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Ignite Your Potential

Helping you create a life you love to live

The Power of Mediation in Business and Relationships

by Bernadette Willems

“I’ve had enough….”
“How do I leave my husband….”
“They are just not listening….”
“How can we stop this from getting ugly….”
“It’ll be lonely this Christmas….”
“We’ve tried everything, and nothing is working….”
“I’ve had enough of life….” 

These are just some comments I hear daily in my role as Change Maker at Greater Manchester Mediation Limited

With more than 25 years of experience as a Family Solicitor, Mediator, Trainer and Coach in the field of conflict resolution, I help people lead a better life and a brighter future free from debilitating disputes – thereby helping to create a better world for all of us.

The key to this is ‘Mediation  and  Mentoring’. But what is it, and how does it work?

As founder of Greater Manchester Mediation Limited, and as a Change Maker, I show my clients primarily how to communicate with each other.  I identify the things in their life which is keeping them stuck and guide and support them as they make the necessary changes in how they think about things , to achieve the outcomes they want. This is vital, as it ensures that vulnerable or emotionally fragile clients feel heard and empowered, and it rebuilds bridges between estranged parties. 

I am also there to support my clients in navigating the legal process, helping them understand the requirements of law and to find the best route to resolve their disputes. In addition, I ensure that they are not overwhelmed by all the information available and help them determine their best course of action. 

Many disputes or problems between individuals, in personal or work relationships or within teams, are compounded or aggravated because clients do not understand each other’s way of thinking, together with the legal (and other) options available to them. 

Crucially, with the benefit of this legal knowledge, together with the life and personal development tools and resources I share with my clients, they can identify ways of building or maintaining trust, despite the past.

Mediated solutions work better, last longer and cost far less than solutions imposed by a tribunal or a court, and everyone involved buys into them. Moreover, they are less adversarial, and Mediation fosters mutual respect through improved communication.

Mediation can mend and preserve frayed relationships, even when the parties are extremely angry.

If you would like to know more about how I can help rebuild bridges through mediation in all relationships, get in touch HERE. 

 

TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

When I started out as a lawyer-mediator over 20 years’ ago, I became more and more fascinated with how this ‘new’ profession enabled people to take control of their own lives without abdicating solutions to third parties. I loved making people feel empowered by their ability to find solutions which would help them face the future with greater confidence and change their current situation for the better.

Dealing every day with people’s emotions and problems, I realised that our emotions control our reality, and so I became curious about how our minds work and discovered the universal principles that have such an overwhelming influence on how we think and behave.

I was able to see why I got results in some areas and not in others. I became passionate about helping people transform their lives and adopt success principles to transform their lives and reach their big personal goals around income, work-life balance, relationships and more.

The success principles are there to turn your goals into your reality, I continue to see it at work in my own life and I would love to show you how to do the same in yours. 

Live a life you love!

My Services

It’s time to live the life you imagined for yourself…

– Henry James

There are no short cuts to success. Yet, with the proper tools, resources and support you can accelerate your success, so that you achieve your goals and realise your dreams in far less time than you could have on your own.

 A coach or mentor helps breathe life into your aspirations, transforming them into concrete goals and then providing you with the transformational tools and motivation you need to turn those goals into reality.

I help you:

  • Break free from limiting beliefs and self-sabotage for accelerated results
  • Build genuine and lasting self-confidence
  • Build unbreakable self-discipline
  • Develop a strong, unstoppable mindset
  • Develop strategies for overcoming fear, doubt, and worry
  • Determine what matters most, amplifying your vision, and activating your best resources
  • Understand the missing and often misunderstood elements of effective goal achieving

I help you transition from a lack of life or career direction, to discovering or rekindling your passion and establishing the foundations of a new life or business venture.

You have so much more power and potential inside you than you realise. 

