About me | doctoramina

Hello, I'm Amina

Have you ever wondered what on earth you're supposed to do next with your career or life? Most people know me as the doctor who went from delivering babies in a warzone to working on UN policy and then leaving it all to explore new horizons.

(See here for a Wise Wednesdays video on Why Becoming Nobody Was the Best Thing that Happened to Me).

A passion for global health

While sitting in a lecture at Medical School at Cambridge University, I realised that I wanted to work on the bigger picture of health. I got my clinical experience in the UK, Switzerland and South Sudan (with Medecins sans Frontieres) before starting the highly competitive training as a Public Health Physician in London. This involved a Master's at LSHTM and PhD at UCL with Professor Sir Michael Marmot. I eventually found myself speaking and advising on UN global policy at the intersection of health, climate change and sustainable development through the UK government, Chatham House and UCL.

Here are a few papers I wrote at the time:

World Economic Forum article

The Conversation articles

Academic papers

Mid-career transformation

Taking off the warrior's helmet.

In my mid-thirties, although I loved my work and had a great life, I realised that I didn't know how to relax...I had accidentally become a relentless warrior in a relentless system. Leaving my native Algeria due to civil war had something to do with both my successes and my challenges...

So began a journey of exploration through deep coaching, meditation and self-discovery which led me to expand my awareness, reprioritise and completely transform my career. In 2016, I didn't apply for the next role and so left the government building I worked at without any plan to return. But I knew that I wanted more freedom, creativity and connection - a sense of more presence in my work and life.

I decided to explore independent consulting and coaching (of which I had experienced the power) and it's the coaching that took off. Since 2016, I've worked full time as a personal coach to high achievers and leaders ready to transform their own careers and experience more presence, fulfilment and success on their terms.

See here for a blog for Medic Footprints on what to do if you're a doctor who loves your job but is starting to hate it.

Learning to relax, be present and live from a deeper sense of connection to self, others and nature.

Rebirth as trusted advisor to change makers, coach to high achievers and award-winning author.

With Michael Zhou, co-founder of Alibaba

Today, I serve high achievers who feel stuck and are ready to relax, reclaim their power and/or make their bigger impact as a leader. My clients include doctors and directors in large organisations who are working on global challenges like climate change, mental health and conflict and are leading in the massive ecological transition we're facing.

In 2020, I published the award-winning book The Success Trap: Why Good People Stay in Jobs They Don't Like and How to Break Free. In 2022, I founded The Sanctuary a group for leaders who want to deepen their presence, stand in their power and expand possibilities. My vision is of a world where we have evolved our levels of consciousness sufficiently to live in greater harmony with each other and the planet.

Qualifications and training

Medical Qualifications

Medical Degree, Cambridge University (MBBChir)
Master's of Arts, Cambridge University (MA)
Master's of Science in Public Health, LSHTM (MSc PH)
Doctorate in Epidemiology and Statistics, UCL (PhD)

Coaching relevant training

(selection)

Certified Tony Robbins Coach, Core 100 (Robbins Madanes Training)
Certified Integral Coach (Integral Coaching Canada)
Leading in Times of Uncertainty course (MITx)
Responding to the Call of Our Times - a Leadership Coaching Program (Non-Violent Communication Academy)
Philosophy of Consciousness Course (Oxford University)
Insight Meditation practitioner - daily practice and regular silent meditation retreats (monastic and secular settings)
Other, relational practices: Circling, Insight Dialogue and Non-Violent Communication