about

Shaped by experience

Support grounded in life

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What guides my work

Seeing the whole person

I know from personal experience how closely life’s pressures, emotional strain and physical wellbeing are connected. That experience, my professional training and over 30 years of working with people shape how I support you.

Whether you want something to change or you’re finding your way after a difficult chapter, we explore what you need now and how you want to move forward. Depending on your needs, our work includes thoughts, emotions, nutrition, movement and recovery, including alongside or following therapy.

i'm Leigh

01.

I’m an Integrative Wellbeing Coach & Mentor and the founder of unlockingYOU by Leigh. Originally from Dublin, I’ve lived in Switzerland since 1990. My professional background spans private banking, over 30 years in health and movement, leadership and running businesses. I’m also the co-founder and co-owner of eb projekt design, which I’ve run together with my husband for the past twelve years.

Today, I combine coaching, mentoring and consulting: asking questions, sharing experience or offering practical guidance, depending on your needs and what we agree together.

I support people who want something in their lives to change or are finding direction after a difficult chapter. I listen closely, bring difficult subjects into the conversation and help you turn what you discover into practical steps.

Leigh Brülisauer-Balmer

02.

What has shaped my path

Leigh Brülisauer-Balmer smiling at the camera, with her hands resting loosely beneath her chin.

I was used to working hard, taking responsibility and keeping things moving. Yet there was often a feeling that I should be doing more. It took time to recognise how much of my worth I’d attached to being needed and achieving things.

Burnout led me to reconsider how I was living, carrying responsibility and using my energy. Later, problems with my back left me unable to walk and dependent on a wheelchair. Seeking several medical opinions before deciding on surgery took strength and persistence when I was already exhausted. I learned how difficult it can be to trust your judgement, ask questions and find a way forward when you feel vulnerable.

Supporting someone close to me through severe depression also deepened my understanding of what people and families can carry, often unseen.

These experiences shape the questions I ask today: what are you carrying, what’s keeping the pressure in place, what choices are available, and what would make a meaningful difference in your everyday life?

Today, I bring that lived experience together with my professional training. I help you take your needs seriously, make considered decisions and develop next steps that respect your energy and circumstances.

eine Person, die im Sonnenlicht meditiert

03.

What I bring to our work

Between cultures and ways of life

Building a life in another country means questioning familiar assumptions and finding your place again. Living between Ireland and Switzerland has taught me to consider different perspectives and listen carefully. I bring that openness to our conversations about what has shaped you, where you feel you belong and what matters to you now.

Drei Personen arbeiten gemeinsam mit Notizen und Karten an einem Tisch.

People & workplaces

Through leadership roles and my work in planning and shaping workplaces at eb projekt design, I’ve seen how closely wellbeing is connected to the conditions around us. Workload, expectations, communication and the physical environment all influence how people feel and work.

I’ve also seen how differently people think, communicate and collaborate, including differences related to neurodiversity. Understanding those differences helps us question assumptions and consider what people need to contribute well.

I bring this perspective into my work with individuals, groups and teams. We explore what you can influence, where a conversation is needed and what may need to change in the way work is organised.

Movement, body awareness & energy

Movement has been part of my life since my teenage years. I love feeling strong, moving freely and feeling at home in my body. For over 30 years, I’ve shared that enthusiasm as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor with people of different abilities and goals.

Leigh Brülisauer-Balmer sitting cross-legged on a wooden floor, wearing a black workout top, patterned leggings and white trainers.

For me, healthy ageing means maintaining and improving our quality of life. Strength, mobility and independence help us keep doing what matters to us and what we enjoy in the years ahead. My own physical limitations have made me appreciate that even more.

I enjoy sharing that knowledge and experience. Depending on your needs, we bring movement, nutrition, recovery and body awareness into our work. I offer practical guidance to help you discover what supports you and works in everyday life, taking your life stage, abilities and enjoyment into account.

Leadership & everyday
responsibility

In my leadership roles, as a business owner and as a mother, I know what it’s like when different needs compete for your attention. Decisions affect other people, conversations can’t be put off any longer, and your own concerns can easily slip down the list.

In our work, we explore what you can influence, what needs to be said and which decisions you’re facing. We take your relationships, commitments and options into account. Any changes we develop together need to work in your everyday life.

04.

Personal understanding. Professional grounding.

I listen closely, ask questions and draw attention to connections that emerge in our conversations. You bring your experience and understanding of your life; I contribute professional knowledge, fresh perspectives and honest feedback. Together, we explore what’s useful for you. We make time to understand what needs attention and turn that understanding into practical steps.

Professional background & standards
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I’m an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and EMCC EIA Practitioner. My training includes a Professional Diploma in Coaching & Mentoring and an Advanced Diploma in Mental Health & Wellbeing Coaching, alongside qualifications in personal training, fitness, and preventive and sports nutrition.

Regular supervision and continued professional development are part of my practice. I follow the ethical standards of ICF and EMCC, agreeing clear goals, confidentiality and the scope of our work with you.

See more clearly.
Shape your own way forward.

eine Person, die den Sonnenuntergang am Strand beobachtet

Support through difficult times and beyond

After a crisis or a difficult chapter, the way forward isn’t always clear. You may want to rebuild trust in yourself, approach relationships differently or explore what you feel ready for in life and work. We make room for these questions and develop next steps that take your current energy and circumstances into account.

Coaching can also offer complementary support during or after psychotherapy. It doesn’t replace therapeutic or medical treatment. Together, we clarify which concerns we can work on. Where coordination with your treating professionals would be helpful, this happens only with your consent.

Let's explore working together

A conversation to get to know each other

In a free, 30-minute introductory conversation, we discuss what’s on your mind and the support you’re looking for. You can ask questions and get a personal sense of how I work. We explore whether and how I can help. Afterwards, you decide in your own time whether you’d like to continue.

If you’re contacting me on behalf of a business or organisation, we discuss your situation and where my support could be useful.