Désirée

Before working with Lise, I was in the middle of the Credit Suisse–UBS takeover. I was leading part of the integration, wondering whether I would even have a role in the new organisation, and trying to position myself well in a culture that felt very different. At the same time, my personal life was full: my relationship, my children, another company where I’m a shareholder, and a close friend’s severe illness and death. I’m very “head heavy” by nature, and I knew I needed a coach who was crisp, direct, and to the point. Someone with authority, but also gentleness.

Lise recommended a two‑day Coaching in Nature retreat. I loved that it took me completely away. Out of it all, away from home and away from work. On the first half‑day we walked, identified the topics, laid the groundwork, and set the scene. Lise very quickly spotted the real issue and reflected it back. I then went to a hotel on my own, took the topics with me, and spent the evening intensely reflecting.

The next day we did a lot of walking and talking. As I became physically tired, I became less guarded and could reach deeper. We covered a huge amount, and I thought I had got everything I was going to get from the retreat.

Then there was this incredible breakthrough.

Lise used nature very deliberately: she asked me to do the physical act of pushing a tree with all my strength. It sounds simple, but the physical exertion created a mental and emotional shift I hadn’t expected. I found it remarkable.

What started as “professional coaching” inevitably brought in the personal too, and we worked across several dimensions. I left with visual cues I could take back into work, and a very different feeling in my body. Coaching in nature is so efficient. It’s a catalyst, a short‑cut, it cuts to the chase.

Fast forward a year, and I came back for another retreat. This time I felt like I had a lot of emotion stuck in me. I couldn’t breathe properly; I needed it out of my system. I knew exactly what I needed from the retreat: to let go of that emotion.

We did two half‑days in nature, and Lise planned the sessions differently because my brief was so specific. Again, it worked. I managed to release what I had been holding onto. I don’t really know how it works, but it works. I trust the process. It is very efficient, emotionally, especially if you are someone who lives in your head.

Throughout both retreats, Lise was gently observant and never intrusive. She helped extract what needed to come out, moderated the process, and asked whether I wanted her to be direct and share her thoughts. When I said yes, she delivered in exactly the way I needed. She is the first coach I have ever had who did not try to influence me. She never pushed. She would only give her view if I directly invited it. She offered frameworks to help me process things, and she has a deep understanding of people and is highly intuitive.

I will do Coaching in Nature again. It works. It has had a big impact on the challenges I’ve faced personally and professionally.

My advice if you’re considering Coaching in Nature with Lise:
Trust the process. You may feel skeptical that physical work, movement, and body work can achieve this kind of shift; but they do. Try it and be open to it. Let it happen. Lise will guide you.

It is especially powerful if you are “head-heavy”, out of touch with your body, and trying to process feelings purely intellectually. You can’t. You need to move. It works.