Police coach and mentor Olivia Standbridge headshot

Hi, I’m Olivia

THE POLICE COACH

I survived a long and drawn out medical retirement from the police following a battle with work related mental health issues and found my place in the wonderful, crazy world that exists outside of being a public servant. I am a coach and mentor and I love supporting others to live a life aligned with their personal values.

Although I am the Police Coach and I help people who find themselves in a similar position to the one I found myself in, I’ll let you in to a little secret – I also work with people who have never been in the police! Maybe you’re leaving the military or health service, or have never worked in public services a day in your life, if you think I seem like someone you’d like to work with, get in touch. I have also worked with people just starting their police career who want the support of someone who has been there and done it before.

Image of side of police car from England or Wales

I do what I because I have been there – I’ve been through health issues, I have been through career change and I have been through trying to work out who I am and what I want to do.

My first career was in law enforcement as frontline police officer. After 9 years I left and worked in the corporate sector as an HR Manager and have since retrained as personal & career development coach and set up my own business helping police officers transition away from the police service.

There are a combination of reasons for my career changes. I suffered with ill health; PTSD, anxiety and depression in the police, and unexplained chronic pain when working in HR. In

both careers, despite having success, I felt like I was acting the role of someone I should be, rather than being my true self. I felt like there must be more to life than doing jobs that I was not happy in. That’s when I retrained as a coach and my job is now helping other people find their path in life. 

My background in law enforcement means I also get what you’re going through. Do you ever find yourself talking to someone who isn’t in the police about a job you went to and they look at you with a look of horror on their face? That is the benefit of having a coach or mentor like me – I get the coping mechanisms and the stuff that never leaves you. You won’t feel like you’re being judged. 

I do what I because I have been there – I’ve been through health issues, I have been through career change and I have been through trying to work out who I am and what I want to do.

My first career was in law enforcement as frontline police officer. After 9 years I left and worked in the corporate sector as an HR Manager and have since retrained as personal & career development coach and set up my own business helping police officers transition away from the police service.

There are a combination of reasons for my career changes. I suffered with ill health; PTSD, anxiety and depression in the police, and unexplained chronic pain when working in HR. In both careers, despite having success, I felt like I was acting the role of someone I should be, rather than being my true self. I felt like there must be more to life than doing jobs that I was not happy in. That’s when I retrained as a coach and my job is now helping other people find their path in life. 

My background in law enforcement means I also get what you’re going through. Do you ever find yourself talking to someone who isn’t in the police about a job you went to and they look at you with a look of horror on their face? That is the benefit of having a coach or mentor like me – I get the coping mechanisms and the stuff that never leaves you. You won’t feel like you’re being judged. 

My passion is helping police officers find their identity, identify their transferable skills and abilities, and find a new life outside of the police family.

– THE POLICE COACH –

The Police Coach Olivia Standbridge on stage with a microphone stood between Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark at the Hammersmith Apollo, London for My Favorite Murder live show.

Coaching – A Personal Experience.

Being coached myself has had a significant impact on my life. I feel like I know who I am. I have broken down some of the barriers I put up, I have taken risks, and I have purpose and direction. My confidence has grown and I have learnt new things about myself. Here are just a few real life examples of the impact coaching has had on me:

Left my job, retrained as a life coach, and set up my coaching practice.

Learnt business skills like how to build a website, bookkeeping and setting up all the business administration systems.

​Pushed myself to do things that scare me, like climbing and ziplining despite of a lifelong fear of heights!

​Spoken to people, networked and built connections, a challenge for someone who can be shy and very introverted.

In front of 3,500 people, including the two podcast hosts (as pictured above), spoke confidently at the Hammersmith Apollo recording of ‘My Favorite Murder’ podcast. This unplanned speaking experience led to me to discover a love of public speaking. (This episode has since been released to their 19.5 million listeners – humble brag!)

Are you ready to experience something like this yourself? Book a free Zoom consultation with me or click here to get in touch by email and let’s work together to plan your next steps in life.