  • No matter your circumstances…
  • No matter the challenges you’re facing…
  • No matter how many times you have tried and failed…
  • No matter the fear that you’re facing or what your inner critic is telling you…

You have what it takes to make your dream a reality.

Get the help you need to design your life with crystal clear clarity, increase your awareness of what is possible, get the right mindset and transform your life to one you love to live.

The power of personal coaching lies in the fact that it provides you with the most critical ingredient for extraordinary, consistent success: ongoing support, detailed action plans, constructive feedback and, most importantly a high-level perspective.

When you know that you will be regularly masterminding with a coach – someone who is going to give you unwavering encouragement and high-level support all the way to the finish line – your commitment, enthusiasm, and belief in your goal increases exponentially.

Give your unique potential the boost it deserves. My highly effective and proven programme will help you find the crystal-clear clarity and support you need to accelerate your results and achieve your goals.

ENQUIRE NOW

It's time to live the life you imagined for yourself...

Each month I offer a few complimentary strategy sessions. This session will help you get clear on what you want, what’s holding you back, and your best next step.

“Clarity is Power.” Just like you must have a clear blueprint if you want to build a house, the same is true with your life and I help you design with clarity the blueprint of the life you would love to live.

So, if you’re interested in living the life you imagined for yourself and you’d like to schedule a complimentary strategy session please email me at bmw@bernadettewillems.com or call my office 0161 452 3738.

I look forward to speaking with you soon.

ENQUIRE NOW

Who I work with

In the past two decades, I have helped individuals and teams, work smarter, not harder, to boost productivity, performance and profit by setting worthy goals, closing their knowing-doing gaps, shifting old paradigms and forming success habits that will last a lifetime.

I have helped my clients identify the life they would love to live and provided them with the success strategies and ability to achieve these life-time goals. I have helped them feel empowered, inspired and motivated to perform their best every day and reach their big personal goals around income, work-life balance, relationships and more.

What I do

I help unearth the diamond that is the real you, the ‘private you’. Before you can tackle goals in your career, relationships or health, you must first do inner work to develop a greater understanding of yourself, your habits and how you view yourself and the world.

Working with me will help you focus on developing patterns to help you overcome unhelpful beliefs and develop an unshakeable discipline to break through those unconscious self-imposed barriers. These patterns will become regular habits that you can then use for the rest of your life.

I work with you one-on-one and all my coaching is tailored 100% to your unique situation. Together we explore what really is YOUR version of success and how to have it completely on YOUR TERMS.

Why work with a Coach

Every high performing athlete and entrepreneur has a coach. Every high achieving person who balances multiple sides of their life deserves professional support as well. In fact, the most successful people always invest in themselves.

As the saying goes, you put the oxygen mask on yourself BEFORE helping others. The same applies in your everyday life, not just in emergencies. When you put yourself first and build everything around you and your needs, everyone around you benefits as well.

Live a healthier, wealthier, more fulfilling, passionate and purposeful life – whether that means achieving in business, reigniting your relationship, or discovering who you really are. My coaching programme will help close the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

I help you develop the skills and talent to get you where you want to be in your professional and personal journey.

Everyone wants the rewards and recognition, but few are committed to investing in themselves and undergoing the changes required to make the ‘impossible’ possible.

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It has been an absolute joy to work with Bernadette over past few months. Bernadette has expertly guided me on my journey to build the life of my dreams and be the best version of me. Thank you for your exquisite coaching skills, wisdom, compassion, humour and empathy – I have learned so much and loved every minute.

K. TemsConnecting People to Create Business Opportunities

Bernadette presented a very thought provoking seminar to The Business Network Central and East Lancs which got me thinking about how important it is to have clarity about what you want to do, where positive or negative thoughts can take you if you are not in control of what you think and fail to master your mindset. Bernadette also gave some great insights into understanding the incredible inner resources we all have and fail to use. Thanks to Bernadette's talk, I have also decided to take up my gratitude journal again, as Bernadette reminded me how beneficial it is for my mental welfare.

