For the past five years, I’ve worked with Hilary on combining our respective areas of clinical psychology and organisational behaviour change.
We shared so many ideas for the future development of compassion focused coaching, how we can help our clients and ourselves work with the problem of imposter syndrome, how to increase emotional intelligence in leadership and, ultimately, how to help the teams we work with cultivate psychologically safe cultures where people can thrive.
The tragedy that 2022 was to be Hilary's final year of life was not one that any of us saw coming. We know that cancer is sadly a common human experience and one that Hilary faced with courage and dignity. As Hil’s stepdaughter, I was alongside her in her cancer journey and we were supporting and learning from each other every step of the way right until her last breath.
While life will not be the same without her in it and her loss is a huge one for us as a family, it is my wish for her legacy to live on through Indigo. Together we shared many ideas and plans for Indigo and Your Virtual Mind Trainer, and the vision was for me to carry this forward after Hilary’s retirement.
I am gutted I am now taking Indigo forward without Hilary alongside me as a mentor. But I intend to honour her wish and plan to do my best by her and continue to evolve what she created in Indigo.
Hilary’s passion and joy for her work was tangible. She was gifted in what she did and the testaments to her that came pouring in after we announced her death were incredibly humbling. It made me feel very lucky and privileged to have had worked with her, while also knowing her so closely.
If I am honest there has always been a big part of me that felt overwhelmed at the idea of trying to fill her shoes! I know I cannot fill Hilary’s shoes. She was a unique lady with her own gifts, talents and experience. I also know Hil wouldn’t want me to try and fill her shoes as she saw me as a unique lady with my own gifts, talents and experience!
So, as Indigo moves forward into 2023, it will be with a slightly different version but definitely with the same essence and spirit.
Please do get in touch with me if you would like to discuss any of Indigo’s services and how I can help you in 2023.