In this rich and reflective episode, Glyn Fussell is joined by Oasis co-Director, Marion Ragaliauskas, for a deep conversation about Working with Life Stories in coaching.

Stories shape how we understand ourselves and others. But often, we only tell the surface version, the polished script. This episode invites you to explore the deeper, sometimes hidden narratives that influence our identity, choices, and leadership. Glyn and Marion unpack how life stories can become a powerful resource for transformation, insight, and agency in coaching.

Extra resources:

Book: New Passages – mapping your life across time, by Gail Sheehy 

Book: Phases: The spiritual rhythms of adult life by Bernard Lievegoed

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Imposter syndrome is defined as “a psychological experience in which a person suffers from feelings of intellectual and/or professional fraudulence.” When it shows up it can severely hamper the individual, impede performance, and destroy self worth.

In this episode, Glyn is in conversation with Sonia Mayor, a somatic therapist and leadership developer, and her client, Jo Cowling, People Director at Taylors of Harrogate, to unpack the layered reality of imposter syndrome - from both sides of the helping relationship.

Together, Glyn, Sonia and Jo explore how imposter syndrome shows up in leaders and why compassionate curiosity, not problem-solving, is a more liberating response when imposter syndrome does appear.

Additional resources

Ditching Imposter Syndrome by Clare Josa

Straightforward and highly practical. Includes neuroscience-informed strategies and tools, plus exercises you can bring into coaching.

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

A great companion for work around shame, perfectionism, and authenticity—all of which intertwine with imposter syndrome.

Overcoming Impostor Syndrome: Ten Essential Tools by Elizabeth Harrin

Aimed at professionals and leaders, this concise guide gives a toolkit approach ideal for integrating into coaching programs.

The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Valerie Young

One of the most widely recommended books on imposter syndrome. Focuses on different "competence types" and offers actionable strategies.

Especially useful for women but applicable across genders.. 

Article on Imposter Syndrome by Sonia Mayor

Article on taking a befriending approach to Imposter Syndrome by Sonia Mayor

We all probably have aspects of ourself that we feel the need to hide from others in order to fit in and feel accepted. These elements of ourself can be referred to as our shadow and it can follow us around, taking us into the tricky realms of shame and guilt. 

In this episode, Glyn Fussell and Marion Ragaliauskas explore ways of identifying, accepting and embracing our shadow. They explore whether there is another, creative way of working with these parts of ourself: how we can recognize what triggers our shadow and not let it create tension in our coaching work; how to channel our shadow energy for the good rather than the negative.

Additional resources 

A Little Book on the Human Shadow by Robert Bly 

The Long Bag We Drag Behind us by Robert Bly 

A Guide to Shadow Work by Michelle L Geldenhuys 

Discover your Subpersonalities: Our inner world and the people in it by John Rowan  

The Reith Lectures

The fourth and final of our four short episodes in our mini-series on resilience for coaches. This series will focus on resilience over three key areas: the head (mental resilience); the heart (emotional resilience); and the soul (spiritual resilience). 

Spiritual resilience is all about being in touch with who you are at your very core. Knowing what matters to you can ensure you are able to make the choices and decisions that are right for you. Listening to, and being in touch with your inner voice can be a real help for you the coach, and your clients. 

In this episode Glyn Fussell and resilience coach Jane Bytheway explore what we mean by spiritual resilience. Jane offers tools and techniques that may help you strengthen your spiritual resilience which in turn will help you support your clients. 

Additional resources 

Ted Talk by Michael Bungay Stanier on ‘How to Tame your Advice Monster’ https://youtu.be/Kl0rmx7aa0w    

Michael Bungay Stanier - The Coaching Habit (book) 

Time to Think by Nancy Kline (book) 

The Coaching manual by Julie Starr (book) 

Coaching for performance by John Whitemore (book) 

The Oasis Seven stage model (pdf) & audiobook

The third of four short episodes in our mini-series on resilience for coaches. This series will focus on resilience over three key areas: the head (mental resilience); the heart (emotional resilience); and the soul (spiritual resilience). 

How we feel is incredibly important and can impact our lives and decision making in so many ways. The quality of what we feel can influence how we perceive ourselves, others, and life in general. 

In this episode Glyn Fussell and resilience coach Jane Bytheway explore what we mean by emotional resilience. Jane offers tools and techniques that may help you strengthen your emotional resilience which in turn will help you support your clients.

Additional resources 

Ted Talk by Michael Bungay Stanier on ‘How to Tame your Advice Monster’ https://youtu.be/Kl0rmx7aa0w    

Michael Bungay Stanier - The Coaching Habit (book) 

Time to Think by Nancy Kline (book) 

The Coaching manual by Julie Starr (book) 

Coaching for performance by John Whitemore (book)

The Oasis Seven stage model (pdf) & audiobook

The second of four short episodes in our mini-series on resilience for coaches. This series will focus on resilience over three key areas: the head (mental resilience); the heart (emotional resilience); and the soul (spiritual resilience). 

Mental resilience can be a real test when faced with situations that seem to focus or highlight the negative and mental strength can be hard to find. 

