ABOUT ANNI
I’ve never been particularly interested in staying in one box.
My background is a bit of a mix.
My working life began in the equestrian industry, riding and producing young horses. I’ve been self-employed for most of my life and set up several businesses. Ambition, preparation, pressure and backing my own decisions have been part of both.
A major health setback with endometriosis led me towards Nutritional Therapy. Working in female health, fertility and children’s nutrition drew me into the beliefs, emotions and expectations behind our relationship with food.
I could give someone information and a plan, yet it didn’t necessarily help them make the changes they wanted. That frustrated me. I wanted to understand what affected their ability to act.
As my own ambition returned, I became interested in how we pursue demanding goals while taking our health and circumstances seriously.
That brought me to Coaching Psychology at UCC—and to the questions connecting my work today: how we turn preparation into action, respond to pressure and setbacks, and move towards what matters.
And, if anything, I came away with even more questions.
Not for the sake of being difficult. Although I’m sure there are people in my life who would dispute that.
I just don’t think people make much sense when we try to explain them through one thing.
Sometimes physiology matters. Sometimes it’s what we’re telling ourselves. Sometimes the plan itself is ridiculous. And sometimes there’s nothing particularly wrong with the person or the plan — it just doesn’t work in the life they’re actually living.
I’m interested in figuring out which one we’re dealing with.
I tend to question the first explanation.
Most of what I know about people, I learned from working with them.
The theory matters enormously to me. But I’ve also spent years sitting across from actual people, and actual people have an annoying habit of not behaving exactly as the textbook suggests they should.
300+
People worked with 1:1 across
health, nutrition & coaching
150+
Talks, workshops &
presentations delivered
These days that might mean coaching someone one-to-one, teaching a room of students, delivering a workshop or contributing to a project with an organisation.
I like the variety. I think I’d be fairly miserable doing the same thing all week.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
The slightly more formal bit.
HDip Coaching & Coaching Psychology
University College Cork
Diploma in Nutritional Therapy
College of Naturopathic Medicine
Training spanning anatomy & physiology, pathology, nutritional science, pharmacology and clinical practice.
CertHE
Sport & Exercise Science & Psychology
University of Chester
Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach (PN1)
Precision Nutrition
HSI Level 1 Coach
Horse Sport Ireland
Additional training:
Motivational Interviewing
Mind-Body Medicine
Nutrition for Autism & ADHD
Paediatric Nutrition
Fertility & Female Health
Autoimmune Disease
Professional memberships
International Coaching Federation (ICF)
Nutritional Therapists of Ireland (mNTOI)
OUTSIDE OF WORK
Horses are still a big part of my life. I’m getting back into competing, and I love having performance goals of my own—something to work towards and the satisfaction of seeing the work come together.
I also love travelling and exploring different cultures, especially through food. Trying a new cuisine or finding somewhere lovely to eat is very much part of the trip. I enjoy the finer things in life.
Closer to home, I’m happiest spending time outdoors—at the yard, out walking or heading off on a hike. I like a life with room for ambition, curiosity and plenty to enjoy along the way.
WORK WITH ME
If something here has made you curious about working together, you can see what that might look like below.