Who you are
matters more
than what you do
Hi, I'm Mel, a human-first coach and the founder of Human First. I work with people who sense that something in them is ready to shift. Not to be fixed, not to be optimised. Just to be met, understood, and given room to grow. I create safe and judgement-free spaces where you can show up exactly as you are. You can be supported at a pace that meets where you are rather than where you think you should be.
My work also offers real tools and techniques that will help you feel ok about how you feel. Human-first coaching centres a whole-person approach and draws on inner child healing and IFS, embodied/somatic practice, breathwork, voice and communication work.
As a trained singer, voice and communication coach, I have spent years working with and exploring voice as a gateway to what is held in the body. When working as a communications coach with large organisations, with professional performers and theatre companies or privately with individuals there has been a common thread. From my own experience of trying to navigate life in a way that feels peaceful, meaningful and authentic, and through raising my children, I have come to see and feel how we carry our younger selves with us. And they deserve to be met. And that when they are, there is more space to thrive and inhabit ourselves more fully. Relationship is at the heart of everything I do. First the relationship we have with ourselves, learning to be who we are behind the roles and the stories, and then our relationships with others and how we navigate our commonalities and differences.
"The truth lives in the roots, hidden in the soil. All growth stems from there."
Do you feel ready for something to shift, even if you're not sure what or how? Are you open to exploring your inner world with curiosity rather than judgement? Are you wanting to give yourself space and time to be seen, heard and held?
Moyà Allen
Private sessions in person or on Zoom, be met as you are and travel in the direction that feels right and important to you.
Drawing on embodied/somatic practices and techniques the aim is to meet your present need in a holistic way, so that you feel met and attuned to.
People come to this work for many reasons. Some are navigating emotional blocks, fear or anxiety. Some feel stuck in procrastination or overwhelm. Some want to make space for challenging feelings, or to understand what they actually want, like and who they truly are.
All individual work begins with a free 15 minute Zoom chat, so we get a chance to connect and you can ask any questions.
"I't felt such a relief to just be and to begin to understand and know myself better”
“I appreciate Mel’s ability to balance emotional support at the same time as helping me with changes I want to make “
Nick Tune
Clara Mendel
Margaret Vance
There are things that only happen in a room full of people. Being witnessed, being held by others, finding your voice alongside someone else finding theirs. To connect with shared human experience and find oneself less alone in it.
Group sessions take different forms, from somatic vocal healing workshops to open sharing circles, or circles held around a particular context or life experience. Sessions can be tailored to your group and what you want to explore together. Perhaps to mark or navigate a life transition or event or to deepen relationships and understanding within an existing group.
All are small, intentional and carefully held.
"Practicing in a group opened up spaces in me I couldn't reach alone. A beautiful, holding environment."
"Mel facilitated such a beautiful and restorative space. She was easy-going, warm and encouraged us to be open and present with each other.."
Mövenpick hotel group
Are you a leader who wants to cultivate a culture of working creatively, playfully, authentically and collaboratively? Have you noticed a mismatch between your written values and manifestos and the actual lived experience of your team?
This work is for organisations who believe that people who feel emotionally safe, i.e. free to speak honestly, think creatively and show up as themselves rather than a performance of themselves, don't need to be driven. They show up invested, whole and collaborative and the productivity, retention and results follow naturally from that.
The result is meaningful, tangible shifts in culture, where the lived experience of your team genuinely reflects and embodies the values you've committed to on paper.
All programmes are bespoke and tailored to your organisation's specific needs and culture.