Last Updated 12 January, 2024

Rowan News

Find out what has been going on recently at Rowan.

Rowan Berries
Rowan Articles
"How to break and make habits"
Live Active Leisure Blog
May 2021
Rachel Weiss

"Beating Social Anxiety"
The Courier
May 2021
Rachel Weiss

Up until now, Project Offspring has been your focus. Now, you have time for yourselves
Parent's guide to university 2019
Guardian Newspaper
Rachel Weiss

It's all about Connection(PDF)
Counselling in Scotland
Spring 2019
Sue Black

Contracting: Employee Counselling Services(PDF)
Counselling in Scotland
Summer 2018
Ashleigh Cormack

Mediation Skills (f)or Facilitated Discussion?(PDF)
Collaborate May 2017
Rachel Weiss

Mediation Skills (f)or Facilitated Discussion?(PDF)
Collaborate May 2017
Rachel Weiss

Coaching Skills for Counsellors (PDF)
Counselling in Scotland
Autumn/Winter 2014
by Rachel Weiss

Telephone Counselling/Therapy
Counselling in Scotland
Winter/Spring 2014
By Annelie Carmichael and Mark Hancock

Coach Training for Counsellors
Association of Integrative Coach-Therapist Professionals
August 2013
by Rachel Weiss

From Sick Note to Fit Note
Counselling in Scotland
Summer 2010
by Rachel Weiss

Building Your Team
Johnston Carmichael Professional Services News
Spring 2009
by Rachel Weiss

The Organisation and the Counselling Service Provider: a relationship that improves with maturity
Counselling at Work Journal
Winter 2008/2009
by Rachel Weiss

Gestalt a powerful organisational tool for change?
Counselling at Work Journal
Winter 2003
by Rachel Weiss
 

Rowan celebrates its 25th Birthday with cake and conversations - October 2022

We really enjoyed celebrating our 25th birthday with some of the lovely people, from the past and the present, who have helped us thrive over the last 25 years.

The cake was fantastic too, thank you Celebration Stations, it looked beautiful and tasted delicious!

Rowan provides student and pupil counselling services - July 2021

We are delighted that Fife College and Millburn Academy have renewed their contracts with us. Rowan Consultancy provides the student counselling service at Fife College and the pupil counselling service for Millburn Academy, Inverness, and its associated primary school group. Counselling can improve the mental wellbeing of young people by giving them an understanding ear and tools for life.

Rowan is a Living Wage employer - September 2020

Rowan partners, Rachel Weiss and Andy Sanwell, were delighted to receive a plaque confirming that Rowan is now an accredited Living Wage employer.

Integrity is one of our values at Rowan Consultancy, so we have always paid the national Living Wage. It shows that we value our employees and contract workers. It also makes good business sense: if staff have enough to live on, they will be better able to focus at work and will also have goodwill towards their employer.

“Cleaners are generally not paid well so when an organisation pays me more than they need to, I feel worthy.” Julia Struth, Cleaner

Paying the Living Wage increases employee engagement, but we do it because it fits with our values as an ethical business. From our foundation in 1997, we wanted to show that it’s possible to run a private business ethically, valuing all our stakeholders: employees, customers, the local community and the planet. Joining the Living Wage network is a public way to demonstrate our values, a step we have been meaning to take for several years. Lockdown gave us the time to complete the application process, which turned out to be very straightforward. We’re delighted to support the Living Wage scheme and hope to encourage other Chamber members to do the same.

“I am delighted we’ve been awarded this accreditation. The fact that my employer voluntarily entered into this scheme makes me feel valued. I have confidence in the rate of pay as the realistic costs of my daily life were used to calculate it.”
Sandra Fryer, Office Manager

Find out more from Living Wage Scotland.

Rowan's Team Day - June 2019

For this year's Team Day, the Rowan office staff chose a walk to Maspie's Den in the Falkland Estates, followed by a delicious lunch at the Pilalrs of Hercules café. Highly recommended!

Rowan's Team Day - September 2018

The Rowan office team won the challenge at Willowgate Activity Centre and were awarded a bottle of champagne! We used our problem solving skills to get the team across a (virtual) river, untangled, released and rescued. We also had a go at some archery - it helped having a British Transplant Games archery champion on our team!

