SYSTEMS-PSYCHODYNAMIC LEADERSHIP COACHING
The space to think that leadership demands but rarely provides
I work with leaders and emerging leaders who want to understand the deeper patterns shaping how they lead, and find ways to exercise authority that remain true to who they are.
London · UK & Europe · In person and remote
● Psychoanalytic Perspective ● MSc Occupational Psychology, Goldsmiths ● Eco-Leadership Institute ● UKCP Registered
ABOUT
Zsófia Elek
I'm a systems-psychodynamic leadership coach, psychoanalytic psychotherapist candidate, and organisational psychologist based in London.
I hold a BSc in Psychology and an MSc in Occupational Psychology from Goldsmiths, University of London. I have been in psychoanalytic training for seven years and maintain an active psychotherapy practice alongside my coaching work, which means I work with unconscious patterns, relational dynamics, and psychological depth on a daily basis.
Working in clinical research, I spent four years leading therapist training and selection for international clinical trials across the United States and nine European countries, training and assessing hundreds of clinicians, among them many doctors. This involved evaluating how professionals show up in relational roles, assessing competence, designing training processes, and providing developmental feedback.
I am currently completing a Diploma in Leadership Coaching at the Eco Leadership Institute, training in the Eco-Leadership Coaching System, accredited by the Association for Coaching.
I grew up in Hungary, studied and worked in both Budapest and London. I work in English and Hungarian, and have experience working across cultures and professional contexts in Europe and the US.
What drives this work for me is quite personal. The quality of leadership shapes the lives of everyone who depends on it. Doctors, politicians, and leaders at every level carry responsibility for the futures of people who have placed their trust in them, and they carry it largely alone. I help them stay in their roles and lead with integrity, self-awareness, and humanity. This is how I contribute to a better world.
MY APPROACH
Values-based, systems-psychodynamic coaching
My coaching draws on two traditions that rarely come together. Psychodynamic thinking pays attention to the unconscious patterns, defences, and internal conflicts that shape how we lead, relate, and make decisions. Systems thinking, informed by an ecosystems perspective, examines how organisations function as interconnected, living systems rather than machines to be managed from the top down, and how the dynamics within these systems create pressures and patterns that leaders are caught up in, often without realising it.
Bringing these together means we can work with both the inner world (your personal psychology, history, and emotional responses) and the outer world (the organisational system, power dynamics, and relational complexity you're navigating every day).
The value of reflection
We live in an age that rewards action and speed. Leaders are expected to decide quickly, perform under scrutiny, and move on without pausing. But the most effective leaders are those who have the capacity to step back, observe, and think before they act. Reflective capacity is not passivity. It's a competitive advantage.
Coaching with me is, above all, a space to think. A confidential space where you can explore what you're experiencing as a leader without performing, defending, or rushing to solutions.
I believe that leadership at its best is an expression of values. Not values as a corporate statement, but as something deeply felt. A central part of the work is reconnecting with what matters to you and finding ways to lead that are genuinely aligned with those values.
How the work looks in practice
We meet regularly, whether weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, depending on what suits you. Sessions are in person in London or remote. The work can be structured or open-ended, and I offer two distinct ways of working which you can read about below.
Everything discussed is entirely confidential.
WAYS OF WORKING
Two ways into the work
I offer two distinct forms of coaching, depending on where you are in your leadership and what you need.
OPTION ONE
Leadership Development Programme
A structured twelve-session programme for leaders who want to develop a deeper and more integrated understanding of themselves in role. The work moves through five domains of leadership, each explored in depth:
I
Self & Identity Who you are beneath the role. Your values, motivations, and the internal patterns that shape how you lead.
II
Relational How you relate to others in your professional world. Authority, trust, conflict, and the interpersonal dynamics you navigate daily.
III
Role How you take up your leadership role. The expectations, boundaries, and tensions between the role as defined and the role as you experience it.
IV
Systemic & Contextual The wider system you operate within. Organisational culture, institutional pressures, politics, and the forces that shape what is possible.
