Lou O'Connell

Hi, I'm Lou,

I'm an EMCC Accredited Senior Practitioner Coach, Mental Health Nurse, trainer, facilitator and bestselling author with over 30 years' experience supporting people through challenge, change and growth.

Throughout my career, I've worked across the NHS, higher education, the British Armed Forces, charities and the private sector, helping people navigate some of life's most difficult experiences. My work has included supporting individuals living with ADHD, anxiety, stress, burnout, grief and loss, trauma, low confidence, major life transitions and leadership challenges.

Many of the people I work with appear to have everything under control on the outside. They are capable, caring, successful and dependable. Yet internally, they may be overwhelmed, exhausted, struggling with self-doubt or feeling disconnected from who they really are.

Whether you're navigating ADHD, recovering from burnout, facing a significant life change, or simply feeling stuck, coaching can provide the space, support and challenge needed to move forward.

My approach combines coaching, positive psychology, mental health expertise and trauma-informed practice. I won't tell you what to do or attempt to "fix" you. Instead, I'll help you understand yourself more deeply, identify what's getting in the way and develop practical strategies that create meaningful and lasting change.

Clients often come to me feeling overwhelmed, frustrated or uncertain about their next steps. Together, we work towards greater clarity, confidence, self-awareness, and emotional well-being.

Coaching with me is supportive, compassionate, and down-to-earth, but also honest and challenging when needed. I believe people are far more capable than they often realise, and my role is to help you recognise and use your strengths to create a life that feels more aligned with who you are and what matters most.

Areas I commonly support clients with include:

• Adult ADHD and neurodiversity
• Stress, overwhelm and burnout
• Anxiety and emotional wellbeing
• Confidence and self-esteem
• Emotional regulation
• Life transitions and personal growth
• Leadership wellbeing
• Workplace challenges
• Boundaries and relationships
• Grief and loss
• Military, veteran and service family experiences
• Women's well-being and ADHD

If you're looking for a coach who combines extensive professional experience with warmth, humour, compassion and practical support, I'd be delighted to hear from you.

Book your FREE 30-minute connection call, no pressure, just a real, human conversation

And if ADHD is part of your story, grab my bestselling book 👉 You Are Not Your ADHD https://amzn.eu/d/6lMeybX

HeartMath and Emotional Resilience

Many of us spend our lives overthinking, worrying or operating in survival mode. HeartMath offers a practical, evidence-based approach to creating greater balance between the heart, mind and body.

As a HeartMath Practitioner/Coach, I help clients develop emotional resilience, manage stress more effectively and improve self-regulation using simple, scientifically validated techniques. HeartMath can be particularly helpful for those experiencing anxiety, overwhelm, burnout, ADHD-related stress or significant life challenges.

Clients often report feeling calmer, more focused, more emotionally balanced and better equipped to respond to challenges rather than react to them.

HeartMath is available as a standalone coaching programme, as part of broader coaching work, or as short or long-term support, depending on your needs.

Single sessions (90 mins): £150 pay as you go.

Current Packages (minimum sign up 6 months): 

🟡  £120/month – Lou in Your Pocket

A great option if you're looking for regular, low-pressure check-ins and accountability. This includes:

Coaching support via WhatsApp (voice notes, texts, images)
Available Monday–Friday, 10am–5pm 
You can message as and when you need to – I’ll reply within those hours, apart from leave periods and public holidays

🔵 £180/month – Coaching Sessions Only

If you prefer more in-depth support via in person or online coaching sessions, this package includes:

2 x 1hr coaching sessions per month. 
Space to explore, reflect, problem-solve, and take meaningful action
Sessions booked via my online scheduling app

🟣 £250/month – Full Support Package

The best of both worlds – this gives you in person/online coaching sessions and WhatsApp support between:

2 x coaching sessions per month
"Lou in Your Pocket" WhatsApp coaching Mon–Fri 10am–5pm
Great for staying on track and processing things in real time

Sessions are booked once your first payment is received via my online scheduler. 

Packages are pay monthly or if you pay for 6 months up front you get 10% off. 

My Coaching Approach

I believe sustainable change happens when we understand ourselves better rather than trying to force ourselves to be different.

My coaching is grounded in positive psychology, neuroscience, behaviour change, emotional wellbeing and trauma-informed practice. Every coaching relationship is tailored to the individual because there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Together, we will explore what is happening beneath the surface, identify patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and develop practical strategies to support your goals and well-being.

I create a coaching space where you can think clearly, speak honestly, and be constructively challenged. Clients often describe my style as warm, authentic, down-to-earth and refreshingly direct.

My aim is not to create dependency but to help you develop the awareness, confidence and skills needed to move forward independently.

Clients Feedback

I have had the privilege of working with Lou, and I can honestly say that she is one of the most compassionate, grounded and insightful people I have met.

Her ability to create a safe space for me to explore my challenges in a nonjudgmental and empathetic way, while being refreshingly real and supportively challenging my views and assumptions about myself, made working with her an absolute joy. I always felt seen and understood, and encouraged to drop any negativity I had towards myself.

Whether navigating executive function challenges, emotional regulation, or simply the day-to-day complexities of living with ADHD, Lou offers tools and perspectives that are both actionable and deeply affirming. Her insights often feel like lightbulb moments—clear, resonant, and transformative.

I would wholeheartedly recommend Lou to anyone seeking not just support, but a true partner in their ADHD journey.

Thank you so much Lou! (SM)

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Lou’s style of coaching has allowed me to explore my own options whilst introducing a level of stretch and challenge that works for me. The regular prompts and action plans helped me be accountable in taking steps forward. Lou’s calm, experienced approach enabled me the space to think through my goals and reach a point of clarity which I hadn’t had before. Our sessions are enjoyable and valuable and I would highly recommend Lou. (JW) 

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Lou introduced me to Heartmath and to the benefits of coherent breathing, listening to my inner self and taking time to focus on stopping for a bit- finding the joy again. Having had a bit of a personal ‘crash’ I needed to effectively rebalance myself. Lou’s calm, sensible, reasoned advice was what I needed to put things into perspective and to let go of unnecessary worries and tensions.
Lou listens carefully, helps to find practical, sensible solutions. She helped me to find a different way of thinking about myself, that was simple to implement and easy to adopt. She is sensitive, yet direct; she is kind, yet identifies where improvements can be made; she is empathetic, yet able to communicate some challenging realities. All of these attributes helped me to rebalance, refocus and get back on track, feeling more confident about myself and with my self-esteem growing. Using the Heartmath monitor and innerbalance app to focus my breathing and commit to the time each day was something that I really benefited from, alongside the sessions with Lou. Together they helped me to find some calm again, regain balance, implement boundaries, take charge of my time and a focus on things that give me joy. (JB) Head Teacher