P. WrayShowing clients their financial present & empowering them to plan for their financial future

I have been meeting with Bernadette regularly now for 4 months and have found these sessions very helpful. The opportunity of being able to take time out to work on the business, rather than in the business has proved very beneficial. Bernadette’s style is easy and conversational. Her analysis of the situations and her insights have helped me attain greater clarity about what motivates me and the members of my team. She has helped me realise the importance of understanding the differences in personalities and how these different characteristics can impact positively on the harmony of a team.

Bernadette is intuitive and with her down to earth approach I have left each session with a practical suggestion I can implement (and have done) to great success, on my return to the office. I would recommend Bernadette’s approach to coaching as a readily accessible way of gaining clarity about how you can improve your own performance and that of the members of your team.

D. BaileyNetwork, Warrington

Bernadette’s coaching programme has helped me identify more clearly what I want to do with my business and how I can go about achieving my goals, both personal and professional. Bernadette is extremely supportive and intuitive in the way she approaches our sessions. She is very adept at identifying my personal issues and helping me find ways of overcoming the challenges which prevent me from making the progress I want.

On a number of occasions when I was feeling overwhelmed with some of the challenges we had in the business, Bernadette has been able to help me change my perspective and renewed my enthusiasm. Bernadette offers many useful tips and ideas which has helped me be more productive and focused on a day to day basis. Bernadette has challenged my thinking and holds me accountable to all the matters I commit to, to ensure I follow through and do not get distracted.

I feel re-energised and enthusiastic at the end of each session, eager to apply what we have discussed. I would strongly recommend anyone who owns a business to use Bernadette as their business coach as her support and insights have been, and continue to be, invaluable to me.

C. GallagherHR Director P3 People Management Ltd

Bernadette was very helpful in getting us to sort out a messy partnership dissolution. Bernadette was instructed to act as mediator in relation to an acrimonious solicitors’ partnership dissolution. She gained the clients trust from the beginning and was able to provide helpful and sensible suggestions as to how to effectively progress the mediation. She listened to our concerns and with her help and intervention we achieved Heads of Agreement. She helped us decide on the clearly defined responsibilities for implementation of the Heads of Agreement so we could implement the dissolution of the partnership and go our separate ways and achieve a satisfactory Clean Break. Bernadette’s help was instrumental in speeding up the process and achieve a resolution. We had endured several months of fruitless and frustrating negotiations before we instructed her.

S. David

My clients were very impressed with Bernadette’s pragmatic approach to the issues they presented. Bernadette is of course a very experienced and competent mediator held in high regard both by her peers and users. Bernadette was quick to grasp the issues and with sensitivity and diplomacy was able to get the parties co-operating to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

C. Livingstone

When I first met Bernadette, I was in a mess, I was stressed, I hated my current job but didn’t really know what I wanted. Bernadette helped me gain clarity on what was important to me. She was able to help me to the point where I could consider the options I had with confidence and choose a path which would serve me the best.

D. Smith

To have engaged Bernadette on a 121 basis was one of the best decisions I made this year. Like physical exercise the mental self-work is sometimes uncomfortable and challenging, but I would come away from our weekly sessions with a great sense of purpose and clarity as Bernadette helped me focus my mind and gave me space and ideas on how best to work on my business and life goals. Bernadette works in a very intuitive way supporting me when I needed support and encouraging me to have more confidence in myself and in my business skills.

As a coach, Bernadette draws on her own depth of expertise to pass on her wisdom, knowledge and insight to help me take the next business step. Bernadette gave me many helpful tips and strategies which had an immediate impact to help me organise myself and deal with the tasks of running a business. She helped me recognise the importance of delegation so that I retain the tasks I love and do best and no one else can. Overall Bernadette has helped me be more strategic in how I approach matters with the consequences that I feel calm, in control and not firefighting. This has had a positive impact on my life and in my business and I now feel equipped to achieve and maintain a healthy work/life balance.

