Volunteer life coach Fabiola Props

Fabiola Props, who graduated BSY’s Life Coaching course with Distinction, is now putting her skills to exceptional use to help refugees in Belgium.

She says: “As a volunteer life coach I’m helping refugees from Syria to get to terms with their new life circumstances: teaching Dutch to a mother and her disabled daughter who cannot go to the official integration programmes due to their physical problems.

“Using all the techniques of the Life Coaching course, and of my professional and personal expertise in different areas, I try to get them back into their own personal strength and to help them create a new life, in a new country, with different languages and habits, in a rather hostile environment towards refugees from Arab regions.

“I learn a lot from them, and hope to help them on their way to feeling well in this new country and to being confident, in becoming more independent. One of the daughters is now studying to get her driving licence, the mother and younger sister are slowly finding their way in the language (spoken and written), needing to explain themselves when they go to hospital to get dialysis.”

Since 1987 Fabiola has worked in the financial sector, tourism, ethical banking and health food, mostly in sales jobs. In many of these jobs she trained people and tried to enhance the quality and unity of the team by enhancing the self esteem and different talents of each of the members, and through a cooperative style of leadership.

Fabiola continues: “In my personal life often people came to me when in need, and I tried to help them by listening to their story, sometimes giving them advice from my own experiences in life.

“One of my spiritual teachers told me about BSY, and advised me to check out the correspondence courses. As a result of this I started the Life Coaching Course in 2015.

“The Life Coaching Course offers an opportunity to fine-tune techniques of building a bridge towards other people, by listening and by gently getting them in motion when they ask for help, out of lethargy or a negative spiral, and thus enhancing them to get a grip on their lives, whatever the circumstances.

“For me the letting go of what I want/foresee as a solution for another person was an eye opener and still one of the most difficult things to do. Each person has a different life and background, and thus a different set of values/preferences/abilities to realise a goal or get to terms with his/her life.

“What I think is the best does not have to be the best for someone else. The most important thing is getting some movement into a stuck situation, from that moment on there’s a possibility of positive change.”

Fabiola’s last job as a coach was in an insurance office, where she tried to transfer a different way of co-working and get more ethical practices in business. This resulted in a very positive working drive, combining both true connection with the clients and good sales results.

Due to health issues Fabiola had to stop working, but continues her coaching practice as a voluntary coach/teacher with the Belgian NGO Auxilia vzw. This organisation helps children in difficult situations with their homework and also helps newly arrived refugees with the language and culture.