Personal Note from Rachel
Welcome to June’s edition of The Value of Positive Practice.
As we approach the midpoint of the year, this is your gentle invitation to pause—not to plan, not to solve, and certainly not to push forward at full speed. Instead, let’s pause to reflect on something quietly powerful. Often invisible. Yet utterly essential.
Trust.
Not the kind announced in bold headlines or sealed with grand gestures.
But the kind that’s built, breath by breath, in the in-between moments.
The kind that grows when we choose to listen without fixing, to ask without assuming, and to be present without performance.
This month’s featured ICF Core Competency—Cultivates Trust and Safety—calls us to consider:
What kind of leader am I when no one is watching?
How do I create spaces where others can exhale and be seen as they truly are?
In pharmacy, coaching, and leadership, trust is not built through authority alone. It is built in the way we meet hesitation with empathy, honour difference with curiosity, and allow uncertainty to exist without rushing to erase it.
So, as you read this month’s reflection, I invite you to think of one space, one person, one team…
Where might your presence, empathy, or courage make that space feel just a bit safer?
🌱 Core Concept: Cultivating Trust and Safety
The ICF defines this competency as the ability to “partner with the client to create a safe, supportive environment that allows the client to share freely,” while maintaining “a relationship of mutual respect and trust.”
It is easy to assume trust is earned once and then held forever. But in reality, trust is dynamic. It must be cultivated with intention, especially in complex systems like healthcare where stress is high, resources are stretched, and conversations can carry significant weight.
To do this, leaders and coaches alike must:
🧭 Seek to understand others in their full context: identity, environment, values, and beliefs.
Before we can support or lead others, we must take time to truly see them. What shapes their perspective? What pressures are they navigating behind the scenes? Whether it is a locum pharmacist adapting to a new system or a coaching client balancing family care with leadership responsibilities, acknowledging context is an act of deep respect.
🗣️ Respect diverse communication styles and adapt accordingly.
Trust grows when people feel heard in their own language, not just linguistically, but emotionally and cognitively. Some team members need space to reflect before speaking. Others process aloud. As coaches and leaders, the more attuned we are to individual preferences, the more psychological safety we offer. Flexibility is not a compromise; it is an investment in trust.
💡 Acknowledge others’ insights and contributions as vital to the process.
Trust falters when people feel invisible or undervalued. Whether you are leading a CPD discussion, managing a pharmacy team, or co-creating goals with a client, recognise that wisdom does not flow in one direction. When we validate contributions, especially those that challenge us, we signal: "You matter here. Your voice belongs."
💞 Demonstrate empathy and openness, even when conversations are hard.
It is tempting to lean into efficiency or objectivity when the stakes are high. But the most meaningful moments in leadership often require us to slow down and stay present with discomfort. Empathy is not about fixing feelings. It is about being with them. Empathy says, "I will not rush you past this. I am here for the whole of it."
🗨️ Create space for honest expression, especially when the stakes feel high.
When people are afraid to speak up, systems become unsafe. This is true in both coaching and clinical settings. Trust is cultivated when we proactively invite feedback, dissent, and concern, even if it is awkward or inconvenient. Creating that space is not just about being nice. It is about being responsible.
🌿 Model vulnerability so others feel safe to do the same.
One of the most courageous things a leader can say is, "I do not know, but I care enough to find out." When we drop the armour and show up as fully human, we offer others permission to do the same. Vulnerability is not weakness. It is a bridge to deeper connection and mutual respect.
📖 Story: The Empty Chair
A few months ago, I worked with a pharmacist leader—let’s call her Aisling. She had just stepped into a newly expanded role. On paper, she was thriving: leading a busy dispensary, rolling out new services, mentoring junior staff. Everyone around her praised her calm under pressure.
But in our first coaching session, she kept circling one phrase:
"I just don’t feel like I’m allowed to be overwhelmed."
She described the weight of decisions, the strain of constant staffing gaps, and the tension between wanting to support her team and not wanting to seem fragile.
Then she paused, glanced at the empty chair opposite her, and said softly,
"If they knew how unsure I feel some days, would they lose confidence in me?"
That moment—the moment of naming the fear—was the turning point.
We spent the session unpacking the belief that leadership meant always appearing strong and always knowing the next step. We explored what it would look like to lead with honesty rather than certainty, to create trust through transparency, and to model psychological safety by embodying it herself.
Over time, Aisling began sharing her thought process more openly with her team.
Not her anxiety—her awareness. Not her indecision—her curiosity.
She started saying things like,
"I’m weighing a few options. What do you think?"
Or, "This is a grey area. Let’s work through it together."
And something shifted.
Her team grew more confident, not less. They took more ownership. They began initiating reflective debriefs after challenging cases. And Aisling no longer felt like she had to carry it all alone.
She told me later:
“The more real I became, the more trust we built. Turns out, they weren’t looking for perfection. They just needed to feel seen—and safe.”
That is the quiet power of cultivating trust and safety. It does not demand a perfect plan. It invites honest connection.
💬 Reflective Questions
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Where do you feel safest to be open, honest, and unsure?
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Who in your team might need a little more empathy and less evaluation?
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What is one way you can model vulnerability this week?
One-to-One Coaching can be an incredibly valuable space to
- gain new insights,
- be honest with yourself and
- safely rehearse new ways of being
in preparation for showing up differently in real-world contexts.
June Observances: Leading with Awareness, Compassion, and Care
Each month, we highlight key awareness dates that invite us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with what matters—both personally and professionally. This June, four observances speak directly to the heart of compassionate leadership, resilience, and intentional presence. From honouring carers and promoting men’s health, to reconnecting with the environment and ourselves, each offers a timely reminder of the values we aim to embody in practice.
🌍 World Environment Day – 5 June 2025
This year’s theme, Our Land. Our Future., invites us to take small, meaningful steps toward restoring the ecosystems that sustain us. For those in healthcare, coaching, and pharmacy, land and health are deeply connected. Environmental care is part of patient care, workplace wellbeing, and leadership responsibility.
Here are a few ways to get involved:
🌱 Reduce waste or plastic in your workspace
🚶 Try a walking meeting or coaching session outdoors
🗣️ Open a sustainability conversation with your team
🧘 Reflect on how your environment affects your energy
🔗 www.worldenvironmentday.global
💙 National Carers’ Week – 9–15 June 2025
Carers are the quiet force behind much of our healthcare system—often unpaid, rarely acknowledged, and constantly giving. Whether they’re supporting ageing parents, children with complex needs, or loved ones in long-term illness, carers show up every day. As leaders and professionals, we can do more to notice, support, and honour their role.
Consider how you might:
🤝 Ask carers how they are doing
⏳ Offer flexible options or small accommodations
💬 Use coaching to explore identity and boundaries
📣 Validate the emotional load they carry
🔗 www.carersweek.ie/resources
🩺 Men’s Health Week – 9–15 June 2025
Men’s Health Week challenges stigma and silence around men’s wellbeing. Many men delay seeking help, hide their stress, or avoid health conversations entirely. As coaches, pharmacists, and leaders, we have an opportunity to normalise openness and encourage early action. Let’s create environments where men can thrive, not just cope.
Try this:
🧏 Use language that welcomes honesty and reflection
🛋️ Make space for emotional and mental health check-in
👔 Support male staff with healthy work-life rhythms
🧠 Promote prevention over crisis response
🔗 www.mhfi.org/mhw/about-mhw.html
🧘♀️ International Day of Yoga – 21 June 2025
Yoga isn’t just about flexibility—it’s a philosophy of presence, balance, and self-awareness. Observed on the summer solstice, this day is a chance to reflect and reset. Even if yoga isn’t your regular practice, its principles can support how you lead, care, and coach. Start with something small.
You might:
🌬️ Ground yourself with a few conscious breaths
🤸 Add gentle movement to break up long hours
🛑 Take mindful pauses between tasks or appointments
🔄 Model calm, regulated leadership for others
🔗 www.un.org/en/observances/yoga-day
Each of these observances reminds us that leadership is not just about outcomes, but about presence, awareness, and care. Whether through restoring the environment, supporting carers, encouraging men’s health, or reconnecting with ourselves, we each have a role to play. Let these reflections guide small shifts in how you lead, listen, and show up this month.
🧠 A 3-Minute Shift from Overwhelm to Clarity – Positive Prime
We’re living in a time of collective overwhelm. Stress, anxiety, and burnout aren’t just buzzwords—they’re real challenges showing up daily in our lives and workplaces.
What if one small action could begin to shift everything?
💛 Positive Prime is a simple yet powerful tool that gently guides your brain from chaos to calm. In just 3 minutes a day, it helps you access a state of flow—rewiring your mind for peace, clarity, and confidence.
