You're not lost. You're in transition. There are moments in a woman's life when the person she was no longer quite fits — and the person she is becoming hasn't found her footing yet. Spera Coaching exists for exactly those moments.
This is not about fixing what's broken. It's about understanding the whole of who you are — your history, your relationships, your values — and using that understanding to move forward with intention.
01
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You feel like a different person at work
Something in you has shifted and your current role no longer reflects who you are.
You may have changed personally — through motherhood, a move, a loss — or professionally through a new role. Either way, the mismatch between who you are and what you do every day is exhausting. Coaching helps you close that gap.
02
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You're capable, but held back
You know what you want, but something unseen keeps getting in the way.
Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear of visibility — these patterns often have deep roots. We trace them together, understand where they come from, and gently loosen their grip so you can move freely again.
03
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You're navigating life between cultures
As an expat, you carry two worlds. Sometimes they enrich you — sometimes they pull apart.
Your home culture shaped your values, your style, and your ambitions. Your adopted country has its own unspoken rules. Coaching helps you integrate both — and build a career that feels authentically yours in any context.
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You're ready to stop circling and move
You've thought about this long enough. What you need now is clarity and someone in your corner.
You have already done the hard work of recognising something needs to change. The next step is not more thinking — it is structured, supported action. That is exactly what Spera Coaching is here for.
SperaRomanian for Hope · Seeding hope in every coaching journey
i.Becoming a mother+ more
Motherhood reshapes your sense of self, your ambitions, and your relationship with work. Many women return from maternity leave feeling like strangers in their own careers. This is often where coaching begins.
ii.Stepping into leadership+ more
Becoming a manager means leading others before you've fully understood your own style. Imposter syndrome, new dynamics, and the weight of responsibility — coaching helps you lead from your real strengths.
iii.Living abroad as an expat+ more
Building a career in a new country means navigating different cultures, rebuilding your network, and sometimes reinventing your professional identity from scratch. You are not alone in this.
iv.Navigating menopause+ more
Menopause is rarely spoken about in professional settings — yet it profoundly affects energy, confidence, and focus. You deserve support that acknowledges the whole of you.
v.Any turning point that changes everything+ more
A redundancy, a health scare, a moment of sudden clarity — any transition that makes you ask: who am I now, and what do I actually want?
How we work
Coaching that goes to the root.
Every stuck feeling has a source. Together we look beneath the surface — at the stories, relationships, and inherited patterns that quietly shape your choices. Purposeful, structured exploration that leads to real, lasting movement.
"The answers are already in you. My work is to help you hear them — and then act on them."
1
Seeing the system around you
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We use spatial and relational techniques to make visible what is usually invisible — the dynamics in your team, your family, your professional world. When you can see the whole picture, you can find your true place in it.
Using techniques from systemic constellation work, we can map the invisible forces at play in your career or organisation — loyalties, exclusions, and unspoken hierarchies that shape your experience without you realising it. Seeing them clearly is the first step to changing them.
2
Tracing where your beliefs come from
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Many of the assumptions we carry about ambition, success, and belonging were not chosen — they were inherited. We gently explore their origins so you can decide which ones to keep and which to release.
Family stories, parental expectations, cultural norms — these shape our relationship with success and worthiness long before we enter the workplace. Through family tree exploration, we bring these patterns into awareness so you can choose, consciously, what to carry forward.
3
Understanding your strengths and shadows
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Your greatest qualities and your greatest challenges are often two sides of the same coin. We work to understand both — so you can lead from your core rather than react from your edges.
A core quality — like decisiveness — can tip into stubbornness under pressure. Sensitivity becomes a strength when held well, and a vulnerability when not. We use structured reflection to map your core qualities and learn how to stay in your best self even in difficult moments.
4
Communicating with depth and clarity
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Beneath every conversation are layers — what is said, how it is said, and what is felt underneath. We learn to work with all three, so your words land the way you intend them to.
Many professional conflicts are not about the content of what was said — they are about the relational dynamic or the unspoken feeling underneath. Learning to read and work with all three communication layers transforms how you show up in meetings, negotiations, and difficult conversations.
About your coach
Romanian-born, rooted in the Netherlands.
"I spent 15 years watching brilliant women make themselves smaller. I became a coach so they would never have to."
I am Ioana Bour, a Coach Practitioner certified at de Baak, based in the Netherlands. My coaching journey began after I stepped into management myself — a moment that changed how I saw people, potential, and what it really means to grow. With 15 years of experience in consultancy and financial services, I have worked alongside some of the most capable professionals I have ever met.
I am passionate about systemic coaching and art therapy as ways to reach what words alone cannot. I am also a mother of two daughters — and everything I do is driven by a vision of a world where women no longer hold themselves back. I have been coaching since late 2023, and every session reminds me why I started.
Ways to work together
Choose your format
Every woman's journey is different. Spera Coaching adapts to where you are.
i.
1-on-1 Online
From wherever you are in the world
Private, focused coaching sessions by video. Designed for women who want depth and discretion, on their own schedule — wherever they live.
Packages of 6 or 10 sessions
What's included
90-minute sessions via video call. A shared workspace between sessions. WhatsApp support in between. Session notes and reflections.