Rachel Weiss - ASB Business Awards Winner 2018 - September 2018

Another month, another award! Rachel was delighted to accept the Association of Scottish Businesswomen's Award for Community Commitment, recognising her work with Menopause Café".

Rachel receives a Point of Light - August 2018

Every week day the Prime Minister recognises an inspiration volunteer with the Daily Point of Light award. On 13th August, Rachel Weiss, partner at Rowan Consultancy, received a Points of Light award in recognition of her voluntary work with the Menopause Café charity. It's a charity that Rowan Consultancy supports in a variety of ways, since we know "it helps to talk".

WOW Perth October 2017

Kirsty Wark and Rachel Weiss outside the Horsecross Concert Hall ©Fraser Band

The Women of the World Festival moved away from the South Bank in London for the first time and came to the Perth Concert Hall.

Our very own Rachel Weiss was asked to take part in an on-stage panel discussion with Kirsty Wark and others on aging called, "Is 60 the new 30?".

Later Rachel hosted a Menopause Cafe in the foyer of the concert hall in which Kirsty and other festival attendees took part.

Find out more about the WOW Festival, and the latest Menopause Cafe news.

Rowan is Celebrating 20 Years! September 2017

In typical fashion Rowan celebrated twenty years of supporting people with a counselling CPD workshop on the menopause, an open seminar on reslience and the obligatory ceilidh.

Rowan's Team Day June 2017

Rowan enjoying a team building day at The Bield, Blackruthven

Rowan supports the Menopause Cafe June 2017

The world's first Menopause Cafe was held in Perth, Scotland on the evening of Monday 12th June 2017 hosted by The Blend Coffee Lounge. Rowan's founding partner, Rachel Weiss came up with the idea to get discussion going on the taboo subject from her experiences of running Death Cafes. After getting permission from Jon Underwood, the founder of the Death Cafe movement, she applied the same format and ethos to the Menopause.

Rachel explains, "A Menopause Cafe is a group directed discussion of menopause with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a support or counselling session. We usually split into small groups and you are welcome to just listen, although we hope you will join in on discussions."

To find out how to get involved and for more information, see the Menopause Cafe website.

New Head of Counselling, November 2016

We were delighted to welcome Ashleigh Cormack, our new Head of Counselling. Ashleigh has worked for over a dozen years as a counsellor with both adults and young people with wide-ranging issues and in a variety of settings:voluntary organisations, higher education, secondary schools and youth services. She has also conducted considerable research into counselling.

We are all looking forward to Ashleigh helping us expand and deepen our counselling services to adults, young people, couples and familes throughout Scotland.

Seven Minute Morning Routine by Rachel Weiss, September 2015

You've slept. It is time to face the world. Once you reach consciousness though, how do spend your first few minutes? Do you grab your mobile to check the latest social media postings?

This month Rachel looks at a useful way to spend those first few minutes, to get the day off to a good start. Find out more here.

Healthy Mind Platter by Rachel Weiss, July 2015

Most of us are familiar with eating well through a balanced diet in order to maintain our physical health, but did you know that there is a similar principal for our mental well-being?

It's called the Healthy Mind Platter and consists of seven daily exercises. Rachel Weiss gives an overview here.

Perth Death Cafe Review by Amanda Furness, April 2015

If you're lucky enough to have read Marcus Zusak's novel "The Book Thief", you'll know that it is narrated by a character called 'Death' whose first message to us is the small fact that we are all going to die!

This stark message came back to me when Rachel, who was one of the organisers, asked me to attend Perth's first Death Café meeting which took place on the evening of Monday 27 April. I was delighted to accept as I've experienced my fair share of loss and thought it would be interesting to hear others' views on the subject and, perhaps, share my own. However, before the event, anyone I mentioned it to either raised their eyebrows and said it was an interesting idea or frowned and exclaimed, "Why?" which didn't put me off but did make me think how unused to speaking about the subject we are.

The evening turned out to be a convivial and a thought-provoking experience. It was a very well attended event (about 30 people) where some deep and meaningful, but by no means downhearted conversation took place. Ages ranged from the early 20's to over 80, and people had travelled from Stirling and further afield.