In this episode Glyn Fussell and resilience coach Jane Bytheway explore what we mean by mental resilience, discussing questions such as how can you be present and maintain your focus as a coach? And how can you adapt and change in times of uncertainty?

 Jane offers tools and techniques that may help you build and maintain your mental resilience which in turn will help you support your clients. 

Additional resources 

Ted Talk by Michael Bungay Stanier on ‘How to Tame your Advice Monster’ https://youtu.be/Kl0rmx7aa0w   

Michael Bungay Stanier - The Coaching Habit (book) 

Time to Think by Nancy Kline (book) 

The Coaching manual by Julie Starr (book) 

Coaching for performance by John Whitemore (book) 

The Oasis Seven stage model (pdf) & audiobook

In this episode – the first in a series of podcasts about resilience, you’ll hear Glyn Fussell in conversation with Oasis Associate practitioner and coach Jane Bytheway as they discuss resilience.

In our busy lives, the “Keep calm and carry on” ethos is not always that helpful and we tend to ignore aspects of our wellbeing just to get through each day. So what is resilience? What are the tools we need to be resilient? What do we need for ourselves as individuals in order to thrive?

We also explore how we can bring resilience into the coaching space: allowing pause for thought; how building your own individual source of strength can really help during the challenges in life we all endure at some point.

Additional resources

Ted Talk by Michael Bungay Stanier on ‘How to Tame your Advice Monster’ https://youtu.be/Kl0rmx7aa0w   

 Michael Bungay Stanier - The Coaching Habit (book)

 Time to Think by Nancy Kline (book)

 The Coaching manual by Julie Starr (book)

 Coaching for performance by John Whitemore (book)

 The Oasis Seven stage model (pdf) & audiobook

 Oasis Resilience, Adaptability and Wellbeing website

In this episode, the second in our series about creating meaning in later life, you’ll hear two wise older women - Marion Ragaliauskas & Pam Winter -  in conversation, as they explore the experience of women transitioning into later life. What’s similar for women in this phase of life compared to men? And crucially, what’s different for women? 

As older women, both Marion and Pam are practicing and living their own inner work of aging, which brings into play areas as loss, review, evaluation and re-imagining: exploring the letting go of who we once were and learning how to embrace and experiment with who we are becoming, or could become. 

A great reflection for anyone going through or approaching this stage of life, or if you want to understand more about it, or if you are helping others to go through it. 

Additional resources 

From Age-ing to Sage-ing A Revolutionary Approach to Growing Old by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald Miller 

Hagitude by Sharon Blackie 

The Inner Work of Age Shifting From Role to Soul by Connie Zwig 

Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life by James Hollis

In this episode, you’ll hear Glyn Fussell in conversation with Oasis Associates and coaches Jane Bytheway and Carole-Ann Jones as they discuss the benefits of taking a coaching approach at work. 

In today's rapidly evolving and changing world of work, leaders cannot be expected to have all the answers. So there is a need to find a way of untapping the potential of others, embracing a shift in mindset towards taking a more developmental approach, so we can get the best from the people we work with, and in turn, deliver great results. 

Together, Glyn, Jane and Carole-Ann explore the true benefits of work based coaching, address some challenges that can arise, and the factors that support this kind of approach in practice. 

This episode will be great for you if you are wanting to create a coaching culture within your organization, or if you're a leader or manager who wants to learn this brilliant skillset. 

Oasis Human Relations offers a two day programme for organisations wanting to create an empowering coaching culture, which you can find here: https://www.oasishumanrelations.org.uk/programmes/leader-as-coach/

Additional resources

The Coaching Habit book by Michael Bungay Stanier book by Michael Bungay Stanier plus his Tedtalk ‘How to tame your advice monster’

Brilliant Coaching: How to be a brilliant coach in your workplace book by Julie Starr

Coaching for performance book by John Whitmore

 The Oasis Seven Stage model pdf & audio book

Time to Think book by Nancy Kline

In this episode, you’ll hear Glyn Fussell in conversation with Oasis Associate, practitioner, coach, writer and activist Gill Coombs as they discuss Deep Ecology. What is Deep Ecology? Gill suggests that as we have evolved, our rational minds have taken over, with a tendency to dominate over the natural world causing an imbalance of power. Deep Ecology is a way of recognising the harm we have done to our relationship with other living beings and to begin the process of healing it.

We explore how the world of work has evolved and changed over time, along with Gill’s thoughts on essential, wise principles by which individuals and organisations can work towards creating and nurturing a healthy world in their own authentic way.

We also discuss how we can bring Deep Ecology into coaching. This could be as simple as bringing in external elements of nature to our coaching space, or going for a walk with someone outside rather than simply sitting facing. Both of these can add a vibrancy and healthy shift in the relationship between coach and coachee.

Additional resources

The book Gill highly recommends starting with is old(ish) but good: Spiritual Ecology, edited by Llewellyn Vaughn Lee.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is also excellent, and From What Is to What If, by Rob Hopkins, and The Nature of Business by Giles Hutchins. Also Manda Scott’s podcast Accidental Gods is superb.

And Gill’s own book Hearing our Calling.

Also Bill Plotkin’s Wild Mind, as some listeners may well be interested in eco psychology, the people practitioners’ facet of Deep Ecology.