Heather Barlow

Vertical Development

Professional Certified Coach

Heather is the founder of The Third Factor, a coaching practice grounded in Kazimierz Dabrowski’s Theory of Positive Disintegration. She works with thoughtful, ambitious and psychologically curious people, often creatives, artists and entrepreneurs, who are navigating periods of genuine change. Rather than focusing solely on what clients want to achieve, Heather’s coaching explores the deeper patterns and assumptions that shape how they experience themselves and their choices. She trained originally as a commercial litigator before taking a career break to raise her three daughters, bringing both rigour and lived experience to her coaching practice.
I love coaching because it’s where rigour meets meaning. Years as a litigator taught me to find the thread of truth in complexity; raising my daughters taught me how growth unfolds up close. Coaching brings both together: sharp questions and the patience to let someone find their own answers. I’m drawn to moments of disintegration, the beginnings of a truer story.