It was really uplifting and heart-warming to see groups of complete strangers coming together for a couple of hours to freely share their experience and thoughts on the subject of death. Conversation flowed smoothly thanks to a handy sheet of questions available on each table (see below) which provided plenty of food for thought and a great ice-breaker.

We think nothing of openly discussing birth, children, family or relationships, so maybe it's time that other life experience we all have to face becomes an acceptable and less uncomfortable topic of conversation. Those attending Perth's first Death Café meeting certainly proved that it is possible.

As an interesting footnote, I've since had some really good discussions with friends and family on the subject that all sprung from me talking about the Death Cafe and a few of the angles discussed and stories told. I suppose, like everything else, when something's talked about openly in a comfortable and trusting environment, it's amazing where the conversation takes you. I would never have believed that so much discussion about death could make you appreciate so much that is good about life and the human spirit.

Pause for thought

  • Why did you come here [to the Death Café] tonight?
  • What makes a good death?
  • Where would you like to die?
  • How would you like to be remembered?
  • What does death mean to you?
  • Do you plan to be buried, cremated or your body donated?
  • If you have a choice, how would you choose to die?
  • What makes a "good" funeral?
  • What is the number one item on your bucket list?

Join the Rowan Team February 2015

Some exciting opportunities to join the Rowan team are available within the counselling team, and the office management group.

Are you are a fully qualified counsellor, interested in focusing on the needs of young people? Take a look at our job description (pdf) and apply today if you believe you have what we are looking for. The deadline for applications is the 10th March 2015.

Our part-time office manager post is very demanding. You will need to be organised and have excellent people skills, be independent and work well in a team. At Rowan we want to help people "live better" and as an office manager you will be a crucial and necessary part of that. Look at our job specification (pdf) for further details and apply before the 18th March 2015.

Coaching for Counsellors article published in COSCA Journal October 2014

COSCA, the national association for counselling and psychotherapy in Scotland, recently commissioned Rachel Weiss to write an article exploring the similarities and differences between coaching and counselling. Rowan Consultancy provides both services to organisational customers and to self-financing individuals. Are they two distinct professions or different points on a continuum? Read the full article here to help you decide.

Outstanding Student wins Scholarship Opportunity May 2014

A top Perth College UHI student has been awarded the Rowan Consultancy Management Scholarship. Lindsey Tosh, currently studying an Executive Diploma in Management won the scholarship after being selected to attend an interview led by Rachel Weiss, the senior partner and co-founder of Rowan Consultancy.

Rachel explained: "We are delighted to support the Perth College UHI scholarship programme. At Rowan, we aim to help people live more satisfying lives and one way of achieving this is by developing leaders and managers through coaching and training. We started in Perth over 16 years ago, so it seemed natural to support a Management student at Perth College UHI, as they undertake studies to improve their leadership and management skills."

"This year, Lindsey Tosh was the outstanding candidate. She showed determination in combining her studies with being a parent and working part-time. She has ambition to further herself through studying and has a clear vision for the type of work she wants to do in HR management."

"We were impressed by Lindsey in her interview. She spoke with drive and enthusiasm about her goals and what she has already gained from her studies. She gave a compelling example of how she had applied some of the course theories to the changes in her current work place. We wanted to support Lindsey in her studies, reward her for her excellent grades and give her the opportunity to see how a local business works."

"We believe that having links with a local business can enhance students' learning, as they can match the theory of management with the practice at Rowan. The student benefits, the College benefits and Rowan also benefits from the fresh eyes and questions each scholarship student brings when they visit us, giving us new perspectives."

For more information on Perth College UHI scholarships, see www.perth.uhi.ac.uk/support/scholarships.

Rowan Consultancy has been at the leading edge of developing practices in the field of human growth, development and support since 1997.

Take Your Child To Work Day 2014 April 2014

For 21 years, international "Take Your Child To Work Day" has enabled children to find out what Mum or Dad do at that mysterious place called "Work". This involves businesses opening their doors to children in years P6-S2 (10 - 14 years old) allowing them to see what different careers involve.

On Thursday 24th May 2014, Shona Sanwell and Maddy Pearson from Perth High School visited Shona's parents at Rowan Consultancy. Rowan has hosted many children over the years, giving them insight into what it takes to set up and run your own successful business.

