about

coaching

work with me

faq

tools

about

coaching

work with me

faq

tools

about

coaching

work with me

faq

about me

I’ve always enjoyed making things both organised and beautiful.

Growing up in Brazil, I was the crafty kid who spent afternoons making things out of whatever was at hand, drawing, inventing, always finding a way to make things look better. Design was my natural choice for university; I worked as a graphic designer for over a decade and won two national awards for packaging design.


When my daughters were born, I decided to quit my graphic design career to focus on  home life: natural nutrition, Montessori education, homemaking. Friends started asking for help organising their homes and their menu planning, and I began working as a home organiser.


Then we moved to Oxford, where my husband started a DPhil researching the Amazon and was working for the UN. We homeschooled for several years, which required a level of organisation that’s hard to describe: every subject, every meal, every outing was planned in advance, but we always left space to adapt. I learned that almost anything can be managed with good systems. My husband used to say I worked more than he did, even though he was doing a DPhil and had a job! Despite the challenges, it was one of the happiest times in our lives.


Just as he was finishing his thesis, he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away just eighteen months later.


What I learned from that experience is that tragedy doesn’t erase who you are, even if it feels that way at first. It makes you discover, or remember, who you are deep down. When I finally had the energy, I had to choose a new path based on what I knew about myself – my values, my strengths, and what I’ve always been drawn to. That is where life coaching came in.

I trained as a coach and bring to my coaching what makes me me: design thinking, the years of understanding how people live in their homes, my passion for health and fitness, and the knowledge of what it takes to rebuild when you have no other option. I truly believe it’s possible to design a life with intention, and that’s what I help my clients do.


I have always been drawn to the way things are put together.


Growing up in Brazil, I was the crafty child who spent her afternoons making things out of whatever was at hand, drawing, inventing, always finding a way to make things look better. Design was the natural choice for university. I worked as a graphic designer for over ten years and won two national awards for packaging design.


When my daughters were born I stepped back from work and turned my attention to our home life: Montessori education, natural nutrition, the design of a home that actually supports the people living in it. Friends started asking for help organising their homes and their menu planning, and I began working as a home organiser.


Then we moved to Oxford. My husband began a DPhil researching the Amazon and was working for the UN. We homeschooled for several years, which demanded a level of organisation that is hard to convey. Every subject, every meal, every outing had to be planned ahead, with room to adapt. It taught me that almost anything is manageable if it is designed around good systems. My husband used to say I worked more than he did, and he was doing a DPhil and had a job! It was also one of the happiest times of our lives.


Just when he was finishing his thesis, he  was diagnosed with cancer. He died eighteen months later.


What I learned, on the other side of that, is that a tragedy does not destroy who you are (although it surely feels that way when it happens). Tragedy forces you to find out, or remember, who you are deep inside. When I again had the energy, I had to choose a new direction, deliberately and from scratch, based on what I knew about myself: my values, my strengths, and what I had always been drawn to. That is where life coaching came in.


My daughters are at school now. I formally trained as a coach, and I bring to my coaching what makes me me: design thinking, the years of understanding how people live in their homes, my passion for health and wellbeing, the knowledge of what it takes to rebuild when there's no choice, and the belief that it is possible to design a life lived with intention. That is what I help my clients do.



I have always been drawn to the way things are put together.


Growing up in Brazil, I was the crafty child who spent her afternoons making things out of whatever was at hand, drawing, inventing, always finding a way to make things look better. Design was the natural choice for university. I worked as a graphic designer for over ten years and won two national awards for packaging design.


When my daughters were born I stepped back from work and turned my attention to our home life: Montessori education, natural nutrition, the design of a home that actually supports the people living in it. Friends started asking for help organising their homes and their menu planning, and I began working as a home organiser.


Then we moved to Oxford. My husband began a DPhil researching the Amazon and was working for the UN. We homeschooled for several years, which demanded a level of organisation that is hard to convey. Every subject, every meal, every outing had to be planned ahead, with room to adapt. It taught me that almost anything is manageable if it is designed around good systems. My husband used to say I worked more than he did, and he was doing a DPhil and had a job! It was also one of the happiest times of our lives.


Just when he was finishing his thesis, he  was diagnosed with cancer. He died eighteen months later.


What I learned, on the other side of that, is that a tragedy does not destroy who you are (although it surely feels that way when it happens). Tragedy forces you to find out, or remember, who you are deep inside. When I again had the energy, I had to choose a new direction, deliberately and from scratch, based on what I knew about myself: my values, my strengths, and what I had always been drawn to. That is where life coaching came in.


My daughters are at school now. I formally trained as a coach, and I bring to my coaching what makes me me: design thinking, the years of understanding how people live in their homes, my passion for health and wellbeing, the knowledge of what it takes to rebuild when there's no choice, and the belief that it is possible to design a life lived with intention. That is what I help my clients do.


my "design thinking" approach


my design thinking approach

start where you are

Designers solve problems with an honest, realistic view. We assess things as they are, not as we wish they were. In coaching, I use tools like "the wheel of life" and well-being questionnaires to look closely at many areas of your life.

explore ideas

We all have more than one possible version of our lives. There is no single perfect path; the goal is to explore where you want to go next. What brings you joy? What puts you in a state of flow?

explore ideas

We all have more than one single possible version of our lives — it's unhelpful to tell ourselves is that there is one perfect life we are supposed to be living. The work is not finding the one ideal path, it's exploring where we want to go next. What brings you joy? What puts you into a state of flow?

designers build their way forward

Waiting for a perfect solution rarely works. Instead, we get creative, test ideas, and make changes as needed. We don’t need the entire plan upfront – taking action and adjusting along the way helps us find the path.


designers build their way forward

Waiting for a finished solution to show up before taking action rarely works. Rather, we get creative, come up with ideas, test, and adjust them as necessary. We don't need to know how to achieve a result at the start but the act of taking action and adjusting as we go reveals the path.

life design never ends

Designing a life is different from designing a product. Life design is a continuous process of building, testing, and adjusting. Living with intention brings clarity about what matters. The work is never truly finished, and that is what makes it exciting.



what my clients say





"I'm so thankful for my sessions with Estela. I'm a SAHM looking to make a career change, and Estela has done a great job creating a safe space for me to reflect on my next steps. Estela's thoughtful questions helped me uncover my motivations to take this next step. At the beginning I was struggling with feelings of not being present enough for my family and not having enough confidence to step out in a new career, but now I have new insights and practical steps to move towards my goal with confidence. I'd recommend Estela for any woman navigating a change."
Christine L, SAHM, London





"At fifty, I felt a deep need to reclaim something that had been forgotten inside me. Estela played an essential role in that search, listening with real care and attention. She helped me gain clarity; together we mapped out a more practical path and established steps to move my ideas from intention into action. We aligned my daily habits with my values. Through our sessions, I now have a clear sense of my priorities and a more concrete long-term vision. I recommend her work to anyone who wants to pursue their aspirations, redefine their plans, and bring meaningful projects to life."

Karen E, restaurant owner, São Paulo





"I found Estela when I was searching for clarity and accountability during a time of huge growth and change, and also when I found myself feeling stuck in a cycle of procrastination. Estela with her warmth, calm and intelligent questioning, managed to lift me out of overwhelm and inaction and lifted me to a place of inspiration, clarity and purpose. She is a gifted coach and I would highly recommend her services to anyone looking to transform their lives and fulfil their purpose."

Sophie M, founder, Bath