I know what it costs to be the person who never lets anyone down.
For years, I built my identity around being capable, reliable, and useful. I showed up in every role professionally and personally with everything I had. I was good at it. Genuinely good. And somewhere in the middle of all that showing up for everyone else, I quietly disappeared from my own life.
I wasn't burnt out in the dramatic sense. I was just... less.
Less present in my own decisions.
Less honest about what I actually wanted.
Less able to tell where my needs ended and everyone else's began.
I had a law degree, a career that looked impressive from the outside, and a growing sense that I was living someone else's version of my life.
The turning point wasn't one moment. It was a slow realisation — through coaching, through The Artist's Way, through a lot of honest journaling — that the problem wasn't my workload, my relationships, or my circumstances. The problem was that I had never given myself permission to be the good kind of selfish. To have needs that mattered. To take up space without apologising for it.
Learning that changed everything. Not overnight. Not perfectly. But irreversibly.
Now I work with women who are living the version of that story I recognise so well — brilliant, driven, and slowly hollowing themselves out in service of everyone else.
I became an ICF PCC coach because I wanted to do this work at the highest possible standard. I trained in Internal Family Systems because I wanted to understand not just what women do, but why — the parts of us that keep over-giving even when we know better.
This work is personal for me. That's what makes it effective.
International Coaching Federation Level 2 Certified Coach: The gold standard in professional coaching. This means I've completed rigorous training and supervised practice hours, held to the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry. Less than 4% of coaches worldwide hold this level of accreditation.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Trained: IFS is a deeply effective therapeutic framework that helps us understand the different parts of ourselves — including the part that keeps over-giving even when you know better. I use it to help clients go beyond surface behaviour and address the beliefs underneath.
Legal background: I trained and worked as a lawyer before becoming a coach. This means I bring rigorous thinking, precision, and a strong ethical framework to everything I do. I don't do vague. I do clear, structured, and actionable.
10+ years across law, sales, events, and HR: I've navigated corporate environments, client relationships, and professional reinvention firsthand. I understand the specific pressures ambitious women face in professional settings because I've lived them.
The Artist's Way practitioner: Julia Cameron's framework for creative recovery is something I return to personally and draw on professionally. Creativity is one of the most powerful tools for rebuilding self-image and one of the most overlooked.
Writer: I've completed two NaNoWriMo challenges since 2024. Writing keeps me honest, curious, and connected to my own voice. It's also where a lot of my content for clients begins.
Host of Transformations Through Coaching and Creativity podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Each episode explores the intersection of self-image, creativity, and the good kind of selfish. A good place to hear how I think before we work together.
Fluent in four languages: English, Italian, Turkish, Dutch. I work with clients across Europe and internationally, and I understand firsthand what it means to navigate identity, ambition, and self-expression across cultures.
I'm a dedicated practitioner of The Artist's Way.
I've completed two NaNoWriMo challenges since 2024 and I write regularly.
Creativity isn't separate from this work for me. It's central to it.
Some of the most profound self-image shifts I've witnessed in myself and in clients have come through creative practice, not analysis.
Testimonials
Dan Marsh
Emel models how progress at anxiety inducing life journeys can be made.
Elena Marsh
Emel shows an incredible commitment to growth and development. She is highly disciplined and goes the extra mile. Emel makes a difference in others' lives through coaching while enjoying the journey.
T.
I have attended three coaching sessions with Emel, each of which lasted for about 1.5 hours. I'm impressed by her inspiratory questions digging into my experiences, helping me discover hidden points that are actually crucial for me. Besides, I like her exercise tasks about loving myself and I keep doing them after the sessions. Another thing is that I learned from her to celebrate what I have done. I never thought I had so many things to celebrate. The feeling is really good and long-lasting!
Looking for meaningful takeaways? Here’s what people love exploring with me:
🌟 Self-discovery tools that spark clarity—through reflection prompts, strengths mapping, or purpose-driven exercises
🧭 Career and leadership insights you can actually use, practical strategies, mindset shifts, and industry specific guidance
🤝 Connection and confidence-building from engaging discussions to interactive activities that help you grow with others
Contact
info@coachmlc.com