ABOUT
Meet Elaine Sigurdson
I coach turning points because I have lived them
My career has moved through several distinct chapters: psychology and clinical counselling, management consulting, teaching and counselling in the Ontario college system, an entrepreneurial venture, and since 2002, my own coaching practice, Insight to Action. Each of those turns asked me to rethink what fit, decide what came next, and rebuild with purpose.
That lived experience is the foundation of how I coach. When a client sits across from me facing uncertainty, self-doubt, or questions of identity, I am not working from theory. I have been through it, more than once, and I know there is a way through.
The path in brief
After graduate school in psychology, I began in clinical counselling, then moved into consulting roles focused on executive recruitment, talent assessment, leadership development, and career transition. Family life prompted another reinvention, into teaching and an entrepreneurial peak performance program that earned strong visibility in the Toronto area. In 2002 I launched Insight to Action, and after formal coach certification in 2006, my work shifted decisively toward executive coaching, independently and with valued partners including BetterUp and Leadership Intelligence.
Today my coaching experience is approaching 5,000 hours, with clients from startups to multinational companies across technology, financial services, consulting, professional services, and the public sector.
From the inside out
At the heart of my approach is a simple conviction: lasting change is built from the inside out.
Strategy and expertise matter. But what most determines how someone comes through pressure and change are what I call the inner skills: self-awareness, emotional regulation, resilience, confidence, adaptability, and the ability to build strong relationships. My coaching develops those skills deliberately, then puts them to work on the real situations in front of you, so an inner shift becomes a visible result: a decision made, a presence felt, a direction set.
This conviction comes from my own chapters of self-doubt and reinvention, and from years of study in positive psychology, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, resilience, and neuroplasticity.
Credentials
30+ years
30 YEARS WORKING WITH LEADERS
~ 5,000 hours
5,000 COACHING HOURS
Professional Designations
PSYCHOLOGY, PCC AND CMC
I hold a Master's degree in Psychology and professional designations as a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Professional Certified Coach (PCC) through the International Coaching Federation. I am also certified in several assessment tools, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), EQ-i 2.0, and the Attentional and Interpersonal Style Inventory (TAIS).
Beyond work
Outside of work, I am a proud mother and grandmother, a dog lover, and someone who values a steadier pace of life. I live in Oakville, where I appreciate both the quiet rhythm and the closeness to Toronto. I make time for family and close friends, walks by the lake, lifelong learning, and especially my young grandson. These things remind me that achievement matters, and so do presence, connection, health, and meaning.
