Hello and thank you for being here,

I have progressed for many years in my academic career, taking the mind and science as my alliance. However, I realized that success and happiness may not always progress in direct proportion and that a career focused solely on the mind occupied all areas of my life.

I have discovered that managing stress is more than just adopting an "I can" or "anything is possible" attitude.

I began to explore the connection between
our minds, our bodies, and our environment.

When I devoted myself not only to science but also to my inner development, my outer world began to reflect all my inner work, and GroWithin was born. I founded GroWithin because I am passionate about contributing to others. As a consultant, my work at GroWithin is enriched by the scope and depth of my academic and professional experiences.

I am here to assist you in creating experiences, stabilizers and aids that delight your mind, body and heart, without having to choose between the elements and roles that make up your life.

I am here to create your own perfect version of your life, and help you move from a just-okay present to a happier, more informed, and fulfilling future.

Resume

After graduating from the Department of Business Administration at İstanbul Bilgi University with honours in 2004, Dr. Seda Akçakoca worked as a research assistant in the MBA department of the same university. She completed her master's degree in Sociology at the University of Warwick in the UK in 2006 and continued her academic career and completed her doctorate in Sociology at the same university. She won a Postdoctoral Fellowship from Koç University Gender and Women's Studies Research and Application Center (KOÇ-KAM) and two Marie Curie Research Awards from the European Union, and made academic presentations at various international conferences. She also gave lectures to undergraduate and graduate students in Turkey, UK and France on Corporate Governance, Institutions in Social and Political Fields, and Human Resources Management. Afterward, she switched from her academic career to counselling, with the desire to communicate with young people one-on-one and make a more direct contribution to their development. She started her journey as an experienced researcher at Paris Evry University as a consultant to doctoral students in a European Union Project, continued to work as a Career Development Counsellor at Koç University, which was followed by the establishment of the University's Researcher Development Office and broke new ground in Turkey. Throughout her career, she took part in various projects on employment, career development, career/work identity, and organizational culture and inequalities.

She also developed herself in the field of stress management, by completing various trainings, in order to provide the right resources to academic researchers alleviate the effects of being in a high-pressure career. When she learned that the vagus nerve is at the centre of one’s ability to adapt to stress, she completed the Vagus Nerve Programme with a scholarship and received another scholarship from the Polyvagal Institute to attend a polyvagal-informed certification programme that is lead by Professor Stephen W. Porges, who is the originator of the Polyvagal Theory. These are completely scientific and evidence-based training programmes enabling her to understand her clients’ unique neurobiological profiles and strengthen their stress resilience.

EDUCATION &

TRAININGS

PH.D. in Sociology:

University of Warwick, United Kingdom

M.A. in Sociology:

University of Warwick,

United Kingdom

Certificate of Higher Education in Business Administration:

University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom

B.A. (Hons) in Business Administration:

İstanbul Bilgi University, Turkey

International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited Certified Coaching Programme, Adler School of Professional Coaching, Turkey
International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited Coach Training Modules 1 & 2: The Art and Science of Coaching, Erickson Coaching International, Turkey
International Coaching Federation (ICF) accredited Points of You Train the Trainer Workshop Programme, Points of You Creative Tools for Training and Development, Turkey
CharacterIX® Personality Inventory Training and Certification Programme, CharacterIX® Consulting, Turkey
NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) Certification Training, Assess Consulting, Turkey
Researcher Development Train the Trainer Workshop Programme, Exec Coaching and Training - Rodetal Ltd., United Kingdom
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction / MBSR Training Programme, Mindfulness Institute, Turkey
Vagus Nerve Programme, Jessica Maguire, Australia
Play Zone Pro: Polyvagal-Informed Certificate for Wellness & Performance Coaches, Polyvagal
Institute, USA
The Neuroscience of Stress, The Neuroscience School, Canada
Adult Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Two Day Classroom, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, United Kingdom
Career Management Module, Graduate School Skills Programme, University of Warwick, United Kingdom
Introduction to Academic and Professional Practice, University of Warwick, United Kingdom
Project Management Methodology, Istanbul Institute, Turkey
Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainable Competitiveness, The World Bank Institute (WB), USA