Bio:

Daphne Klimmek is a certified professional Neurolanguage® Coach for English and a certified Life Coach supporting expats in Europe as they navigate change and loss. With over 15 years’ experience as a Business English and Communication Skills Trainer, she’s worked across sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, tech, energy, finance and real estate—from C-level leaders to specialist teams. Born in Tanzania and now a British-German dual citizen, her international journeys—including time in Greece and Indonesia—have shaped her belief that the essence of life is connecting and engaging. A digital nomad, mostly based in Stuttgart, she recharges with outdoor adventures such as scuba diving, mountain hiking and skiing. Daphne brings this spirit of curiosity and courage to her coaching by crafting open, inclusive spaces for clients to thrive personally and professionally.

Session synopsis:

From Saboteur to Sage: Using Positive Intelligence to Enhance Language Coaching and Client Learning.

This interactive workshop introduces Positive Intelligence (PQ), Shirzad Chamine’s neuroscience-based framework for mental fitness, and applies it to Neurolanguage Coaching® and language learning. Participants explore how “Saboteurs” and the “Sage” brain affect learners’ stress, motivation, and performance, while also examining how the Coache’s own Saboteurs influence coaching presence, communication, and decision-making. Through practice with simple PQ-based interventions, coaches learn to improve their presence, self-regulate in challenging moments, deepen empathy, and design brain-friendly, emotionally safe learning experiences that empower language learners.

Participants will:

• Review the definition of a coaching mindset and its core elements (presence, non-judgment, curiosity) tailored to Neurolanguage Coaching® principles.

• Understand core PQ concepts (PQ, Saboteurs, Sage, PQ Brain) and their link to stress and emotions in language learning.

• Gain some self-awareness of personal coach Saboteurs (e.g. Pleaser, Controller) and common learner Saboteurs (e.g. Hyper-Achiever, Avoider), plus strategies to address both in sessions.

• Apply some PQ-based interventions (PQ reps, reframing questions, Sage prompts) in simulated coaching conversations.

• Design one concrete experiment to integrate PQ into their Neurolanguage Coaching® process.