WHY DIVERSITY RESIDES COMFORTABLY IN LIFE COACHING
By Karen Redelinghuys Life and Business Coach

When you hear about Diversity, you think about race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, etc. You also think about workplace policies or training sessions. But for me, Diversity and Life Coaching have always belonged together.
Before becoming a coach, I worked in diversity and transformation, helping organisations create environments where people of all backgrounds could belong and thrive.
But what I witnessed over and over again is this: people are navigating not just personal growth, but also systems, identities, and lived experiences that shape how they see themselves and how they are seen. The South African context of change made it even more fascinating.
That insight stayed with me. It’s why my coaching practice is not and never will be a one-size-fits-all.
I bring that deep understanding of difference, equity, and belonging into every conversation. Because real coaching doesn’t ignore the world you live in — it includes it. It acknowledges the layers: culture, gender, background, trauma, ambition, resilience. And it creates space for you to Reflect, Shift, and Act — in ways that honour your truth and your context.
Life coaching, in this way, becomes more than goal setting. It becomes a powerful tool for living fully and freely as yourself — not just fitting into someone else’s version of success.
Transformation happens on many levels — and I’ve worked across all of them.
At the national level, we talk about systems: equity, justice, access, policy.
At the organisational level, we focus on culture, leadership, inclusion, and change management.
At the individual level, it becomes personal: our beliefs, behaviours, identities, and inner narratives.
My background in diversity and transformation work has taught me that these layers don’t exist in silos. They interact. They shape each other. What we internalise from broader systems shows up in our personal choices. And personal shifts, when multiplied, can change entire cultures.
Whether you’re navigating a career transition, working through self-doubt, or exploring a deeper sense of purpose, we begin by acknowledging these layers — not to complicate the process, but to respect your context.
This is the foundation of my coaching practice.
That’s where my coaching framework comes in:
Reflect. Shift. Act.
- Reflect on where you’ve been, what’s shaped you, and what matters now.
- Shift the internal patterns, perspectives, and boundaries that no longer serve.
- Act with clarity, grounded in your values and your unique direction.
Because true transformation isn’t just about individual willpower. It’s about understanding the layers we live in — and finding freedom, choice, and alignment within them.