Identity Work in Inclusive Leadership Coaching with Natasha Aruliah

Podcast Description:

In this powerful episode, Terri Donohue sits down with Natasha Aruliah—a psychologist, trauma-aware facilitator, educator, consultant, and coach with over 25 years of experience in equity, inclusion, and organizational transformation. Together, they explore the deep and often complex journey of identity work—what it means for leaders, coaches, and anyone committed to creating truly inclusive spaces.

From unpacking privilege and bias to navigating the ways we’ve internalized societal expectations, Natasha and Terri dive into how identity shapes leadership, belonging, and transformation. Along the way, they honor the richness of diverse identities and the contributions of all groups, while also naming how systems of power, inequities, and oppression impact the coaching profession and the people we serve.

They share practical tools and coaching strategies that support clients in noticing, naming, and nurturing their authentic selves.

Whether you’re a coach seeking to deepen your practice, a leader striving to embody inclusive leadership, or simply someone curious about the intersection of coaching, identity, and DEI, this conversation will challenge and inspire you to “coach the who” — not just the what.

nd inspire you to “coach the who” — not just the what.

✨ Key themes:

• Identity work as the bedrock of Inclusive Leadership Coaching

• Recognizing and respecting different identities and lived experiences

• How privilege, power, and systemic inequities shape our sense of self

• Practical frameworks for coaching identity, belonging, and inclusion

• Why Inclusive Leadership Coaching transformation must begin within

If you’re ready to explore the heart of coaching indentity, inclusion, and equity, this episode is for you.

Resources:

• Notice Your Soul in the Dark (21 minutes) - John Amaechi video

• Emotional Justice: A roadmap for racial healing - Esther Armah

Connect with Natasha:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-aruliah-75071420/

Bio:

Natasha Aruliah is a coach, psychologist, therapist, and trauma-aware facilitator, consultant, educator, and coach specializing in JEDdi (social justice, equity, decolonizing, diversity, inclusion) and transformational organizational change. She began her career in higher education supporting international and marginalized students before moving to community settings, witnessing firsthand the impact of systemic structures and related trauma.

With over 25 years of experience across government, union, non-profit, community, and corporate sectors in the UK, Europe, Canada, and the USA, Natasha creates spaces for all voices, supporting courageous dialogue on challenging or often-avoided topics. She has taught at the University of British Columbia, the Justice Institute of BC, and co-facilitated Effective and Inclusive Group Facilitation courses at Simon Fraser University. Her particular area of interest is identity development, which she teaches and speaks on widely.

Connect with Terri:

https://terridonohue.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/terridonohuecoaching/

Podcast Disclaimer

Bio: 

Terri Donohue is a passionate and ICF/PCC-certified Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) coach specializing in Neurodiversity Life and Leadership. With 23 years of experience in the entertainment industry, where she earned an Emmy nomination, Terri brings a unique blend of creative expertise and a deep commitment to empowering others. She works with and prefers to align herself with ours, which values honesty, personal development, fairness, and connection.

#CoachingIdentity #InclusiveCoaching #InclusiveLeadership #LeadershipCoaching #DiversityEquityInclusion #CoachingForEquity #IdentityAndLeadership #CoachTheWho #BelongingInLeadership #LeadershipTransformation #SystemicChange #EquityAndInclusion #SocialJusticeLeadership #TraumaInformedCoaching #CoachingPodcast #LeadershipMatters#InternationalCoachingFederation #ICF #CoreCompetencies #ICFMaintainingPresence