Sandra Wilson

Business Coach, Mentor and Consultant

Dr Sandra Wilson founded Insightful Journey, following a distinguished career in organisational development, coaching, mentoring, supervision and coach education. She describes herself as a psychodynamic organisational consultant working with individuals, teams and organisations to drive transformational change. Sandra’s passion for understanding the complexities of the human mind led her integrate psychodynamic theory into her work, a path that began during her training to become and Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst. Her personal experience of the profound impact of exploring her unconscious mind sparked a deep interest in partnering others in researching their behaviour.

Sandra’s psychodynamic approach to organisational consulting offers clients deeper insights into the unconscious dynamics influencing behaviour and decision-making in the workplace. By exploring underlying emotions, motivations and relational patterns, she helps clients understand how individual and group psychology affects organisational culture, leadership effectiveness and team dynamics. Her approach ultimately enables organisations to address dysfunction, improve communication and foster healthier, more productive work environments.

Sandra simplifies the inherent complexity of human dynamics and the multitude of factors that influence behaviour, interactions and relationships. She accounts for the role of power dynamics, social roles and group influences which add layers to the complexity of how individuals relate to each other. In organisational settings these dynamics become more intricate as individuals and teams navigate competing interests, communication styles and organisational structures.

Sandra explores with her clients the concept of co-created relationships and explains how we shape and develop relationships at an unconscious level. She works with leadership teams to support the development of psychological safety through active, thoughtful and respectful engagement in the development of healthy relationships.

Sandra brings over 35 years of international experience in guiding individuals, teams, and organisations through transformational change. With a deep passion for understanding human behaviour, she specialises in helping people "get out of their own way," empowering them to overcome internal barriers and achieve their potential. Through her extensive work, Sandra has honed her expertise in facilitating positive shifts, offering unique insights and practical solutions that drive personal and organisational growth. Sandra brings a unique blend of coaching psychology, Transactional Analysis, and organisational experience to her work.

Sandra models her relational approach with her clients through embodying the principles of connection, empathy, and co-operation. She positions herself as a partner rather than an expert, engaging clients in the co-creation of solutions by leveraging their insights, encouraging dialogue and fostering a sense of shared ownership in the process. She believes in the power of reflective practice both for herself and her clients. She uses reflective practice in the here and now of her work to examine relational dynamics, evaluate progress and invite respectful dialogue to resolve differences.

The concept of the three intelligences is at the heart of the work she does with leaders and teams. Going beyond the concept of emotional intelligence she works with social and relational intelligence to bring a depth of understanding and connection in professional relationships.

Sandra promotes the concept of “gentle leadership” a style which embodies, kindness, humility, empathy with the capacity to use direct communication and respectful challenge. Sandra supports her clients to be “tough on the issue and connected to the person.”

Having been poorly educated as a child, Sandra left secondary education believing that she was not intelligent and the best she could hope for was a job as a secretary. Thanks to people she encountered in the world of work, she was encouraged to develop, to think for herself and to believe in herself. In her early thirties, whilst in full-time employment, she took charge of her own education, taking a post-graduate course in Human Resource Management. She followed this with an Open University Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. Sandra has a qualification in Organisation Development and a master’s degree in psychology. Sandra gained a professional doctorate degree in Coaching Psychology in 2017. She has been a Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst (Organisations) since 2009. Teaching Transactional Analysis to students of the subject and leaders in organisations has taken her around the world.

Sandra hold Master Practitioner credentials from the European Mentoring and Coaching Council in Coaching, Mentoring and Supervision as well as the Senior Practitioner credential in Team Coaching, She holds the Master Coach credential from the International Coach Federation.

She is an experienced and published researcher. Sandra’s research includes “The Power and Influence of the Coach’s Unconscious Mind on the Coaching Process;” “The Impact on Professional Relationships of Working on a Digital Platform” and “The Global Pandemic – The New Organisational Landscape.” In partnership with a colleague, Sandra recently conducted research into “Perceptions of Supervision” in cooperations with EMCC Global.

Sandra is a published author and has contributed to a chapters to a variety of books on Transactional Analysis, coaching and supervision. She is currently working on her forthcoming book “Being Human in an AI Driven World” which is aimed at guiding leaders in navigating the evolving landscape of technology and human connection.

Sandra’s most used quote comes from Carl Jung – “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate!