Difficult conversations
Difficult conversations, team conflict or concerns about performance.
Leadership coaching and support
Support for the person behind the leadership role.
Managing people can be rewarding, demanding and unexpectedly lonely. You are supporting your team, responding to expectations from above and making decisions that affect other people — often within constraints you did not create.
Leadership coaching and support with Liam Farrelly offers space to step back, speak openly and work through what comes next.
Arranged by enquiry, not through the therapy calendar.
Liam FarrellyRegistered psychologist · approximately 15 years in senior management
Experience on both sides of the conversation.
Alongside his work as a registered psychologist, Liam brings approximately 15 years of experience in senior management. He has also completed a Certificate in Political Psychology through the Stanford Institute of Political Psychology, a field concerned with how people think, decide and behave in groups and institutions — the dynamics leaders deal with every day.
He understands the responsibility of managing people, the complexity of organisational life and the tension between looking after a team and delivering what an organisation requires. He also understands that knowing what you would like to do is sometimes very different from knowing what is possible within policies, legal obligations, budgets and competing priorities.
His approach brings psychological understanding together with practical management experience.
Coaching, not therapy. Leadership coaching focuses on your role and professional challenges. Fees and arrangements are agreed before you book. Medicare therapy rebates do not apply.
What you might bring
A place to think through the difficult parts.
You might be navigating any of these. You do not need to arrive with a clearly defined problem — sometimes the starting point is simply: “I need somewhere to talk this through.”
Stepping into the role
The transition from colleague to manager, or into a more senior role.
Organisational politics
Organisational politics, competing agendas and relationships with senior leaders.
Decisions that pull in different directions
Decisions where staff needs, organisational expectations and your own values pull in different directions.
Change and responsibility
Change, uncertainty or responsibilities that feel difficult to put down.
Isolation and self-doubt
Self-doubt, isolation or the emotional impact of being the person others rely on.
Understand the people dynamics. Find a practical way forward.
Workplace difficulties rarely exist in isolation. Roles, relationships, authority, organisational culture and the pressure people are under can all influence how they behave.
Together, you can explore what is happening, what sits within your influence and how you want to respond. This might involve preparing for a conversation, examining a recurring pattern, setting clearer boundaries or thinking through a difficult decision.
The aim is to help you lead with greater clarity while recognising the realities of the organisation you work within.
Space for you, as well as your role.
Leadership can leave little room to acknowledge your own uncertainty or exhaustion. You may feel you need to remain composed, have the answer or absorb the pressure so your team does not have to.
Sessions offer space to consider how the role is affecting you: your confidence, relationships, wellbeing and life outside work. Supporting the person carrying the responsibility is part of supporting sustainable leadership.
What sessions are like
Collaborative, reflective and practical.
Online, Australia-wide. The focus and arrangements are agreed with you at the outset.
- 01
Bring a specific situation or a broader concern
A difficult conversation, a strained relationship, a decision — or simply “I need somewhere to talk this through.”
- 02
Examine the people and organisational dynamics
Roles, relationships, authority, culture and pressure: what is happening, and what sits within your influence.
- 03
Consider options and useful next steps
Preparing for a conversation, testing a recurring pattern, setting clearer boundaries, or thinking a decision through.
- 04
Meet once or arrange ongoing support
Use a session to prepare for a specific challenge, or return as circumstances develop.
Common questions
Before you enquire.
Yes. Support can be useful when you are taking on responsibility for people for the first time, moving into a more senior position or adjusting to a different organisation.
Yes. A difficult conversation, strained working relationship or decision can provide a useful starting point. You can discuss workplace situations while limiting identifying information about other people.
Leadership coaching focuses on your role, professional challenges and development. Therapy focuses on psychological difficulties and mental health treatment. If your needs overlap, Liam will discuss the most appropriate service and arrangements with you.
You are welcome to enquire about employer-funded support. Before sessions begin, the funding, confidentiality and any reporting arrangements need to be agreed so everyone understands what information, if any, will be shared.
Sessions can help you think through the people and psychological dimensions of management within organisational constraints. Legal, industrial relations and formal HR advice should come from the relevant qualified adviser.
Please enquire about leadership support fees and arrangements. These will be confirmed before you book.
You do not have to work through every difficult decision alone.
Whether you are facing a particular challenge or looking for ongoing support, you are welcome to get in touch.
Looking for therapy instead? See how Liam works with each concern.