I genuinely love to help them gain confidence to achieve their goals. I have a strong focus on acknowledging the positive in every situation. I am very compassionate and find that kindness is the best way to treat everyone; including yourself!

What areas are you developing through coaching at the moment? 
I am working on upskilling myself and learning more about how to communicate with people to find the reason for the changes we want to make - discovering self-limiting beliefs that stop us from doing what we really want to do and who we want to be. If we don’t understand & challenge the negative way we speak to ourselves then it can be difficult to break habits. So, when we challenge the way we think, we can put a real value to our goals and become relentless in achieving them.

What does happiness mean to you and what makes you happy?
You will always find me at my happiest when I’m spending time at home with my pets and my husband – and in that order! I am also very happy when I’m at Church or studying and learning new things or listening to audiobooks or laughing with my friends.
Happiness to me means feeling content in the moment, being grateful and working towards my goals.