Tell us about yourself and your background
My name is Deema Ghata-Aura, and my journey to confidence coaching began in the UK corporate world where I spent over a decade in leadership roles, including leading a team with a £6 billion lending target. From the outside, I appeared confident and successful, but internally I was running a mental marathon of overthinking and self-doubt. I was the accomplished professional who second-guessed herself constantly, quietly filled with uncertainty that was costing me opportunities and peace of mind.
Everything changed when I discovered that the fastest way to stop feeling stuck is to stop overthinking. After years of world-leading coaching training and deep study of decision psychology and intuitive intelligence, I transformed from a paralysed overthinker to a confident coach and business owner. This personal transformation, combined with turning 50 and realising how much I would have valued expert support during the confidence crisis I faced in my 40s, crystallised exactly where my passion and expertise intersect.
What is it that you currently do?
I’m a certified executive coach specialising in helping professional women over 40 break free from overthinking and make confident decisions. As founder of Criterion Coaching, I work with accomplished women worldwide who, despite their success, find themselves second-guessing their instincts and playing small, instead of stepping forward and embracing life fully.
My mission is to help professional women feel more confident and fulfilled so they can make a positive impact in the world. I want them to trust themselves, and access the wisdom, experience, and knowledge they already have. After five years coaching leaders globally, I’ve witnessed how many brilliant women hold themselves back through overthinking patterns. I’m passionate about helping them rebuild their natural decision-making confidence so they can stop endless self-analysis, and start taking clear, confident action aligned with their authentic values.
How did you initially find your passion and turn your passion into your career?
The transformation began with my own struggle. Despite corporate success, I was secretly exhausted from overthinking every decision. This led me to deep personal development work and professional coach training through the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC), where I became a certified Master Practitioner in Energy Leadership™️, an assessment that helps executives create the success they strive for with ease, instead of burning out.
As I worked with executives and leaders worldwide, I noticed a pattern: so many accomplished women were smart and successful but held themselves back through self-doubt and overthinking. When I turned 50, I realised how much I would have valued having someone who understood this unique journey. That’s when I knew exactly where to focus my expertise—helping professional women over 40 who face the same challenges I’d overcome.
What is the biggest challenge that professional women over the age of 40 are facing right now?
The biggest challenge is the confidence shift that happens after 40. The fearless energy of our 20s and 30s evolves into something deeper, wisdom, experience, and intuitive knowing. Yet, many women feel understandably unsettled by the changes of mid-life and start doubting themselves. After spending decades proving themselves, climbing ladders, and juggling multiple responsibilities, they find themselves feeling lost or exhausted, second-guessing the very instincts that brought them success. This creates a gap between their actual abilities and their self-perception, leading to missed opportunities and unfulfilled potential. I want them to see how the very things that make them unique, are the things that make them valuable in the workplace and beyond.
Tell us about your Energy Leadership™️ coaching and training programme.
Energy Leadership™️ is a research-backed approach from the Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (IPEC) that goes deeper than surface-level assessments. It’s both informative and life-changing because it shows you the lens you look at the world through, which ultimately drives your thoughts, feelings, actions and results. It’s different to any other assessment because it reveals your unique combination of the 7 Levels of Energy which range from Level 1 fear, doubt and worry, to level 7; peace and connection. It reveals how your mental and emotional energy is either working for or against you. The Energy Leadership Index Assessment provides a clear, personalised view of your current energy patterns and identifies invisible blocks that may be holding you back.
I believe success and happiness are built from the inside out, and energy leadership shows you how to do that. It’s about understanding and shifting the internal dynamics that drive your external results. When clients understand their energy patterns, they gain powerful insights into why they think and behave the way they do, which becomes the foundation for lasting transformation.
What are the key topics you cover on your programme?
My flagship MVP Program focuses on three foundational areas. First, we “Empower Your Mindview”—helping clients understand their mental and emotional energy patterns and removing invisible blocks. This 90-minute session includes the Energy Leadership Index Assessment, and a detailed, personal debrief which provides deep insights into how you’re operating at the moment.
Second, we explore “Learning to Live Your Values”—creating a personal compass of what matters most so decision-making becomes clearer and easier. Clients learn not just what their values are, but how to put this knowledge into practical action.
Third, we “Pacify Your Inner Critic”—this is often the game-changer. We address that internal voice that creates fear and self-doubt, teaching clients how to quiet the noise so they can stop over-working, overthinking, and judging themselves constantly.
How is your programme unique?
My approach combines deep corporate leadership experience with specialised training in decision psychology and Energy Leadership™️. I understand the pressures professional women face because I’ve lived them. This isn’t theoretical coaching, it’s practical wisdom from someone who has navigated the same journey from overthinking to confident action.
The program is also highly personalised. Rather than generic confidence tips, we address what’s underneath the overthinking patterns specific to each client. The real transformation happens when we rebuild natural decision-making confidence from the inside out, not just treat surface symptoms.
What are the key outcomes from completing your programme?
The results speak for themselves: in 2023 and 2024, 90% of my clients achieved promotion or transitioned to more fulfilling roles within six months. 100% report enhanced confidence, purpose, and overall wellbeing. Perhaps most importantly, decision-making time drops from months or years to days or weeks.
Clients consistently report feeling reconnected to their values, maintaining composure under pressure, and staying confident regardless of challenges they face. They stop waiting for permission and start trusting their instincts again.
How has your corporate background given you a unique advantage?
Having led national teams with billion-pound targets, I intimately understand the pressures, politics, and complexities of corporate environments. I know what it feels like to be the only woman in the room, to have your ideas questioned differently, and to carry the mental load of multiple responsibilities while appearing effortless.
This experience allows me to quickly identify what’s really keeping clients stuck versus what they think the problem is. I can spot patterns of self-doubt that are common in professional women because I’ve lived them myself and worked through them with hundreds of clients.
Can you share a case study of a successful client project?
One client came to me after a career break, transitioning into a completely new industry. She was struggling with imposter syndrome, loss of confidence, and doubts about succeeding in her new role. Through our work together, I provided her with tools and strategies to confront her insecurities and regain control.
She said the experience was “truly life-changing.” We worked on reconnecting her with her values, maintaining composure, and staying confident regardless of challenges. She described how I challenged her in ways that pushed her boundaries and empowered her to become the best version of herself. Though her journey continued beyond our formal coaching, she credited our work with helping her navigate those crucial first months with confidence and clarity.
What are your goals for the next 5 years?
My vision is to expand my impact while maintaining the personalised approach that creates real transformation. I want to continue helping professional women over 40 break free from overthinking patterns and step into their full potential. Given my recognition as LinkedIn Top Executive Coaching Voice 2024 and one of the Top 10 Executive Coaches GCC 2023, I’m exploring ways to reach more women while preserving the depth and intimacy that makes this work so effective.
I’m also passionate about changing the conversation around confidence for women over 40—moving from seeing it as decline to recognising it as evolution into deeper wisdom and authentic power.
Where can readers find out more about you?
Readers can connect with me on LinkedIn, where I regularly share insights about building confidence and breaking free from overthinking. I’m also available for complimentary 30-minute consultations where we explore what’s keeping you stuck, identify your biggest decision-making blocks, and discuss how to begin trusting your instincts again.
For those interested in the MVP Program or one-on-one coaching, sessions are available in person in Dubai or via Zoom worldwide. The transformation often happens faster than people expect—sometimes in just three sessions over one month, clients begin to see significant shifts in their confidence and decision-making abilities.
