The people behind Mind Coach Academy.
Rebecca and Imelda help people understand what is really going on underneath stress, stuckness, old patterns and self-doubt.
Their work is practical, down to earth and deeply human - grounded in mental health experience, counselling, coaching, NLP, hypnotherapy and real-world support.
Experienced enough to guide you. Human enough to meet you where you are.
People often come to Mind Coach Academy because they do not want another surface-level chat. They want to understand what is happening, learn practical tools, and feel supported by people with genuine depth, training and lived professional experience.
Founded in 2015, Mind Coach Academy has grown from a shared belief that people can create meaningful change when they understand what is happening underneath and have practical tools to move forward.
Practical, not fluffy.
The work is warm and supportive, and it is also structured. The goal is to give people tools they can use, not just ideas that sound nice.
Experienced, not detached.
Rebecca and Imelda bring formal training, mental health knowledge, counselling experience and real-world understanding to their work.
Human, not corporate.
Mind Coach Academy works with individuals, leaders and workplaces, but the work always comes back to real people and real life.
Rebecca
Rebecca trained as an Occupational Therapist and worked for 20 years in mental health at the CDHB in New Zealand and the NHS in the United Kingdom.
She brings warmth, insight and a deeply practical understanding of how the mind works. Her work helps people feel safe enough to be honest, while guiding them towards tools that create real change.
20 years working in mental health through the CDHB in New Zealand and the NHS in the UK.
Rebecca holds a Bachelor in Occupational Therapy from Otago University.
Rebecca is trained in Neuro Linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy.
Rebecca was previously a lecturer at the New Zealand School of Hypnotherapy and is the published author of The How of Hope: One family's story of overcoming mental illness.
Rebecca is a founding member of Mind Coach Academy.
Rebecca loves gardening and can very much relate to that saying of ‘That 5 minutes in the garden was the best 8 hours I spent!’
It is not about having the perfect explanation.
Many people arrive knowing only that something needs to change. That is enough. The work starts by understanding what is happening underneath.
Imelda
Imelda has had a background steeped in counselling, starting from when she was living in Ireland.
She brings calm, clarity and a strong ability to spot what is really getting in the way. Her style is practical and grounded, with a focus on helping people build confidence, communicate more clearly and feel more in control of their own life.
Imelda’s background in counselling began while she was living in Ireland and continues to shape her work today.
Imelda is trained in coaching and brings a practical, supportive approach to helping people move forward.
Imelda is trained in Neuro Linguistic Programming and Hypnotherapy.
Imelda is a founding member of Mind Coach Academy.
Imelda is known for saying, “I’ve just read a book on...”
Imelda loves living in New Zealand and especially enjoys exploring beautiful hikes. Her favourite pastime is watching her grandchildren and learning from their charming innocence and curiosity - they never stop exploring and wondering.
Serious change does not have to feel heavy all the time.
Rebecca and Imelda bring training, experience, warmth, humour and humanity to work that can be deeply meaningful. That combination matters.
The values behind the work.
Mind Coach Academy is built around a simple belief: people can create meaningful change when they understand themselves, have practical tools, and feel supported by people who genuinely care.
Down to earth
Useful language, practical tools and conversations that feel human.
Have a laugh
Because life can be hard enough without making growth feel grim.
Keep learning
The work keeps growing, evolving and being shaped by real people.
Individual strengths
People are not all the same, and support should not treat them as if they are.
Keep it simple
Tools should be clear enough to understand and practical enough to use.
Different strengths. Shared purpose.
Rebecca and Imelda each bring their own style, strengths and experience to Mind Coach Academy, but they share the same commitment: helping people understand themselves and move forward with more confidence, calm and clarity.
Their work supports individuals, practitioners, leaders and workplaces - but the heart of it is always the same. People do better when they understand what is happening inside them and have tools that help them respond differently.
That is what Mind Coach Academy exists to teach.
Want to talk to Rebecca or Imelda?
You do not need to know exactly what you need yet. Tell them a little about what is happening, and they will come back to you as soon as they can.
- You can choose phone, text or email as your preferred contact method.
- Your enquiry email will be created for you, ready to send.
- Rebecca or Imelda will talk through what support could look like.
Send a Private Enquiry
Fill in the details below and we’ll create the email for you. You’ll just need to press send from your own email app.
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Copy the message below and email it to info@mindcoachacademy.co.nz.
Phone
Start with a free first chat.
You do not need the perfect words. Just tell Rebecca or Imelda what has been happening, how you would prefer them to contact you, and they will come back to you as soon as they can.