Who it's for
Expats and internationally based professionals who want to work deeply without geographical limits.
Duration
Package of 6 sessions (3 months) or 10 sessions (5 months). We begin with a free 30-minute discovery call.
Languages
Sessions available in English, Dutch, or Romanian — whichever feels most natural to you.
ii.
1-on-1 In Person
Face to face, in the Netherlands
Some work is more powerful in the same room. In-person sessions allow for embodied, spatial techniques that go deeper than a screen allows.
Amsterdam region · by appointment
What's included
90-minute in-person sessions in Amsterdam. Spacious, private setting. Spatial and embodied work. Notes and follow-up resources after each session.
Who it's for
Women based in or near the Netherlands who want the additional depth that comes from physical presence.
Format
Can be combined with online sessions. Some clients prefer alternating for both depth and flexibility.
Location
Amsterdam region. Exact address shared upon booking. Accessible by public transport.
iii.
Group Coaching
Shared exploration, collective insight
A carefully curated group of women navigating similar transitions. The mirror of shared experience adds a dimension that individual coaching cannot.
Groups of 5–6 · March & September intake
What's included
Bi-weekly sessions over 3 months. Groups of 5–6 women, carefully matched. A shared space for reflection between sessions. One individual check-in included.
Who it's for
Women who want the depth of coaching work alongside the energy of shared experience.
Intake
Groups open quarterly. Each cohort is carefully curated. A brief intake conversation is required.
Format
Online, via video. Groups conducted in English. Bilingual groups available on request.
Client voices
Stories of change
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I came to Ioana feeling completely stuck after going back to work post-maternity leave. Within a few sessions I could finally see what was holding me back — and more importantly, what I actually wanted. She has a gift for making you feel both challenged and deeply supported."
Maria B.
Senior Consultant, Amsterdam
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I was promoted to team lead and suddenly felt like a fraud. Ioana helped me understand where that feeling came from and how to lead from my actual strengths rather than from fear. The work was deeper than I expected — and exactly what I needed."
Priyanka S.
Team Lead, Financial Services, Rotterdam
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"As an expat navigating a career change in the Netherlands, I felt invisible and unsure of myself. Ioana created a space where I could be completely honest. I left every session with something concrete — and something that lingered long after."
Lara M.
Project Manager, The Hague
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"I had been playing small for years — taking on less than I was capable of, staying invisible in meetings, second-guessing every decision. Working with Ioana was the first time someone helped me see that pattern clearly and trace it back to its roots. Six months later, I asked for the promotion I had been avoiding for two years."
Alexandra T.
Financial Analyst, Utrecht
Ready to begin?
Your first step is a conversation.
A free 30-minute discovery call — no commitment, no pressure. Just a real conversation to see whether Spera Coaching is right for where you are right now.
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Let's have a conversation.
A free 30-minute call, no commitment. Tell us a little about where you are — we'll take it from there.
Send a message
Fill in the form and we'll get back to you within one working day.
✦
Message received
Thank you for reaching out. I'll be in touch within one working day to confirm your discovery call. Looking forward to speaking with you.
Pick a time
Choose a slot directly in my calendar — your discovery call is 30 minutes and completely free.
Book directly in my calendar
Pick a time that works for you. The call is 30 minutes, free, and with no commitment.
We begin with a simple question: what brought you here? There's no right answer — just whatever feels most present for you.
2.
We explore what coaching could offer
I'll explain how I work and ask a few questions to understand your situation better. You can ask me anything too.
3.
You decide — in your own time
No pressure, no sales pitch. If it feels right, we'll agree on next steps. If not, that's completely fine too.
Back to home
Ethics & Professional Standards
Spera Coaching follows the NOBCO Code of Ethics — the standard of the Dutch professional coaching association.
Official standard
NOBCO — Nederlands Orde van Beroepscoaches
Ioana Bour works in accordance with the NOBCO Code of Ethics. The full code is available at nobco.nl.
1. Client wellbeing first
The wellbeing and interests of the coachee are always the primary concern. Coaching is conducted in a safe, respectful, and non-judgmental space.
2. Confidentiality
Everything shared in a coaching session is strictly confidential. Nothing is disclosed to third parties without explicit written consent, except where required by law.
3. Informed consent & autonomy
Coaching begins with clear agreements about the process, goals, and boundaries. Coachees are always free to end the coaching relationship.
4. Professional boundaries
Coaching is not therapy or counselling. Ioana is committed to recognising the limits of coaching and will refer coachees to other professionals when needed.
5. Integrity & no conflicts of interest
Ioana acts with honesty and transparency. Any potential conflict of interest is disclosed upfront.
6. Continuous professional development
Ioana is committed to ongoing learning, supervision, and self-reflection to maintain her coaching competencies in line with NOBCO standards.
7. Complaints procedure
If a coachee has a complaint, they are encouraged to raise it directly first. If unresolved, complaints can be submitted through the NOBCO formal complaints procedure at nobco.nl.
Spera.
Coachee Space
Your private space between sessions. Enter the password Ioana shared with you.
