What happens when a high performer comes back — after parental leave, sick leave, or a career break — and quietly wonders: Can I still do it?

In this episode of The Coaching Clubhouse, Adrian Last is joined by Jessica Chivers, one of the UK’s first Chartered Coaching Psychologists, executive coach, and founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists, for a warm, honest conversation about what it really takes to return to work and thrive.

Jessica shares the behind-the-scenes reality of earning chartership while juggling major family pressures, the key insight that resilience “ebbs and flows”, and why self-compassion isn’t optional when life gets heavy. From there, the conversation moves into comeback coaching and the brilliance of how it supports people returning to work after a period of leave, including shortening the distance between a career-changing moment and being fully back in the game.

You’ll also hear Jessica’s practical guidance for line managers, a powerful case for meaningful shared parental leave, and why childcare should be treated as essential infrastructure. And Jessica closes with a brilliant coaching question that instantly shifts perspective.

If you’re returning to work, supporting someone who is, or leading a team through change — this one’s for you.

Links:

www.talentkeepers.co.uk

Podcast: "Comeback Coach"

Instagram: @comebackcommuk

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