V
Strategic How you translate insight into direction. Vision, purpose, and the capacity to act with clarity within complexity.
This programme is designed for leaders who are new to a role, preparing for a significant transition, or who want to invest in a comprehensive exploration of their leadership.
OPTION TWO
Adaptive Coaching
Open-ended or time-limited coaching that begins with the challenge you bring and works from there. Rather than following a predetermined structure, the work responds to what is most alive and pressing for you.
You might come with a specific difficulty: a team dynamic that feels stuck, a decision you're struggling with, a conflict you can't resolve, a sense that something in your leadership isn't working but you can't identify what. We start where you are and use that as the entry point into the deeper patterns at play.
The same five domains (self, relational, role, systemic, and strategic) are present in this work, but they emerge organically from the material you bring rather than being explored sequentially. The coaching continues for as long as it is productive.
This approach suits leaders who are navigating a specific challenge, working through a period of change, or who prefer to let the work find its own shape.
Both forms of coaching draw on the same systems-psychodynamic framework.
We can discuss which approach suits you in an initial conversation.
WHO I WORK WITH
Leaders in roles where the demands are high and the support is almost non-existent
01
Clinical Leaders
Doctors who move into leadership face challenges that standard leadership programmes rarely touch: the identity shift from clinician to manager, the isolation of leading former peers, perfectionism that served you clinically but creates impossible standards in a leadership role, and the emotional weight of responsibility compounded by institutional pressure. Whether you are a medical director, clinical lead, consultant physician, or GP partner, I work with the psychological complexity beneath these challenges.
02
Political Leaders
Political leadership demands extraordinary psychological resilience: constant public scrutiny, the tension between conviction and pragmatism, and the near-total absence of confidential support. I work with elected officials, party leaders, senior advisors, and those transitioning into political office, across the UK and Europe.
03
Executives & Emerging Leaders
I work with executives and emerging leaders navigating complex organisational dynamics, whether stepping into a leadership role for the first time or growing into greater responsibility. I have a specific interest in women in leadership within male-dominated environments, where the psychological challenges around authority, identity, and the double-bind of being assertive yet likeable have deep roots.
04
Magyarul is dolgozom
Vezetői coachingot kínálok magyar nyelven is. Budapesten nőttem fel, ott végeztem a pszichológiai alapképzést, mielőtt Londonba költöztem. Ha szívesebben dolgozna az anyanyelvén, keressen bizalommal.
QUESTIONS
Questions you might have
How is this different from standard executive coaching?
Most executive coaching focuses on goals, behaviours, and performance. My approach goes deeper. Drawing on psychoanalytic and systems thinking, I work with the underlying patterns, often unconscious, that drive how you lead, relate, and make decisions. This isn't about doing leadership differently. It's about understanding yourself as a leader more fully.
How long does the work last?
Some clients work with me for several months, others for a year or more. The work can be open-ended or structured within a set number of sessions, depending on what you need. We review the process together periodically.
Is this therapy?
No. While my training is psychoanalytic, the work is firmly coaching. The focus is on your leadership role, your professional relationships, and how you function within your organisation or system. We may explore personal history where it's relevant to understanding your leadership patterns, but the lens is always on how you lead and how you want to lead.
Do you work remotely?
Yes. I see clients in person in London and remotely via Zoom across the UK and Europe. Both formats work well for this kind of depth work.
Is everything confidential?
Completely. I do not disclose who I work with or anything discussed in sessions. If your organisation is funding the coaching, we agree in advance what, if anything, is shared with them, and this is always with your knowledge and consent.
What does it cost?
I'm happy to discuss fees when we speak. The rate depends on the frequency of sessions and your circumstances.
CONTACT
Get in touch
If something on this site has resonated with you, I'd welcome a conversation. You can email or call to discuss what you're looking for and whether my approach feels like the right fit.
Location: London · Available across the UK and Europe
All enquiries are treated with complete confidentiality.