Paula Gardner is a psychologist and coach who works with women in their fifties from all over the world. Women in their fifties are in a very unique place. Subjects that come up again and again are mid-life career change, divorce, confidence, a search for meaning and a desire for visibility. This could be in a career, business or just in general. Women over fifty are fed up with feeling invisible and Paula is passionate about helping them rebuild their confidence so they can step back into the spotlight.
Paula has been though much of this herself. She gave up her own PR and marketing business to return to University to do a Masters and retrain as a psychologist and coach. She has managed to build a successful business whilst dealing with divorce, bringing up three teenagers and earning a living.
Along the way she has had three books published: Get Noticed, Do Your Own PR and The Career Pause and Pivot, and has been featured in publications that include The Guardian, the Express, Marie Claire and The Mail Online.
I named my coaching agency Scarlet Thinking because my mission is to get you thinking about your future in new ways. Scarlet Thinking is about being bold, stepping out of old patterns, and creating something totally new.
I use tools like psychometrics to help my clients gain a better understanding of themselves and how that may be impacting the way they are reacting to the world around them. And what impact this is having on their career progress, relationships or life. I believe in being adventurous, in cultivated the growth mindset, and encourage my clients to think about their life as a great experiment. Our sessions can range from the intensely strategic, getting practical with plans, goals and steps, to the existential or even spiritual.
I still have an interest in PR, and mentor for PR apprentices with the PRCA. I was also on the advisory board of a women’s business club for three years and I now volunteer with AgeUK. Additionally, I’m the mother of three children, two of them now in their twenties, and two cats, Simba and Bamboo. In my spare time I love playing poker (it’s that psychology again) and am learning Bridge. I’m in a love affair with Italy and occasionally run retreats in beautiful Italian cities like Verona.
If you would like to chat through how we could work together, please do get in touch with me. “
You can find Paula Gardner in The Guardian, Stella magazine, Marie Claire, Psychologies and HR Zone, among others. Paula’s books are Do Your Own PR and Get Noticed. Paula is a Member of the Association for Business Psychology.