{"id":13,"date":"2020-05-28T10:01:13","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T10:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2026-03-22T09:16:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T07:16:51","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Am I"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The focus of my work rests on the central idea that we choose our behaviour and we are responsible for what we do, think, and feel.<br>This led me to design the \u201cInner Behavioural Blueprint\u201d model which explores human behaviour and how to create change, because in essence, \u201cChange Begins Within\u201d. This will then assist to shift focus to <em>Choice <\/em>and <em>Choosing<\/em> and begin this journey starting with 3 simple little words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Who am I?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"1137\" data-attachment-id=\"3159\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/about\/img_20240212_083854-edit\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?fit=1441%2C2560&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1441,2560\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?fit=576%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?resize=640%2C1137&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3159\" style=\"width:199px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?w=1441&amp;ssl=1 1441w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?resize=169%2C300&amp;ssl=1 169w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?resize=576%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 576w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1365&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?resize=864%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 864w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nadiathonnard.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/IMG_20240212_083854-EDIT-scaled.jpg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>My name is <em>Nadia Thonnard<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am a qualified Counsellor, Choice Coach, and Family &amp; Divorce Mediator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Counselling Graduate from The South African College of Applied Psychology \u2013 Diploma Couns.&amp; Comm (SACAP)(CHE)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Certified CHOICE COACH <\/em>&#8211; <em>Academy of Choice<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Certified Divorce &amp; Family Mediator &amp; Parenting Coordinator (PC) &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.famac.co.za\/member-detail\/?pdb=186\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c69529\" class=\"has-inline-color\">FAMAC Accredited<\/mark><\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Training in Choice Theory, Reality Therapy &amp; Lead Management<\/em> &#8211; <em><a href=\"https:\/\/glassersouthafrica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c69529\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Glasser South Africa<\/mark><\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Treasurer \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/glassersouthafrica.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c69529\" class=\"has-inline-color\">Glasser South Africa<\/mark><\/a><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Executive Administrator supporting the Executive Director of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wglasserinternational.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.wglasserinternational.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);color:#c69529\" class=\"has-inline-color\">William Glasser International<\/mark><\/a> (WGI) <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I have been in this field of work since 2009 and have a passion for guiding individuals back to their authentic self. I ventured on a career change into applied psychology at age 42, and graduated with a Diploma in Counselling &amp; Communication from the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP). I also qualified as a Family &amp; Divorce Mediator, and furthered my knowledge with Training in Choice Theory, Reality Therapy and Lead Management (William Glasser International).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have grown up as a \u201cThird Culture Kid\u201d. I was born in Lebanon to Belgian Parents, grew up in Paris, finished my schooling in London and eventually moved to Brussels at the age of 20. I am now settled in Cape Town since 1996, so I do know what it is like to feel &#8220;lost&#8221;, to not belong to a particular place and lack a sense of self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I often feel like a tumbleweed, drifting along with no roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Life has a funny way of teaching us what we truly need, even when we\u2019re not ready for it. For me, that lesson came when I got divorced. I wasn\u2019t prepared for the emotional roller coaster that followed, and it forced me to confront a question I\u2019d been avoiding my whole life: <em>Who am I, really?<\/em> At 42 years old, I began a journey of self-discovery that completely shifted my perspective. Up until then, I\u2019d believed that my life was shaped by circumstances outside my control, that I didn\u2019t have real choices. But through the ups and downs, I realised something profound, my life was the result of <em>my<\/em> choices, even the ones I didn\u2019t think I was making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That realisation catapulted me into the most incredible journey of all: meeting <em>Me<\/em>. Not the version of me shaped by others\u2019 expectations or the one trying to tick all the boxes of what a \u201cgood\u201d life should look like, but the <em>real<\/em> me, the one with dreams, needs, and a deep desire to live authentically. That\u2019s when I understood I didn\u2019t need to <em>change<\/em> myself; I needed to work on <em>being<\/em> myself. It was about reconnecting with my inner motivations, listening to what truly mattered, and choosing to align my life with the person I already was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s why I\u2019m passionate about this message: To <strong>stop working at <em>Changing<\/em> yourself and start working at <em>Being<\/em> yourself<\/strong>. When we stop chasing the idea of who we \u201cshould\u201d be and start embracing who we <em>are<\/em>, life opens up in ways we never imagined. It\u2019s not always easy, but trust me, it\u2019s worth every step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The focus of my work rests on the central idea that we choose our behaviour and we are responsible for what we do, think, and feel.This led me to design&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":47,"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3605,"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions\/3605"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nadiathonnard.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}