ABOUT Dr Alison Smith
Hello. I’m Alison, an experienced ILM and Time to Think coach, facilitator and former NHS General practitioner.
based in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales, UK
After twenty years in medicine, I now hold spaces where doctors and fellow professionals can think clearly, feel at ease and come back to themselves, rooted in the landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales.
I know from the inside what this work asks of us. As a GP, I learned how easily our own needs can slip to the bottom of the list, and how much changes when someone compassionately holds space for us instead. That understanding shapes everything I do now, from coaching conversations to residential retreat weekends.
My work draws on years of training in coaching and facilitation, and above all on the natural world, which holds and restores us so beautifully.
I spent close to twenty years as an NHS doctor, working in General Practice as a partner, salaried doctor and locum, and latterly as clinical lead for an inclusion health practice in Bradford. I know from the inside what this work asks of us, and how much is possible when doctors and other professionals who care for others are genuinely supported.
Coaching changed things for me, professionally and personally, and it led me to train as a coach. I qualified with ILM, completed my Time to Think practitioner training, and have been coaching clients since 2018. I coach medical trainees and allied health professionals along with senior educators through the Yorkshire and Humber NHSE scheme, and have been involved in coaching and mentoring initiatives with the NHS Leadership Academy and YORLMC.
Through Earth and Bloom I work with clients one-to-one and hold space in circles, workshops and retreats: carefully held gatherings rooted in nature, where there is room for honest conversation, compassionate listening and the kind of thinking that too often gets crowded out in professional life.
In recent years I have become increasingly drawn to creating community for medics, and my mission is to make circle spaces for doctors part of the fabric of the NHS. I believe we are not designed to carry things alone — and yet medicine, for generations, has asked exactly that.
Being in nature has, for as long as I can remember, been my way of processing thoughts and emotion, of finding my quiet, solace and connection. As a young child I recall feeling so at ease in my Grandad’s garden, watching the blackbirds nesting, delighting at the glimpse of a speckled egg in a perfect nest. The joy of eating raspberries straight from the bush, warmed by the sun, the scent of their delicious perfume.
In recent years, I have rediscovered a love for growing and realised a longstanding dream to work with flowers, incorporating beautiful British flora in to my floral designs and as essential ingredients for my workshops and retreats.
I am constantly fascinated by the way nature helps us to create powerful metaphor and how being in touch with our natural surroundings provides ease and connection. There is a spaciousness that shifts perspective and enables a wider, more balanced view of ourselves and the world around us.
“I believe in you. Words that water flowers”
It is this unique combination of skills and experience, along with my intuitive connection with others and the natural world that has culminated in the creation of Earth and Bloom.
Integral to all I do is a desire to work with integrity and compassion. I am skilled in creating an environment that says ‘you matter’, easeful and welcoming, in a gentle way that respects nature’s quiet strength and beauty.
“Bloom beautifully,
dangerously,
loudly,
bloom softly,
however you need,
just bloom.”
“Alison is a truly remarkable person and coach. She has a natural ease in the way that she communicates, which makes you feel completely safe and held, whether you are speaking in person or virtually. So often, the approach to wellbeing for doctors is impersonal, clinical and resilience-focused. Alison’s approach is refreshingly personal, holistic and built on empathy and empowerment. She listens deeply and has an almost alchemical way of helping you to work through complex feelings to develop a far greater understanding of yourself. She is endlessly supportive and encouraging as you identify and work through specific issues and develop new strategies to deal with them. She always makes a point of acknowledging the progress you are making and the courage that it takes to do that. Her kindness, humanity and emotional intelligence are evident in everything she does.
I first started working with Alison when I was off work due to workplace stress and burnout. The work we did together enabled me to navigate the difficult questions I was asking about my future in my speciality and medicine as a whole. Our work empowered me to return to my job in a way that felt comfortable, sustainable and in-line with my values and needs. It has also had a ripple effect into my life outside of medicine, where I find the same approach and strategies just as invaluable. Since my coaching with Alison, I have had a far stronger sense of myself, my values, my judgement and my worth. It is impossible to over emphasise the effect she has had on me and my life.”
My Approach
I know that we are uniquely beautiful, as are our thoughts.
That you will think differently to me, may have different values, culture, ideas, opinions and beliefs all sparks my curiosity and interest.
Above all, I want you to know that you and your thinking matter. I will work with you to cultivate the courage for truly independent thinking.
I will listen without judgement, understanding that we are all unique human beings.
“Let us live like flowers
wild and beautiful
and drenched in sun”
I have a deep understanding and respect of the fundamental importance of confidentiality, through my varied career as a doctor, coach and facilitator for over twenty years.
Untrue limiting assumptions that affect our ability to think for ourselves clearly and creatively can be explored and replaced with something true and liberating.
Enabling you to shift your gaze upwards towards the light and bloom. Beautifully.