About Me - Darren Priest
Career Coach · EMCC Accredited Senior Coaching Practitioner · Solution-Focused Specialist
I’m Darren Priest, a professional career coach supporting individuals and organisations to move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
With over 20 years’ experience across employability, education, coaching, and organisational support, I help people navigate career decisions, transitions, interviews, and professional development with a calm, practical, and strengths-based approach.
My work blends evidence-based psychology, solution-focused coaching practice, and real-world labour-market insight — helping clients move from uncertainty to clear, achievable next steps.
My Coaching Approach
My coaching is brief, solution-focused, and client-led. Rather than analysing problems or revisiting the past, we focus on:
What you want instead
What’s already working
Practical steps that create momentum
This approach is highly effective for career decision-making, confidence building, interview preparation, and navigating change.
I believe:
You are the expert in your own career
Clarity creates confidence
Small, well-chosen actions lead to meaningful change
Education, Training & Professional Accreditation
My work is underpinned by advanced academic training, professional accreditation, and specialist coaching education.
Postgraduate Education
Master’s Degree in Career Coaching
Providing a strong theoretical and practical foundation in career development, employability, and coaching practice.Master’s Degree in Occupational Health Psychology
Equipping me with a deep understanding of workplace wellbeing, motivation, stress, performance, and human behaviour at work.
This dual academic background allows me to work at the intersection of career development, psychology, and wellbeing.
Professional Accreditation & Certification
Accredited Senior Coaching Practitioner – European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC)
Recognising advanced coaching competence, ethical practice, reflective supervision, and sustained professional experience.Certified Coach – SolutionsAcademy
Trained and certified in solution-focused coaching by SolutionsAcademy, a leading international provider of solution-focused coach education.Accredited Team Management Systems (TMS) Practitioner
Qualified to support teams and organisations using the TMS framework to improve communication, collaboration, and effectiveness.
Specialist Solution-Focused Training
I am extensively trained with BRIEF UK, Europe’s leading centre for Brief Solution-Focused Therapy and Coaching, under Chris Iveson, Evan George, and Harvey Ratner.
This training grounds my work in one of the most robust and internationally recognised solution-focused approaches, widely used across coaching, psychology, healthcare, and organisational development.
Experience & Impact
Over the years, I’ve:
Supported individuals through career transitions, job search, interviews, and confidence building
Delivered one-to-one coaching, group programmes, and workshops
Worked closely with employability services, education providers, and employers
Helped clients move from feeling stuck to taking clear, confident action
Clients often describe my coaching style as calm, focused, supportive, and practical.
How I Work
Every engagement begins with a free discovery call to explore:
Your best hopes from coaching
Where you want to be instead
Whether coaching with me feels like the right fit
From there, we agree a clear focus and move forward at a pace that works for you.
Ready to Move Forward?
If you’re navigating change, uncertainty, or your next career step, you don’t have to do it alone.
Let’s talk about your preferred future.