The theme for 2014 is "Plant a Seed, Grow a Future" - that's particularly apt for Rowan Consultancy, which has a rowan tree as its symbol and whose aim in business is to help people and organisations to grow and develop.

Rachel Weiss, senior partner at Rowan, says "As a successful local business, Rowan Consultancy is delighted to have hosted several children on Take your Child to Work Day, over the years. Shona and Maddy spent the day learning how crucial finance is to any business large or small, and what the different aspects of any business are, as well as some office administration and social media. They also met with one of our counsellors and our Head of Coaching to learn about what's involved. And they helped with setting up for our next Counselling Skills training course in May. We hope this may inspire them to start their own business one day, and at the very least introduce them to the basic budgeting skills which are vital in running a household, a team or a whole business."

Telephone Counselling Interview Published February 2014

COSCA has published an interview with Mark Hancock on telephone counselling.

Annelie Carmichael interviews Mark Hancock, Head of Counselling and Psychotherapy at Rowan Consultancy, about telephone counselling or therapy. Rowan introduced telephone counselling/therapy in 2012 and has found it to be of great benefit to certain groups of clients. Here Mark outlines how it works, the benefits it delivers and the challenges it presents.

For more details, read the full article , or give us a call on 01738 562 005 today.

Family Therapy Service Launches January 2014

A new Family Therapy service, the only one of its kind in Tayside, has been launched in Perth.

To fill the gap which exists locally, Perth-based Rowan Consultancy has launched a new service aimed at helping families function better, whether they are in conflict, dealing with bereavement or struggling with their blended or extended family.

For more details, see our press release, or our family therapy information page, or give us a call on 01738 562 005 today.

Coaching Training for Counsellors August 2013

Rachel Weiss, senior partner at Rowan Consultancy, has been researching what training is available for experienced and qualified counsellors wishing to add coaching to their practice.

Her findings have been published in the August 2013 edition of the Association of Integrative Coach Therapist Professionals (AICTP) Journal. To find out more, download and read the pdf.

Why not gain some coaching skills yourself? Have a look at Rowan's Coaching for Counsellors training course and register your interest today.

Rowan launches Telephone Counselling November 2012

As Christmas approaches, and counsellors prepare for their annual upsurge in demand, a Perth company has become the first agency in Scotland to offer telephone counselling appointments.

Rowan Consultancy, one of Scotland's leading providers of personal and organisational growth and development services, is changing the way it works to make counselling more accessible, and to break down the barriers between the counsellor and the client.

The launch of its new telephone counselling service coincides with the approach to Christmas, a time of joy, but also one of stress for thousands of Scots, followed by the New Year period when many resolve to improve their lives once and for all and use counselling to kick-start the process.

Nine of Rowan's 15-strong team have now been trained by Dr Stephen Goss, one of the country's leading authorities in telephone counselling, learning how to deal with the different challenges posed by telephone counselling - from 'reading' verbal cues, building rapport through a telephone and, in extreme cases, how to handle an abusive partner walking in on the call or the client threatening to self-harm during the session.

With Rowan's telephone counselling service, clients over the age of 18 can call the Rowan office to book a 50-minute session with either a male or female counsellor at a time convenient to them. In most cases, the sessions will be held on a weekly basis and clients can opt for a counsellor trained in a particular field.

Rachel Weiss, Senior Partner explained that clients are increasingly looking for choice and flexibility, "For those who work remotely, or live in rural areas, telephone counselling provides a more convenient option. Clients, whether holding down a busy office job or caring for children or parents, don't have to take time out of their day to travel to and from a session and the sessions can take place in the comfort of their own home and at a time convenient to them."

Ms Weiss also believes that telephone counselling will appeal to those who are more accustomed to technology-based communication than face-to-face.

She added, "We also expect it to appeal to those who cannot face the prospect of face-to-face counselling and may feel that they can be more honest and direct on a telephone. In this new age of digital communication, many people are more comfortable with communicating at a distance and, if you are already feeling vulnerable, telephone counselling might be a preferred option to meeting in person."

With Rowan also providing staff counselling services to a range of Scottish employers, the service will also be open to corporate clients, in addition to the standard 'face-to-face' option.

