Dr Karen Izod

Visiting Tutor

Karen is a coaching practitioner, organisational consultant and academic working in the field of organisational change and professional development. Her coaching practice focuses on enhancing and sustaining individual and organisational effectiveness at points of transition and change. She often works with internal consultants and change professionals who are designing and implementing change, concerned with building brand and reputation, or exercising professional judgement in challenging conditions.

Karen’s practice draws on expertise in group and organisational dynamics, relational psycho-social interventions and research, and utilising creative improvisational methodologies. She has a particular interest in the significance of Place, and its formative role in the development of attachment patterns and capacities for creativity.

Until summer 2022 Karen was Course Lead for the Tavistock & Portman NHS Foundation Trust’s Professional Doctorate in Advanced Practice and Research, and she continues as a Visiting Lecturer and supervisor.

As a Founder and former Director of the Tavistock Institute’s Coaching for Leadership and Professional Development Certificate, Karen has additionally designed programmes to develop coaching skills in political leaders, and for companies building their in-house coaching and consulting expertise. She has also consulted on the evaluation of a number of coaching programmes and initiatives.

Karen works nationally and internationally in a range of sectors, principally financial services, higher education, and government and knowledge-based industries.

She is co-author of Resource-ful Consulting (2014) and co-editor of Mind-ful Consulting (2009). She has published widely and her D.Phil by publication explored and developed theory in the field of a relational systems-psychodynamics understanding of groups and organisations.

Karen additionally writes and performs poetry.