Backed by neuroscience and used by schools, hospitals, and global organisations, this visual, evidence-based tool is personalised to you and your goals. No app to master. No meditation to learn. Just press play and let the transformation begin. I have created a Positive Prime session, specifically for professional and family care-givers.
👉 Accept your free 1-year membership
And if you know someone who’s a professional or family care-giver, please forward this. Let’s allow our journey to encourage others.
Sometimes, all it takes is one small step to open a whole new path forward.
🛠️ Professional Development Opportunities
If trust is the foundation of progress, then support is the scaffolding. Whether you are leading a team, mentoring peers, or navigating complex relationships, consider which of these next steps might serve you best:
From Clarity to Confidence—Support for Every Stage of Your Journey
🧡 90-Minute Strategy Session
Sharpen your agreements with focused coaching. Align expectations, clarify priorities, and set the tone for high-impact conversations.
👉 Book your session now
🧠 Cross-Professional Supervision For coaches, mentors, and leaders facing complex dilemmas, gain perspective in a safe, confidential space.
👉 Schedule your supervision slot
🎓 Lead with Coaching Programme – Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026 Cohorts
Refine your leadership approach with coaching skills that elevate team culture and trust.
👉 Apply now—spaces are limited!
📥 Just Get It Done CPD Mentoring
Submit your ePortfolio with confidence. This targeted session supports pharmacists under PSI review timelines.
👉 Reserve your mentoring session today
💻 Lead with Coaching – Enrolling Now
Our signature online programme returns. If you seek to lead with greater clarity, care, and confidence, this is your moment. Join the 2025 Cork cohort and transform how you lead
🚀 Lead With Coaching: Programmes That Help You Embody a Coaching Mindset
Embodying a coaching mindset is not just a skill—it's a leadership philosophy that fosters clarity, resilience, and deeper connection. Whether you’re new to coaching or looking to elevate your leadership, our Lead With Coaching (LCI) Programmes and the LCI Diploma in Coaching for Leaders offer two dynamic ways to fully embody this transformative approach.
LCI's Diploma in Coaching for Leaders is ideal for leaders, pharmacists, and teams ready to integrate coaching into everyday leadership. Through peer-based learning and real-time practice, you’ll:
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Practice reflective leadership in a supported environment.
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Engage in cross-sector learning and connection.
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Gain tools to embed coaching principles into team culture
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Explore the real challenges of communication, mindset, and accountability
This is where theory meets lived experience. You’ll learn to hold space, ask better questions, and cultivate ownership in those you lead. 📆 We are enrolling now for our 2025 online and in-person cohorts. Our Foundation Cork cohort runs in-person in September - with Part 2 of our LCI Coaching Diploma for Leaders running in October.
The LCI Diploma in Coaching for Leaders offers a structured, in-depth development pathway if you're ready to take your coaching leadership even further. It will help you:
✨ Lead with clarity, empathy, and structure
💼 Empower team ownership and accountability
🎯 Reconnect with purpose and possibility
💡 Build sustainable growth through coaching conversations
Why now?
🗓️ Our Cork cohort, beginning 10th Sept is our only OPEN in-person cohort for 2025
🎁 Early bird pricing + 6-month Inner Circle bonus available now
👥 Limited to 20 cross-industry leaders
🔗 Explore the LCI Diploma and Lead With Coaching Programmes
💡 Final Reflection: Trust Begins with You
As we close this month’s reflection, I invite you to carry this thought with you:
Trust is not a tool. It is a tone. A rhythm. A practice.
Whether you are guiding a patient conversation, leading a team meeting, or navigating a coaching session, your presence alone can offer reassurance. Your willingness to slow down, to be curious, and to meet others without judgement—this is what creates safety. Not just psychological safety, but emotional, professional, and relational safety too.
The truth is, many of the people we work with are braver than we know.
What they need most is not someone with all the answers, but someone who can meet them with openness, humanity, and a steady hand.
Leadership does not start with control. It starts with connection.
Keep an eye out for our next email, a mid-year check-in that invites you to pause, reflect on your progress so far, and explore how coaching could support your next steps. Then, in July, we’ll build on this foundation by exploring the core competency Listens Actively — a reminder that listening is more than hearing. It’s how we show others they truly matter.
Thank you, as always, for being part of this growing community of courageous professionals.
Warmest wishes,
Rachel
The Pharmacist Coach
Also, not sure what kind of support would help most right now? Email me at rachel@racheldungan.com, and we’ll figure it out together.
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