The company, which recently celebrated its 15 year anniversary, works with a range of clients from pupils and teachers to employees and private individuals, offering two main services - coaching and counselling. The firm is thought to be the only company in Scotland offering a one-stop, comprehensive service.

Through coaching, Rowan partners with employees in a thought-provoking, creative process which inspires them to maximise their professional potential. Meanwhile, custom-built counselling programmes can be offered to help employers support staff though difficulties at work and home, increasing their resilience and performance. Mentoring, workplace mediation, training, team facilitation and diagnostic consultancy are also provided. The company also offers confidential and discreet counselling to couples and individuals (aged four upwards) seeking support on a wide range of issues including bereavement, self-confidence, depression, anxiety and relationship difficulties.

Rowan Celebrates 15 Years October 2012

October saw Rowan Consultancy celebrate its 15th Birthday by welcoming past and present customers and employees to its Kinnoull Street premises. After a short speech and toast, the founding partner Rachel Weiss cut a specially commissioned cake made by Ellen Innes, daughter of office manager Wilma Innes. A photographic retrospective history of Rowan was on display and delicious food was provided by Riverside Catering. Thank you to everybody who came, and we look forward to supporting you and your organisations over the next 15 years.

Personal Effectiveness at the Universtiy of Stirling September 2012

In order to create a thriving organisation, the University of Stirling is investing in the development of its non-academic staff. Rowan was delighted to design and deliver a series of workshops on Personal Effectiveness. The programme of six workshops started this month when Rachel Weiss presented a day on "Coping with Change". This gave the participants a chance to highlight their own responses to constant organizational change, and examine how they can adapt and thrive in the face of change, by increasing their resilience and choosing their responses.

Other topics to be covered include: Assertiveness, Creative Problem Solving, First Line Customer Service, Coaching Skills, Time Management and Effective Listening Skills. Each workshop concludes with the participants setting themselves SMART goals, which are then reviewed at the beginning of the next workshop. The attendees responded very well to "Coping with Change", and Rachel is already looking forward to next month's workshop.

Rowan Consultancy's MBA Scholarship March 2012

Congratulations to Pradeep Sivasubramaniam from Perth College for being awarded the Rowan Consultancy MBA student Scholarship.

We were pleased to welcome Pradeep and his lecturer Jill Elder when they visited the Rowan offices on 13th March.

Rachel Weiss spent time with Pradeemp discussing running a business like Rowan and exploring ways of using social media in marketting.

Counselling Skills Success - Rowan class of February 2012

Eight successful students completed the 120-hour COSCA Certificate in Counselling Skills at Rowan Consultancy today. The class are pictured with their tutor, Sarah Jauncey. The journey of personal development and self-awareness, increases competence in supporting and challenging others through active listening and use of counselling skills. Some will go on to train as professional counsellors, most will use their counselling skills to enhance their existing roles as social workers, nurses, volunteers, parents, colleagues and friends.

For further details see Rowan's Certificate in Counselling Skills.

Rowan Achieves World Class Management Training Accreditation

Rowan Consultancy, is one of only three organisations in the North of Scotland to achieve a world class training accreditation issued by the Institute of Leadership & Management.

This latest stamp of approval from the largest awarding body for leadership and management qualifications in the UK sets them apart from other training providers, and places them amongst an elite global network of only 2,000 accredited centres worldwide. As the third most Northerly of all the ILM's accredited training providers in the UK, the accreditation is expected to open up new geographical markets for the company North of Perth, most notably in the commercial hubs of Aberdeen, Inverness and Dundee.

With the recession starting to bite, business leaders are being encouraged to gain the edge over their competition by taking management qualifications from the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM). To assist with the demand, Rowan Consultancy will begin delivering the first of its ILM accredited qualifications in March 2012 with their "Managers as Coach" development course and the ILM Level 3 Award in Workplace Coaching for Team Leaders and First-line Supervisors.

Rachel Weiss, managing director of Rowan Consultancy, commented "This is a tremendous achievement for the Rowan Consultancy team. ILM accreditation is a mark of quality and effectiveness, one which is recognised on a global scale. It positions our business for continued expansion, and offers a great opportunity for companies in the North of Scotland to access high quality leadership and management training without having to resort to sending their candidates further afield."

