ThinkFRESH Coaching
Heather Bailey
Life coaching
Restorative coaching for women - come back braver and kinder than ever
Resentment and feeling undervalued is what it feels like when you've abandoned yourself for someone else.
Who I help
A woman at a turning point, who wants to shed the guilt, self-doubt and resentment and build a life that excites her. She is pouring everything into everyone else, and has stopped asking what she needs. From the outside, it looks like she has it together. She is very good at coping. Inside, she might feel stuck, sick, sore or sad. She might be carrying guilt about living far from her ageing parents. She want to grow her confidence at work -- to speak up in meetings and offer her view, even when it differs from her colleagues’. She finds it easier to be kind to everyone else than to set a boundary or say no for herself. She doesn’t want to be told what to do. She wants to find her own answers and work out what step will move her forward, in line with her values. The women I work with are ready for the skills to restore balance whenever life throws them off-kilter.
The problem I solve
A lifetime of overgiving, putting her own needs last, holding on to guilt, self-doubt, and a critical inner voice. She is feeling stuck, stalled, resentful or confused -- but has an inner voice telling her there is another way. Underneath it is self-doubt, and a habit of prioritising everyone else before herself. And the coping and overgiving just isn't working anymore. Some clients know what they want and need some skills and support to get there. Others are at a crossroads and aren't yet sure what choices they want to make. Either way, she wants a safe space to talk it through with a trusted ally who will help her keep herself accountable. She will walk out the door with clarity, new options, and a set of skills to keep the momentum going.
My point of difference
I work with body and mind together. Most coaches work with one or the other. I bring both. I’m a former nurse and midwife and women’s health advocate. And I've trained with PREKURE as a Master Health and Mental Health Coach. So I can work with energy, sleep, movement and food, alongside thoughts, feelings and beliefs. My method of coaching is called "restorative" as in, bringing into balance. The method has grown from both what I've learned, and what I've lived. At 50, I was Director of Midwifery for the southern region. I looked like I had it together, but I was stuck, sick, sore and sad. The four steps I used to find my way out are the ones I now teach: recognise, raise, restore, rebalance. My coaching is reflection-focused and grounded in self-compassion. Clients learn to meet difficulty with warmth, and grow their awareness without judgement. Coaching is action-oriented to become more skillful at meeting our own needs – boundaries, saying no, choosing our values. Coaching is non-clinical and strengths-based. I ask far more than I tell, and she finds her own answers. It builds skills, so she can restore balance whenever life throws her off-kilter.
My niche market
Highly capable, highly caring women, who are the one everyone relies on. The colleague people go to. The one who keeps the family, the team and the diary running. They are strong at holding other people’s needs and have little practice at holding their own. They are often balancing demanding work with family and ageing parents, and they are used to putting themselves last. They’ve reached the point where coping no longer works, and they are ready for something different. I work with women in Hawke’s Bay, face to face, and online with women anywhere in Aotearoa and beyond.
Key benefits
-- She stops running on empty. She works with energy, sleep, movement and food alongside thoughts, feelings and beliefs, so she has more to give, starting with herself. -- She tells herself the truth, kindly. She learns to notice when something is out of whack, without judging herself for it. -- She sets boundaries and says no. She acts on what she needs, and the resentment has less to feed on. -- She lets go of guilt, and feels freer to make her own decisions. -- She speaks up, and knows how to cope with tension if it is there. -- She gets clear at a crossroads. She works out which choices are hers, in line with her values.
Problems my clients avoid
-- Waiting for a crisis. Coping works until it stops working. My clients learn to notice when something is out of whack and act early, before life forces the issue. -- Resentment that builds quietly. When she can say no and ask for what she needs, “I’ve abandoned myself for you” has less room to grow. -- The conversation that never happens. She raises what needs raising, with herself or within a relationship, instead of avoiding it for years. -- Deciding from exhaustion. At a crossroads, the choice she makes after she’s rested and clear is different from the one she makes when she is depleted. -- Years stuck in doubt. She doesn’t spend another year knowing what she wants and waiting to feel confident enough to go after it. -- Guilt as a permanent passenger. She makes the decision, and she can be at ease with it. -- Doing it alone, by trial and error. She has a coach who asks far more than she tells, and she builds skills she keeps.
About
BRAVEKind is restorative coaching for women. I work with highly capable, highly caring women who have been giving their energy to everyone else, and I teach them four skills to restore balance whenever life goes off-kilter: recognise, raise, restore and rebalance. I’m based in Havelock North, and work face to face in Hawke’s Bay and online. BRAVEKind is part of ThinkFRESH Limited.
Products and services
BRAVEKind offers restorative coaching services for women, including one-on-one coaching, group programmes and workshops, and retreats. For an up to date list of what's available, visit bravekind.nz One-to-one coaching is your space to explore what you deeply want for yourself, what's holding you back, and what actions you can put in place to move forward. Sessions with Heather are held in Hawke’s Bay or online, either weekly or fortnightly. Most women see real shifts in six to ten sessions.
Why I am a member
I spent most of my career in the health system, where leadership came with a salary, a structure, a team, and a clear role. Running my own business is different. The decisions are mine, and so is the learning curve. I joined NZBW to be among women who understand that. I value the inspiration, the honest conversations, and practical wisdom with other women with big bold dreams for their businesses across Aotearoa. I also believe in what this network models: women backing each other to lead well.
An offer for you
For members who are in a tumultuous season of challenge: through BRAVEKind, I offer NZBW members a 15% discount for a series of 6 personal coaching sessions.
Testimonials
“I really appreciated the respect, warmth and empathy you showed. I also liked how you challenged me, gently, with my thinking and feelings. I went back to work feeling more confident.” — Yvette, Dunedin "When I first spoke to Heather and found out about her coaching I knew she was the person for me. She has this way of getting even the most uptight British woman to open up in the gentlest of ways. I had a vague sense of what I wanted to achieve from the process and was 100% committed to getting on with it! Heather recognised that and helped me develop tools to get to where I wanted to be. It’s been great and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back to her or recommend her to friends." Maria, Hawke's Bay See more client stories at www.bravekind.nz
Skills
- Burnout
- Career change
- Confidence
- Executive coaching
- Group coaching
- Leadership
- Mindset
- One-on-one coaching
- Returning to work
- Team & culture
Qualifications
Master CoachVerified
PREKURE, 2025
Peace & Conflict Studies
University of Otago, 2019
Bachelor's of Midwifery (honors)Verified
Otago Polytechnic, 2008
Bachelor's of Science in NursingVerified
University of Colorado Health Sciences, 2004
BA Political and Social Thought (honors)Verified
University of Virginia, 1994
An invitation
It starts with a free chat. Phone or email or visit bravekind.nz. I offer one-to-one coaching in Hawke’s Bay and online, occasional group programmes and workshops, and retreats. Know a woman at a turning point? A quick intro by phone or email is all it takes.
