About Bríd Kennedy
About me - Bríd Kennedy
I am passionate about supporting people to look within and realise their hidden potential. I love guiding people to overcome whatever is holding them back and supporting them reach their goals. I love seeing people thrive and enjoy more peace and fulfilment in their lives.
My Previous Work and Why I Coach
With over 37 years of international working experience as a senior manager with Concern Worldwide, I am passionate about empowering people to make the positive changes in their lives that they desire.
Throughout my career, I supported teams in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Haiti to lead long-term development work and emergency responses to crises such as floods, earthquakes, drought, disease outbreaks (such as cholera, Ebola and COVID-19), and conflict. This was done in compliance with organisational policies, strategic plans, systems, standards and guidelines for effective management of organisational assets and resources.
I recruited and managed teams of up to nine direct reports and oversaw the management of approximately 800 staff. I oversaw the sourcing of funding and delivery of quality programmes and managed budgets up to €55m, which benefited around two million people per annum.
I collaborated and advocated on key country programmes and global issues with donors, the Irish government, through the media and at UN fora. I was a member of the Irish Consortium on Gender-Based Violence Steering Committee (ICGBV).
I bring this experience and commitment to empowering people to my work as a coach. Based on my lived experience, I am passionate about supporting people to look within and realise their full, hidden potential.
I love guiding people to overcome whatever is holding them back and supporting them reach their goals. I love seeing people thrive and enjoy more peace and fulfilment in their lives.
Why Bríd Kennedy Coaches?
I deeply believe that each of us can flourish by being the creator of our happiness and success. I bring that belief and conviction to my role as a coach.
Throughout my three decades of working and supporting people living in extreme poverty, and coping with conflict and natural disasters (such as flooding, famine, earthquakes and disease outbreaks), I witnessed the resilience of people. Once effective support was given to overcome huge obstacles, people not only survived but also thrived.
Throughout my career, I rarely took time to look within and to understand what was going on for and within me. As a humanitarian, I was always seeking solutions and providing support for other people. I reflected and felt that it was time to slow down from a highly demanding role and take greater self-care.
I completed an MA in Applied Spirituality and a Diploma in Personal and Business Coaching. This allowed me the space to spiritually and emotionally nourish myself. I tuned into my hidden resources and realised that without daily practices such as self-reflection, rest, meditation and being present, I could easily return to old patterns of not looking after myself and get exhausted.
My coaching practice is built on guiding people to ‘listen’ and tune into their deeper wisdom and to realign with their unique purpose in life. It is focused on giving people the time and the space to listen to their inner voice and follow their gut instinct, retrain their minds and thoughts and let go of what no longer serves them.
When we don’t take the time to hear and heed our inner voice we go off track until we eventually are forced to listen to our bodies when stress or illness strikes us. Then we are forced to ‘listen’ and to take action that helps us realign with our purpose in life.
My Qualifications and Studies
- MA in Applied Spirituality, South East Technological University, Waterford
- Diploma in Personal and Business Coaching, Irish Life Coach Institute, Dublin 24
- Certificate in Emotional Freedom Technique, EFT International, USA
- In-house Leadership Training, Concern Worldwide
- BA (Honours) Theology, Tallaght Technological University, Dublin 24
- M.Sc. in Community Health, Trinity College, Dublin 2
- Intermediate Certificate Aura Soma, International Academy of Colour Therapeutics, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
- Diploma in Foundation in Counselling, National University of Ireland, Maynooth, Co. Kildare
- Registered Midwife, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Scotland
- Registered General Nurse, St. James Hospital, Dublin 8
The Benefits of My Coaching for My Clients
- Increased self-awareness and clarity enabling them to make necessary changes.
- Developing confidence and competence in their unique leadership styles.
- More hope, excitement, and enthusiasm to thrive.
- Developing goals that achieve greater performance, fulfilment, and peace of mind.
- Increased focus, motivation, and energy to achieve goals.
- Greater confidence, courage, and self-belief.
- Increased self-validation.
- Reduced inner criticism.
- More creative in developing and applying coping strategies.
- Greater love of oneself as demonstrated by a commitment to flourish.
- Strengthened resilience through changed beliefs, thoughts, and behavioural practices.
- Taking charge of their lives.
- Addressing feelings of being overwhelmed or underwhelmed.
- Enjoying deeper meaning in their lives.
My Thesis | What Flowers do for me - Spirituality of Flowers
Now more than ever, I realise how interdependent we humans are with all creation. Flowers are an essential part of creation bringing in wisdom and healing. Appreciating them is a participation in a Divine-human transformation process expressed through our acknowledgement of the scent, colour, shape, and any changes in these through our deep knowing that something sacred is within them. Taking precious moments to stand and smell flowers, enriches our souls as it reminds us of who we are as humans and to care for Mother Earth.