"We went through a rigorous approval process to achieve our ILM status and we are looking forward to welcoming our first ILM students in March. We would strongly encourage anyone in a position of leadership or management to consider taking an ILM qualification. By investing in management development, organisations can ensure that their leaders are confident in their abilities and able to lead employees through the challenging times ahead. Nurturing effective leaders through management development is the single most cost-effective investment."

ILM qualifications are designed to help managers increase staff efficiency and motivation, ensuring that their businesses run at an optimum level of productivity. Training courses can be tailored to the needs of individual organisations and their managers. For further information see our training pages.

University of Dundee invests in Coaching Skills August 2011

Managers at the University of Dundee receive the Rowan Certificate in Coaching Skills from Pamela Milne, HR Director

Managers at the University of Dundee recently recieved Rowan Certificates in Coaching Skills. The certificate supports managers to develop a skill-set to enable and empower their teams to improve performance.

15 members of staff attended the training course, individual coaching sessions and a written assessment to gain the Certificate, which is credit rated by Edinburgh Napier University with 5 credits at SCQF Level 9.

Well done and congratulations to all of you for the hard work you put in.

Looking for Training Funds? February 2011

Following on from last June, Rowan is happy to report that we are now providing Individual Learning Account (ILA) approved courses, so you may be able to claim £200 towards your training. In these tough times, we decided to focus on how you might be able to offset the cost of training and made this the theme of our latest Rowan Berries article. We hope you find it useful, and we hope to see you in one of our training courses soon.

Well done coach! August 2010

Congratulation to Rowan's Head of Coaching, Steve Coulson for his teams 7-6 win on the polo field at the 2010 Festival Cup tournament held at Gleneagles. Former Scotland Ruby Captain Andy Nicol called the match, "the best Pro-Am game I have ever seen". Not bad since it was Steve's first ever competitive game after nine weeks of intensive training.

Read more about Steve's adventure in September's Rowan Berries newsletter.

Branded! 9th June 2010

We're delighted to have been awarded Learndirect Scotland Branded status!

We were assessed by Skills Development Scotland in April and had to demonstrate how we support our learners and keep our training student-centred. This means we have been judged to adhere to the Pledge to Learners, which basically says that we help sustain a lifelong learning network, see the Learn Direct website for more details on "the Pledge"!

We have always aimed to keep our training relevant to learners needs, whether delivering training in coaching, mediation, counselling skills or bereavement awareness. We're pleased to have had this acknowledge, and even more pleased that this will lead to our courses becoming more affordable. Our next step is to apply to become a provider of Individual Learning Account (ILA) approved courses, so that people on incomes of £22K or less can use money in their ILA to pay for Rowan courses. The money is usually £200, but it can be £500 for some courses.We will be allowed to apply for ILA status in October this year and we have our application forms already filled in and ready to go!

See the website for details of how to apply for an ILA account.

More Counselling Skills Success 16th February 2010

Another successful cohort celebrate achieving their Rowan Certificate in Counselling Skills, validated by COSCA, the Scottish national body for counselling and psychotherapy. The certificate carrying 40 SCQF points at Level 7, takes a year of part-time study to complete. Sarah Jauncey said "It's very encouraging to see students develop their counselling skills and self awareness during the certificate course. They grow in their ability to support others with empathy, to recognise their own strengths and talents, as they step out of their comfort zones to practice new skills." Several students were sponsored by their employers, including Perth & Kinross Council, and NHS Tayside. Others chose to fund the course themselves for their own personal development.

Rachel Ferguson, Social Care Officer with Perth and Kinross Council, said "The course has increased my self awareness dramatically.This has had an extremely positive impact on both my home life, relationships, working life and confidence - thank you!"

For further details see Rowan's Certificate in Counselling Skills.

Coaching Skills graduates receive certificates 3rd December 2009

The first Perth College UHI staff have received their Certificates in Coaching Skills from Rowan Consultancy. The certificates, awarded through Napier University and consisting of five credit points at SCQF level 9, recognise the ability to motivate their teams and bring out their creativity and initiative.

Rachel Weiss, Senior Partner at Rowan Consultancy which carried out the training sessions during 2009, commented: "This is equivalent to degree level credits and reflects the skills gained by completing the course. We developed the coaching skills in partnership with Perth College UHI, one of a number of organisations which are increasingly realising that by investing in their employees' coaching skills they increase the productivity and creativity of all their staff in a cost-effective and enjoyable way."

