About Us

Training and Coaching for Personal and Business Transformation

Welcome to our website! We are a Learning and Development Consultancy, devising “needs led outcome focused” interventions rather than “off the shelf” training packages, this ensures that the solutions we provide you with are creative, relevant and fit for purpose.

We are experienced change-facilitators equipped to support you in navigating your way through ambiguity towards targeted action. Creating positive change requires personal choice, we all have untapped potential and the capability to develop behavioural flexibility for success as individuals or within a business context. At catalyst NLP we believe in your potential to make the changes you desire to create the sustainable results you deserve.  The ability to deal with change and even instigate it is perhaps one of the most essential skills of the 21st Century. Change is one of the only constants, so standing still is simply not an option if you wish to grow and thrive.  We are Lizzi Larbalestier, Helena Oliver and Heather Forster… Meet the team -

Lizzi Larbalestier – Founder

Lizzi is an ACTP qualified Coach, certified NLP Trainer and NLP Master Practitioner with a background in Sports Therapy.  Lizzi’s work within the corporate sector moved from commercial operations management roles to strategic HR and Organisational Development roles.

After heading up Stores Learning and Development for W H Smith UK High St and Travel retail estate as part of their senior leadership team, she established catalyst NLP – an NLP based learning and development consultancy and coaching practice in January 2009.  With extensive experience of strategy creation and change management gained working on large scale business acquisitions, she has a passion and talent for maximising team and individual potential through developing natural curiosity and personal flexibility.    

Lizzi has worked with a range of private, public and third sector clients across the South West with a diverse client base ranging from senior executives in multi-national organisations through to NEETs and young offenders.  

As a professional coach, when working with individuals she targets: managing personal change, developing self-awareness, resilience and motivation strategies.  In a corporate environment she facilitates: organisational development, authentic leadership and effective team dynamics, developing client potential to optimise stakeholder relationships and navigate the market they operate within.

She is passionate about developing entrepreneurial skills in Cornwall and is involved as a mentor, coach and tutor with a variety of leadership and enterprise programmes across the county in addition to guest lecturing on the Business Enterprise degree programme at Cornwall College.  Lizzi is registered with the British Psychological society and is fully qualified to administer a range of psychometrics with individuals and teams.  Since 2002 NLP and applied psychology (such as emotional intelligence and transactional analysis) have largely influenced her approach when working with clients to facilitate change.

Lizzi feels very fortunate and proud to work as an NLP trainer for Pegasus NLP in the New Forest.  Pegasus is a long established and highly reputable NLP training centre and a founder member of the Professional Guild of NLP – for more information visit www.nlp-now.co.uk.  Additionally she enjoys working as an associate trainer for Evolution Development – for more information about Evolution visit www.evolution-development.com

Lizzi spent some years working at an animal rescue charity alongside a renowned UK animal behaviourist.  Her experience supporting the rehabilitation of dogs under control orders and working with feral cats and horses (among other animals) developed her ability to be “present in the moment” and attend to the subtleties of verbal and non-verbal communication, skills she applies within her coaching, facilitation and NLP training.

An advocate of unconventional approaches, creative thinking and curiosity are common themes within all aspects of Lizzi’s work with an aim of supporting clients to identify and develop options leading towards delivering positive outcomes.  You can connect with Lizzi and read client testimonials via Linked In

Helena Oliver – Associate

Helena is an NLP Practitioner and professional Trainer with over 9 years’ experience in the field of Learning and Development.  Since 2007 she has worked with schools, colleges, mature students and GP surgeries focusing on soft skills development.  She is an interpersonal communication expert, adept at identifying and translating behavioural patterns, establishing their potential benefits and limitations.  She works with clients to increase their understanding of themselves and others, resulting in increased flexibility.

Helena is a qualified nurse who spent 9 years in the pharmaceutical sales sector.  Her role included coaching and training where she discovered a passion for developing people: introducing them to new concepts and ideas to promote their personal development.  In addition her role enabled her to gain valuable experience in product / sales training, presentation skills and one to one coaching.

Combining her knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and experience within learning and development, Helena has the ability to obtain positive results for both organisations and individuals.  Helena has a broad interest in a range of psychometrics and a variety of personality profiling tools and is a licensed practitioner in association with the Colourworks.  She is optimistic about life in general and human potential in particular.

Heather Forster – Associate

Heather qualified as an Environmental Scientist in 1985 at Plymouth University. She established the Environmental & Community Projects at The Body Shop International and worked closely with Anita Roddick, pioneering corporate social responsibility policies and running training workshops throughout the company worldwide. She managed ground-breaking projects such as Children on the Edge supporting Romanian orphanages at the end of Nicholas Ceausecu’s brutal regime. She wrote and coordinated a wide variety of international environmental and human rights campaigns. One of her greatest achievements was the co-ordination and building of a £275,000 children’s playground on the notorious Easterhouse estate in Glasgow, bringing together rival gangs and the local community to design and run the playground.

Heather then successfully ran two Body Shop franchise stores in Cornwall and supported staff to share knowledge with customers on a wide range of global issues from Amnesty International to homelessness. Her ethical business consultancy has enabled her to work extensively in restructuring both business and charitable organisations in the UK and abroad, identifying where training and change management transforms organisations. She is qualified Coach and Mentor and delivers personal development training across the public, private and voluntary sectors. She ran the Empowering Smart Women Project at Truro & Penwith College and is currently a business coach for YTKO and a qualified NLP Practitioner.

Heather was born in Zimbabwe and has travelled extensively. She has been settled in Cornwall for the last 20 years. She adores the outdoor life and lives in a beautiful wooded hamlet just outside Truro with her husband and on occasions, her grown up sons when they return for home comforts! She has two horses, two dogs and is a keen skier.

Heather possesses a healthy sense of humour and determination to make the world a better place through helping others to find their true path. Heather says, “I have a passion for developing people to reach their true potential! Too often we focus on our weaknesses and all we discover is mediocrity! By focusing on our talents and innate strengths we all stand to fulfil our dreams and achieve all we are capable of!”