Hi, I’m Anna Pelekanou

I came to the UK from Volos, Greece, in 1998, carrying both excitement and uncertainty — and an abiding love for music and libraries. Over time, Nottingham became home. I completed my MA and PhD in Musicology at the University of Nottingham and built a career that bridges scholarship, service, and student care. 

As Senior Librarian for Arts & Social Sciences, I’ve coordinated services across multiple libraries and supported large teams to deliver inclusive, high-quality experiences. Beyond the library, my years as Resident Tutor, Deputy Warden, and Warden at Broadgate Park Halls of Residences connected me with thousands of students, many from around the world. I’ve witnessed the resilience of international students facing homesickness, culture shift, and language barriers — and the joy that comes with finding community and confidence in a new place. 

Since 2017, as part of the University Coach Pool, I qualified as a Mentor and Coach and worked one-to-one with students and colleagues on gaining clarity, confidence, and wellbeing. Coaching taught me that growth is not linear; it is a patient, courageous practice of showing up for yourself. That is especially true when you are building a life in a new culture. 

It is a chance to sculpt a self that can work with integrity and love across cultures, and live with fulfilment. The website offers tools to help you do exactly that — at your pace, in your voice. 

Alongside my academic and professional journey, I have developed a deep commitment to self-leadership — the inner capacity to guide your own growth with clarity, responsibility, and intention. My coaching work is rooted in helping people reconnect with who they are beneath pressure, expectation, or past experience, and to move forward with confidence rooted in self-understanding. I specialise in supporting individuals to discover their authentic identity, understand their emotional patterns, and build a sustainable, meaningful personal reflection practice. Through structured tools, compassionate guidance, and practical frameworks, I help people not only gain insight, but also translate that insight into aligned, empowered action.

I am deeply committed to supporting people to become their best and most grounded self — not by chasing perfection, but by cultivating clarity, emotional awareness, and self-leadership. My goal is to make reflective growth accessible to everyone, regardless of background or circumstance. For that reason, the prices of my resources and one-to-one consultations are intentionally set to remain affordable and inclusive, reflecting my belief that personal development should support the many, not just the few. My work is driven by the idea that every individual deserves the tools to understand themselves, trust themselves, and lead their life with confidence and integrity.

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Disclaimer:

I work exclusively with adults aged 19 years and above. By accessing, purchasing, or using any of my resources, you confirm that you are 19+ and that you take full responsibility for how you choose to engage with this material.

I am a coach, not a therapist, counsellor, psychologist, psychiatrist, social worker, or other regulated mental-health professional. The guidance, tools, and reflections provided in these resources are intended for general personal development, self-awareness, and growth.

They are not designed to assess, diagnose, treat, or manage any mental-health condition. Nothing within these materials should be considered medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice.

All exercises, prompts, journaling tasks, and reflections are self-directed. How you interpret, apply, or act upon this information is your personal responsibility. You agree that you are fully responsible for your wellbeing, choices, and actions as you use this content.

If at any point the material raises difficult emotions, personal discomfort, or concerns about your mental health, you are encouraged to pause and seek appropriate professional support.

If you are experiencing:

  • emotional distress

  • anxiety, depression, or trauma symptoms

  • overwhelming thoughts

  • risk of harm to yourself or others

  • inability to cope with daily life

  • crisis or urgent emotional need

please contact a qualified mental-health professional or crisis service in your area (see resources listed below). Coaching is not a substitute for clinical or therapeutic care.

By continuing to use these resources, you understand and agree that:

  • you are responsible for your own choices, actions, and interpretations

  • you will seek professional help when needed

  • you use the material voluntarily and at your own risk

  • you release the coach (Dr. Anna Pelekanou) from any liability arising from your use or misuse of the content

My role is to support personal growth, reflective practice, and self-leadership—not to provide treatment, crisis intervention, or mental-health support.


My Approach

When I first encountered coaching, I recognised something quietly powerful: a structured yet deeply human space where people pause, reflect, and rediscover their own resourcefulness. Coaching is not about telling someone what to do; it is about enabling them to hear themselves think. In the fast-moving environment we all try to navigate, this space can be transformative. 

At its essence, coaching is a collaborative, conversational process that supports self-awareness, clarity, and growth. It helps individuals identify what they want, examine what might be holding them back, and develop strategies to move forward. Unlike mentoring, which is advice-based, or counselling, which often explores the past, coaching focuses on the present and the future — on unlocking potential rather than solving problems. The coach’s role is to ask purposeful questions, listen actively, and hold a reflective mirror up to the individual’s own experience. 

Coaching provides a confidential, non-judgemental space where you can articulate fears, ambitions, and uncertainties that might not surface elsewhere. It is an intentional pause within the intensity of study — a place to connect thought with emotion and translate both into action. 

Why Coaching?

Ultimately, coaching helps not just perform better but become better — more self-aware, resilient, and kind. Coaching reminds us that learning happens in conversations, in moments of insight, in choices made under uncertainty. 

The gift of coaching is discovering that we already possess the answers — we simply need the space and trust to find them. For coaches, the privilege lies in witnessing that discovery. 

To me, coaching embodies the spirit of More Than Reaching a Goal. It recognises that learning is not a transaction of information but a transformation of identity. It is how we learn to integrate mind, heart, and purpose — to work effectively, love generously, and live with fulfilment. 

When I sit in a coaching conversations, I am reminded of why I chose both libraries and music: both are spaces of resonance. Coaching, too, creates resonance — between what we know and who we are. And in that resonance, learning becomes something larger than achievement or reaching a goal: it becomes the art of becoming.

So, treat it as a conversation with yourself — not something to “complete,” but something to explore:

  • Build self-awareness 

  • Clarify goals and values 

  • Strengthen emotional intelligence and decision-making 

  • Create consistent habits for growth 

How?

Our Coaching interactions, invite you to pause amid deadlines and expectations, to look inward, and to recognise that your goal/problem/ambition are just one part of a larger process — the process of becoming the person you wish to be. 

Through reflection, coaching prompts, and practical exercises, my hope is that our interactions will help you build the inner foundations for a life that is balanced, connected, and meaningful. 

For me, this is what “sculpting the self” truly means. Every coaching conversation chisels away self-doubt and reveals shape, depth, and possibility. The process is never finished; it evolves as we do. 

For that reason, our sessions are limited and shaped to deliver a final product - a personalised approach to continue creating your own practice of sculpting the self.

Finally, coaching helps you stay accountable by turning your ambitions into clear, actionable steps and ensuring you follow through. A coach provides structure, guidance, and honest feedback, helping you stay focused even when motivation dips. With regular check-ins and progress reviews, coaching keeps you aligned with your action plan — transforming good intentions into consistent results.

UK MENTAL-HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES

  • NHS Mental Health Support: Call 111 or speak to your GP

  • Samaritans (24/7): 116 123

  • Shout Crisis Text Line: Text SHOUT to 85258

  • Mind (Information & Support): mind.org.uk

  • CALM: thecalmzone.net

International Crisis Support

  • USA: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Dial 988

  • Canada: 1-833-456-4566

  • Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14

  • New Zealand: 0800 543 354

  • Ireland: 116 123

Global directory: iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres