Meet Zoe Holliday, registered nurse and health coach.

Most of my nursing career was in general practice, working with patients who had diabetes, high blood pressure, weight problems, cardiovascular disease. I had thousands of conversations about lifestyle and what needed to change.

The difficult part was always the same. There simply wasn't enough time. Ten minutes in a GP appointment is enough to tell someone they need to eat better and move more. It isn't enough to understand why that hasn't been working for the past five years, or to help them figure out something that might.

Health coaching gave me the time to do the bit I'd always found most valuable. Getting to know someone properly, understanding their life and what was getting in the way, and helping them find something practical they could start. I finished my coaching diploma a couple of years ago, and it's become the work I'd always wanted to be doing.

I'll bring clinical knowledge into our sessions, but not in a medical way. I'm not there to give you a diagnosis. What the nursing background does is help me explain clearly what's happening in your body, why you feel the way you do, and what's likely driving the things you're experiencing, all in straightforward language without jargon or a clipboard.

I'm practical and fairly direct. I won't dress things up in vague language or make promises that depend on everything going perfectly. When I can see what needs to change, I'll say so. I'll also help you figure out the simplest way to start, and work through any barriers as they come up, because they will.

The part that matters most to me is that my clients feel genuinely supported. Making changes to your health is personal, and it takes trust. I'll be honest about what's realistic, I'll notice the progress even when you can't see it yourself, and when things don't go to plan (which they won't always), I won't make it into something it isn't.