A little about me

I’m Ilonka Knowlton, a Certified Life Coach with more than 20 years of professional experience in education, working with children, families, and colleagues across Arkansas, US, London, UK, and the Republic of South Africa.

Much of my professional life has been spent in special education, working with people whose circumstances are often far more complicated than others realise. Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that while our circumstances may be very different, many of the things we struggle with are surprisingly similar. We question ourselves, second-guess our decisions, worry about what others think, and sometimes become so caught up in meeting everyone else’s needs that we forget to consider our own.

I’ve always been curious about people. I enjoy a good conversation, I appreciate humour, and I’m not particularly interested in pretending that life is simple when it clearly isn’t! I also believe there’s enormous value in having someone listen to you properly, without immediately jumping in with advice, opinions, or their own experiences.

My approach to coaching is warm, practical, and straightforward. I’ll listen, I’ll ask questions, and sometimes those questions might challenge you to look at something a little differently. Not because I know better, but because I believe that when we give ourselves the opportunity to think, reflect, and explore, we often discover things we hadn’t considered before.

Whether you’re navigating the demands of family life, questioning your confidence or self-worth, or simply trying to make sense of where you are and where you’d like to go, I offer you a space for honest conversation, reflection, and finding your own way forward.