S. FishelBoost your profits, productivity and employee retention with our friendly IT training

Bernadette is an excellent Lawyer Mediator, Trainer and Coach who is keen to offer her clients a unique service, tailored to their own specific needs. Bernadette helps both clients and professionals alike, with a subtle blend of her professional and therapeutic services. Her wealth of knowledge, skills and attention to detail can save both clients and businesses valuable time and money, helping them move forward at a pace comfortable to them. She is extremely professional, knowledgeable and approachable. I have worked very closely with Bernadette for many years and have seen first-hand her eagerness to find a better way to help clients obtain the best possible outcomes specifically for them. I admire her work ethic and professionalism and have no hesitation in highly recommending her.

Bernadette knows intuitively what questions to ask. Her insight and empathy is evident from the very start, yet working with Bernadette on a 1-2-1 is just like having a conversation. Bernadette has an innate talent for creating an easy, trusting and safe environment to explore your innermost thoughts and what might be keeping you stuck.
She made me think about things differently to what I had been doing previously. After one conversation, I had already gained huge clarity on what I needed to do to achieve my goals. Bernadette is very insightful, and I would definitely recommend her if you want to progress your business.

J. McCulloch

Bernadette’s coaching programme has helped me gain confidence in how I have approached my role as MD. Initially I found it to be a lonely experience, as I did not feel it appropriate to share with my personnel the problems and challenges I face every day.

Bernadette has helped me to deal with issues which have been on my mind. Her insightful questions and calm manner have been instrumental in helping me identify strategic approaches to issues arising in the business. Bernadette is extremely supportive and intuitive in the way she approaches our sessions. She is very adept at identifying the root cause of issues and helping me find ways of overcoming the challenges which prevent me and my colleagues from making the progress needed to make us more strategic.

Having an independent person cast an eye on my business has helped me identify how some things can be improved not only for the people in the business but also added great value to the clients we serve. I look forward to our sessions as each time I feel re-energised and enthusiastic about what needs to be done.

T. HineWarrington

I have recently completed an Accreditation Course with Bernadette Willems. It was Bernadette’s influence that persuaded me to add to my skill set and I now see what an invaluable tool it will be to expand my business. It is enabling me to give SME’s a wider range of service, helping them to balance their businesses and maintain a flow of positive energy, resulting in growth, turnover and profit. As for Bernadette, she is creative, kind, patient and thorough and I would not hesitate to recommend her wholeheartedly.

I. Allison

Dear Bernadette, Many thanks for agreeing to see me and talk about my nervousness and low self-esteem. As I explained to you I have played piano from being a child , but was always a bag of nerves when taking my examinations. Going into the exam room was always an ordeal.

Now as a grown man and in my retirement years I decided to take up studying the piano seriously to try to achieve a diploma – but each exam my nervousness has never left me and has affected my performance. My teacher Elizabeth suggested doing some assessment tests but nerves still plagued me. However, as you knew Elizabeth and my problem came up in conversation, you agreed to counsel me. Shortly after our meeting I took another assessment test and I must congratulate you on what you did for me. I think I was the most relaxed I have been in an exam. You have certainly boosted my confidence and given me lots of ideas for tackling my problem in playing for an examiner.

Again, I thank you Bernadette. I would certainly recommend you to anyone who has issues of confidence to face whatever circumstances it may be.

Thank you.
Yours sincerely

Harry

Thank you, Bernadette, for helping me decide what is ultimately the right choice for me, which I sort of knew in my heart, but did not trust myself, until I saw the results of the test.

R. Cosenza

Found your suggestions to help me feel better about myself really helpful – my ex has been making me out to be a bad father and I find that very hard to deal with as I am doing my best and my son means the world to me.

Mr. Ogden

Bernadette made me think about things in a different way, which was very helpful.

S. Wright

Contact Bernadette