Who am I?

My name is Bijan (pronounced beezhan). I completed my primary schooling in Iran before coming to the UK in 1975. I went to a boys’ grammar school in Barnsley for a year and then spent the next six years in a private boarding school near Pontefract in West Yorkshire.

Having studied Applied Chemistry for my first degree, I set up my own chemical manufacturing business in Cardiff in 1987. I completed my PhD in Pharmacology in 1995. During this time, I became interested in the placebo effect and other psychological effects of drugs and alternative remedies.

In 1990, I started teaching Science and Mathematics and, again, my experiences with my pupils led me to believe that, in most cases, students’ attainment is much more related to students’ motivation than their inate ability.

Ever since I was a teenager, I have been interested in Persian mystic literature which, in essence, is concerned with the big questions in life; who we are, what we want and the paths and barriers to happiness and fulfilment. I draw upon the works of these sages frequently in my work (on myself and with my clients).

In 2004 I decided to become a psychologist and, in 2006, I obtained a Masters Degree in Psychology of Education from the Institute of Education, University of London and became a member of the British Psychological Society.

Since then, I have been engaged in a number of research projects, including two national projects looking into factors that affect young people’s perceptions of school subjects and subsequent choices post-16, conducting over 200 interviews with students and teachers in the process.

I have been involved in Coaching and Mentoring since 2007. I started my own coaching and ‘emotion management’ practice in 2010. Since then, I have helped hundreds of clients to become motivated, discover their strengths, reduce their dependencies and, essentially, enjoy this fantastic journey called life. I do this through one-to-one sessions, in small groups, ot through seminars and workshops.

I can relate to my clients on a very personal level as I know what it’s like to be very rich and very poor. I know what it is like to fail exams and how it feels to get degrees and PhDs. I know what it’s like start your own business from scratch, make it successful and see it fade away. I know what it is like to be an employer, an employee, self-employed and unemployed. I know what it is like to be a foot soldier (I spent two years in the military) and what it’s like to be the boss. I know what it’s like to be a tenant and not be able to pay the rent and what it’s like to be a landlord. I know what it’s like to be the centre of attention and what it’s like to be totally isolated; what it’s like to trust and be stabbed in the back (metaphorically) and to trust and be totally rewarded for that trust. I know what it’s like to adapt to a different culture, learn a new language and to fit in. And I also what it’s like when you don’t fit in. I know what it is like to be frustrated, helpless and depressed and how it can be turned around so as to feel determined, empowered, and elated. I know how it feels when relationships break down and what it takes to rebuild them.