More than 60 people across the College have taken part in coaching training which involves two days' training and three individual coaching sessions, followed by a group CPD sessions to embed the learning and to help them apply the coaching skills appropriately at work.

Want to benefit from the same training as these Perth College staff? Our next Rowan Coaching Certificate is running in Perth Autumn 2010 and open to all.

Edinburgh Uni applauds Rowan's Certificate in Coaching Skills 19th August 2009

Edinburgh Napier University has credit-rated Rowan Consultancy's Certificate in Coaching Skills. In these testing times for business, coaching skills are increasingly recognised as essential for managers to motivate their teams and bring out their creativity and intiative.

"We are delighted that the university has approved our course, awarding it 5 credit points at SCQF Level 9", said senior partner, Rachel Weiss. "This is equivalent to degree level credits and reflects the skills gained by managers completing the course. We developed the coaching skills course in response to customer demand. Organisations are increasingly realising that by investing in their managers' coaching skills they increase the productivity and creativity of all their staff in a cost-effective and enjoyable way. This award is confirmation of Rowan's position as a centre for excellence in coaching in Tayside".

"It's been hard work getting the course credit-rated, being scrutinised not just be Edinburgh Napier University but also by the Association for Coaching, but it's worth it for our students to get recognition for their skills and study. I'd recommend the process to other local training providers."

Rowan will be running the Certificate in Coaching Skills early in 2010. It can also be delivered inhouse.

Perth and Kinross Council staff become happier! 19th May 2009

Rachel Weiss, Head of Training at Rowan, delivered training in " Becoming Happier: an Introduction to Positive Psychology" to 12 staff from Perth and Kinross Council's Education and Children's services department on April 30th and May 14th. The course covered the latest research on the science of happiness, based on Havard's Positive Psychology course and participants were introduced to various strategies for applying these findings to their own life and to that of their pupils or foster children.

"Useful course to realise what is important in life" Trudi Jack, Abernethy Primary School

"I've gained strategies to cope better with general life and therefore be a better teacher, staff team member, wife, mother, friend, daughter, etc! Already I am more reslilent and feel I can grow this more. Great presenter!" Bridget Thomson, Morrisons Academy Nursery

For more information on positive psychology, see the website of the Glasgow based Centre for Confidence.

Perthshire Businesswomen recognise Rachel's Contribution

Rachel Weiss, senior partner at Rowan Consultancy, received the Perthshire Businesswomen's Network's Members Award 2009 from Helen MacDonald of Prepress Project Ltd, Chairperson of PBN. Rachel has been an active member of the network since founding Rowan in 1997. The award was in recognition of her contribution to the network, supporting and inspiring local businesswomen.

Rowan opens its doors for Take Your Child to Work Day - Thursday 30th April 2009

For 16 years, international "Take Your Child To Work Day", has enabled children to find out what Mum and Dad do at that mysterious place called "Work". Last week Michelle Obama welcomed children of White House Employees as part of the US "Take Your Child to Work Day". In Perth several local businesses opened their doors to children in years P6-S2 (10 - 14 years old) today giving them the opportunity to see what different careers involve. Rowan Consultancy has hosted many children over the years, giving them insight into what it takes to set up and run your own successful business. Today Katriona Weiss Sanwell from Perth High School and Heather Innes, Oakbank Primary School, are visiting their parents at Rowan Consultancy.

Rachel Weiss, partner at Rowan, says "As a successful local business, Rowan Consultancy is delighted to have hosted several children on Take your Child to Work Day, over the years. Heather and Katriona spent the day learning how crucial finance is to any business large or small, what the different aspects of any business are : products and services, finance, management, HR, IT, Marketing and Sales. They also helped with practical tasks like processing invoices, creating advertising, setting up a computer, and assembling materials for our "Becoming Happier" course on positive psychology. We hope this may inspire them to start their own business one day, and at the very least introduce them to the basic budgeting skills which are vital in running a household, a team or a whole business."



Rowan Consultancy, 121 Burghmuir Road, Perth, PH1 1JF. +44(0)1738 562005