Celebrating Our Newest ECD Certified Consultants!

ecd certification pathway

Nine Months of Growth, Learning, and Courage – Welcome Our New Certified Consultants

After nine months of learning, experimenting, and pushing themselves in new ways, we’ve got 10 incredible new ECD Certified Consultants to celebrate!

A huge congratulations to:

Safura Atan, Malaysia
Daniël Corsen, Curacao
Marie-Claire Mclachlan, South Africa
Rita Prates, Portugal
Silvina Layani, Switzerland
Sarah Dena, United Kingdom
Claire McKie, Australia
Amie Myrick, United States
Nike Lawal, United Kingdom
Sonali Kumarakulasinghe, United Kingdom

This wasn’t just about learning a tool—it was about stepping up as leaders, embracing the messy, human side of work, and challenging the way organisations think about emotions. Along the way, they’ve had breakthroughs, doubts, lightbulb moments, and plenty of real-world experience bringing emotional culture to life in workplaces, teams, and leadership.

Now, they’re taking everything they’ve learned and putting it into action—helping leaders and teams design the emotional culture they need to thrive.

Couldn’t be prouder to welcome them into the Certified Consultant family!

What’s Left the Biggest Impression?

The journey to becoming a Certified Consultant is deeply transformational—personally and professionally. Here are some of the biggest bright spots, straight from their reflections:

The Power of Emotions in Leadership & Culture

“Before starting the programme, I saw emotional culture as an abstract, ‘nice-to-have’ aspect of workplace dynamics—important, but secondary to strategy and performance. But my understanding has deepened profoundly. I now see emotional culture as a strategic driver that shapes behaviors, influences decisions, and impacts every aspect of organisational success.” — Silvina Layani

“Emotions drive performance—whether we acknowledge them or not. What changed for me? I realized that emotions aren’t just personal—they’re contagious and systemic. They ripple through teams, influencing morale, engagement, and productivity.” — Sonali Kumarakulasinghe

“Culture eats strategy—I never really understood that term. Now I get it—in glorious technicolour! No matter how strong a strategy is, it will fail if the culture doesn’t support it.” — Nike Lawal

“At first, I saw emotions as important but hadn't intentionally thought through how they intersect with strategy and operations. Now, I see them as the foundation, driving collaboration, decision-making, and leadership effectiveness. If we don’t intentionally shape emotional culture, it shapes us.” — Amie Myrick

A Community That Changes Everything

“I didn’t expect to feel so deeply connected to a community of people I’d never met before. But the vulnerability and authenticity within this group created a safe space where we could learn, grow, and inspire each other.” — Silvina Layani

“The support of my cohort and the ER community has been incredible. Two months ago, I was afraid I might not finish. What I found instead was a wave of generosity, support, and love—both personally and professionally.” — Rita Prates

“If I had one regret, it would be missing a couple of the monthly sessions—because that’s where I felt most connected.” — Nike Lawal

The Transformational Power of Becoming a Certified Consultant

“This journey has been about so much more than just learning a tool—it’s been a deep dive into my own emotional world and a transformation in how I lead, connect, and inspire others. Looking back on where I’ve come from to where I am now. How much I’ve grown as a person, how much more I’ve connected with myself, how confident I have become. Sometimes hard to see the changes until you stop and look back.” — Claire McKie

“One of the biggest mindset shifts for me has been reframing resistance, frustration, and uncertainty as signals, not setbacks. Instead of trying to ‘fix’ undesired emotions, I now ask: ‘What are these emotions telling us?’” — Sarah Dena

“I feel most in my element and energised guiding teams and leaders through meaningful conversations. I’ve learned to trust the process, becoming more relaxed and focused on maximizing participant experience.” — Amie Myrick

The Magic of The ECD in Unlocking Conversations

“The ECD provides a structured yet flexible approach to conversations about emotions, making it easier for individuals and teams to engage in meaningful discussions without feeling overwhelmed.” — Marie-Claire Mclachlan

“Leaders set the emotional tone, whether they mean to or not.” — Safura Atan

“I’ve used many leadership tools throughout my career, but I’ve never seen one that facilitates emotional transparency and human connection so effectively. It showed me that simplicity can be incredibly powerful when it comes to emotional culture.” — Daniël Corsen

What’s Next for These Consultants?

Now that they’re Certified, each of them will take The ECD out into the world in their own unique way—whether that’s inside organisations, in leadership coaching, or as part of their consulting work.

Over the next six months, these Certified Consultants will be:

Launching new ECD-based programmes in organisations, helping leaders and teams integrate emotional culture into their daily work
Facilitating leadership retreats and team offsites to explore emotional culture in a deeper, more immersive way
Experimenting with new ways to apply The ECD—from schools and sports teams to healthcare and high-stakes corporate environments
Creating communities of practice—bringing like-minded facilitators, HR professionals, and coaches together to share learning and insights.
Embedding emotional culture into business strategy—guiding senior leaders on how to make emotions a deliberate part of decision-making
Coaching executives, founders, and emerging leaders to harness emotional culture as a leadership superpower
Sharing their stories and case studies in the community—so we can all learn from the creative ways they’re using The ECD

At our Graduation Call at the end of the month, we’ll be celebrating their journey and mapping out what’s ahead as they continue to shape emotional culture in workplaces around the world.

Want to Start Your Own ECD Journey?

Learning That Works.

Whether you’re working inside an organisation or you’re a consultant or coach, this is the right time to build your practice. Our next generation of Emotional Culture Specialist Courses is more focused and yet more flexible than ever before.

Step 1: Become an ECD Practitioner.

Start with one of our ECD Specialist Courses to gain hands-on experience in:

Crafting Emotional Culture – Learn how to craft, influence, and manage the emotional culture teams and organisations need to thrive.
Shaping Emotional Change – Guide teams through change by recognising and shaping the emotional experience that supports transformation.
Establishing Emotional Leadership – Equip leaders with the tools to lead with emotions and build high-trust, high-performing teams.
Designing Emotional Stakeholder Engagement – Learn how to design emotional experiences that deepen relationships with customers, clients, and communities.

These practical, interactive courses are your first step in learning how to apply The ECD to real-world leadership, culture, and change challenges.

Step 2: Master Your Craft.

Our revised ECD Certification Pathway takes you on a structured learning journey through three distinct certification levels, unlocking status badges as you grow your knowledge, skills, and impact.

Lift Your Game as a Certified Consultant.

Becoming a Certified Consultant is about more than just understanding The ECD—it’s about leading the conversation on emotional culture in workplaces, coaching, and consulting. As you progress, you’ll gain more recognition, deeper expertise, and access to exclusive tools and resources to grow your practice.

Reap the Rewards of Being a Certified Consultant.

As a recognised expert in The ECD, you’ll be part of a global network of facilitators shaping emotional culture at scale. You’ll also gain the ability to certify ECD Practitioners and deliver our Specialist Courses—expanding your impact and growing your practice in new ways.

Ready to start? Explore our ECD Specialist Courses here and take the first step toward becoming a Certified Consultant.