About me
I'm Dr. Victoria Elasic, founder of Oak & River Education Ltd., an experienced educator, organisational leader, and professionally trained coach with a Doctorate in Innovative and Organisational Leadership and ICF Level 1 and Level 2 coach training.
I believe meaningful personal and professional growth begins with feeling genuinely understood.
My private coaching practice provides a warm, confidential, and nonjudgmental space where you can explore whatever is on your mind, whether you're navigating a life transition, feeling stuck, reconsidering your career, struggling with confidence, or simply recognising that something in your life needs to change. You don't need to arrive with everything figured out. In fact, discovering what you need, what matters most to you, and what may be getting in your way is often where our work begins.
My approach to coaching:
What makes my practice distinctive is the combination of professional coaching, extensive experience in education and leadership, and my original compass methodology, which explores how our environments influence our ability to thrive.
Rather than focusing exclusively on what you need to change about yourself, we also consider how the circumstances, expectations, relationships, and environments around you may be supporting or limiting your growth. Our work is collaborative, thoughtful, and tailored to you. Together, we may explore your values, identify patterns, develop greater self-awareness, strengthen confidence, navigate important decisions, and identify practical changes that support your goals.
I also bring a wealth of lived experience to my practice. I understand that life can be complicated, that growth is rarely linear, and that people sometimes need a place where they can speak openly without worrying about being judged.
What you can expect:
My goal is not to tell you how to live your life or create dependence on coaching. It is to help you develop the clarity, confidence, and understanding to make decisions that feel authentic and sustainable for you. Clients have described our work together as deeply personal, insightful, empowering, and transformative.
I intentionally maintain a small private practice so that every coaching relationship receives the individual attention and care it deserves. I work with adults seeking personal growth, career development, greater self-understanding, and support through periods of change.
Sessions are available online, with in-person arrangements considered where appropriate.
If my approach resonates with you, I warmly invite you to get in touch for an initial discovery conversation.
Training, qualifications & experience
I bring a distinctive combination of advanced academic qualifications, professional coach training, and extensive experience in education, organisational leadership, and human development to my private coaching practice.
Professional Coaching Qualifications:
- International Coaching Federation (ICF) Level 1 Coach Training – completed February 2026
- International Coaching Federation (ICF) Level 2 Coach Training – completed June 2026
- Member, Association for Coaching (UK), subject to membership confirmation
- Founder and creator of the Compass methodology, a structured approach to understanding how individual needs and environmental conditions influence personal and professional flourishing
Academic Qualifications:
- Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Innovative and Organisational Leadership
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), United Kingdom
- American Montessori Society (AMS) Montessori Elementary I & II (ages 6–12) credential
- Professional Leadership Experience
I have over a decade of senior educational leadership experience, including serving in a role equivalent to Assistant Head of School, regularly assuming Head of School responsibilities.
My leadership experience includes:
- Direct supervision and professional development of more than 30 staff members
- Recruitment, performance management, and organisational decision-making
- Strategic planning, budgeting, and school improvement
- Leading organisational change and developing a supportive learning and working environment
- Coaching, mentoring, and supporting individuals through professional challenges and transitions
- Collaborating with senior leadership and governing boards
- Higher Education and Teaching
I have taught at the postgraduate level, including graduate courses in instructional design at Wilmington University and Loyola University Maryland.
My academic and professional work explores adult learning, human development, leadership, organisational systems, and the design of environments that support meaningful learning and growth.
Private Coaching and Client Experience:
Through Oak & River Education Ltd., I work with individuals seeking greater confidence, self-awareness, personal development, career direction, and support through significant life transitions.
My coaching experience includes supporting clients with:
- Career exploration, professional transitions, and leadership development
- Confidence, self-belief, and overcoming limiting patterns
- Values clarification and personal goal-setting
- Navigating complex personal and professional decisions
- Understanding individual needs and creating environments that better support wellbeing and success
- Developing greater autonomy, clarity, and confidence in moving forward
I have also facilitated group coaching and personal development experiences, alongside individual coaching relationships.
My approach combines evidence-informed practice, professional coaching skills, extensive leadership experience, and a deep commitment to providing a confidential, compassionate, and nonjudgmental space for personal growth.
I continue to engage in professional development and reflective practice to ensure that my coaching remains thoughtful, ethical, and responsive to each individual's needs.
Member organisations
The Association for Coaching is one of the leading professional bodies for Coaches and Organisations.
The Association is made up of a number of different membership categories, e.g. Associate Member (AMAC), Member (MAC), Accredited Member (AC Accred), with the different categories standing for different levels of training and experience. Accredited Members have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by the Association.
The Association has a Code of Ethics & Good Practice and a Complaints Procedure.
Areas of coaching I deal with
Other areas of coaching I deal with
- Environmental Redesign for Human Flourishing
- Environment-Focused Coaching
- Neurodiversity-Informed Coaching
- Life Transitions and Change
- Organisational Development
- Workplace Wellbeing and Environmental Accommodations
- Team Coaching and Development
- Educational Leadership Coaching
- Teacher and Educator Coaching
- School Leadership Development
- Family Dynamics and Environmental Support
- Executive Functioning Support
- Self-Advocacy
- Values-Based Decision Making
- Career Transitions
- Group Coaching and Facilitated Reflection
- Professional Development Workshops
- Compass© Environmental Reflection and Assessment
Environmental Redesign for Human Flourishing - your signature methodology and strongest differentiator.
Neurodiversity-Informed Coaching - particularly relevant to your work with ADHD, autism, and executive functioning.
Workplace Wellbeing and Environmental Accommodations - positions you for organisational and HR referrals.
Team Coaching and Educational Leadership - communicates that you work with organisations, not just individuals.
Life Transitions and Values-Based Coaching - attracts private clients navigating personal or professional changes.
Further information
Additional coaching, organisational and professional development services:
Alongside my private one-to-one coaching practice, I work with organisations, professional teams, educational settings, and groups seeking to create environments in which people can genuinely thrive.
Workplace and Leadership Coaching:
Drawing on my doctorate in Innovative and Organisational Leadership and more than a decade of senior leadership experience, I offer individual and group coaching for professionals, leadership teams, and organisations.
My work can support communication, collaboration, confidence, professional transitions, leadership development, employee wellbeing, and the identification of environmental barriers that may be affecting engagement and performance.
Coaching for Educators and School Leaders:
With extensive experience in education, Montessori practice, school leadership, and postgraduate teaching, I also offer coaching and professional development for teachers, educational leaders, and school teams. Sessions can focus on leadership, professional confidence, workplace challenges, team dynamics, neurodiversity-informed practices, and creating supportive learning and working environments.
Group Coaching and Bespoke Programmes:
I welcome enquiries from organisations, professional networks, and community groups interested in ongoing group coaching, facilitated reflection, workshops, or tailored development programmes.
Programmes can be designed around the needs and objectives of the participants, with options for one-off experiences or ongoing coaching relationships.
The Compass© Methodology for Coaches and Practitioners:
I am also the creator of the Compass, Oak & River's original environmental reflection methodology, which helps individuals explore how their surroundings, relationships, routines, expectations, and support systems influence their ability to thrive.
I welcome conversations with coaches, consultants, educators, and allied professionals interested in exploring how the Compass methodology might complement their existing practice. Opportunities for professional collaboration, practitioner training, and future licensing are areas of ongoing development.
Professional Enquiries:
I welcome confidential enquiries regarding private coaching, organisational partnerships, educational programmes, group coaching, and professional collaboration. Please contact me via email or visit my website.
