Dang, this looks like a lot of text. What is it you actually do?

• I help people get from where they are (A) to where they want to be (B)
• I help people work out their B
• I help people work out who they really are and what they really want making the journey to B a little easier
• I help people work out what’s blocking them when they know their A, their B, and how to get there but still aren’t taking action

 

What Is Coaching? 

Before we talk about what coaching is, it is a good idea to clear up some of the confusion and misunderstandings about coaching and look into what it isn’t, and how it differs from closely related professions:

• Therapy: This deals with healing whereas coaching assumes that clients are ‘whole’ (They have full function but may have some limiting beliefs) and are powerful enough to come up with their own solutions to their problems.
• Counselling: Addresses a specific issue or an emotional disturbance and explores the person’s past whereas, in coaching, the client decides where they would like to go in the future.
• Mentoring:  A mentor has experience in a certain field or situation. They teach, advise and guide the client. In coaching, the coach is considered an equal (rather than a superior) and facilitates change that the client has identified.
• Consulting: A consultant will tell you how to do something or do that something for you. Coaching helps you understand why you do something.

 

Now onto what coaching is. Simply put, it is a process to enable people to plan and reach their goals or potential be it personally and/or professionally. I describe it as helping people get from A to B and helping people work out their B if they don’t yet know. Coaching is a strategic partnership in which the coach empowers the client to clarify goals, create action plans, move past obstacles, and achieve what the client chooses. Essentially, life coaching helps someone to be better than they would be on their own.

 

Why Use a Coach?

There is a multitude of situations or areas in where people look to coaching including personal goals, career change, starting a business, relationship issues and so on but essentially they boil down to a few reasons:

 

1. You feel stuck or blocked
2. You have trouble staying motivated
3. You are unsure of your next step
4. You want to make some changes

 

Enlisting a coach can give you a kickstart and can bring other potential benefits including:

 

• Increased motivation by gaining clarity on your direction and purpose
• Enhanced decision making – to align with your goals
• Improved performance in an area – profession, health, finance etc.
• Increased knowledge of self/self-awareness – which can lead to conquering fears and limiting beliefs
• Increased resourcefulness/resilience – the ability to handle change
• Empowering you to to take more action – which could lead to making more money
• An outside opinion and unbiased feedback – fresh perspectives and options to consider
• Reduced stress and frustration

 

What is Involved in the Coaching Process?

 

The core of coaching is based on conversations. I use questions and reflections that are designed to get to the bottom of the situation and uncover your goals, motivations and obstacles. My job is to ask the right questions to help you arrive at your own conclusions. I may offer observations or opinions at times but you will be much more likely to engage with solutions that you have come up with yourself. My coaching style is more relaxed, conversational and informal as opposed to something more akin to a formal Q&A interview.

 

Sessions are usually 60-90 minutes and are conducted online via Zoom. Working online gives us both the flexibility to do the sessions from anywhere and not restricted by geography. For best results, the minimum duration of a coaching relationship is 3-6 months with 2 or 3 sessions per month (each package is bespoke depending on what the clients wants to achieve and their availability).

 

The overarching theme of the sessions is to assist you to create practical, step-by-step action plans to reach your goals. In between sessions, I’ll give you exercises to raise awareness and resources such as articles and videos to help you on your journey. Throughout the process, I aim to provide ongoing support and gentle encouragement through any changes or obstacles you may encounter and provide you with tools, techniques and strategies to create lasting change and success.

To know what others say about working with me, check out my Testimonials page.

What Can I Offer as a Coach?

 

• A safe place to let it all out: It’s good to talk. I offer the environment to let you divulge any thoughts and feelings you may not be comfortable in sharing with friends and family. I do this without judgment and all conversations are 100% confidential
• Direction and Guidance: we can work together to create an attainable goal and actionable steps to make that start and then progress
• Support: I can be a sounding board for ideas and thoughts. If you lack the motivation to act on your goal then having the external accountability (gentle encouragement to hold you accountable if you struggle to complete tasks) can help you follow through on what you would like to (and know you should) do. With the help of coaching exercises and resources, I can supply material to help your development and mental approach to your goal/life. These can give you more of an idea of your own values, what your strengths are and what is important to you.

What Can’t I Offer as a Coach?

• Guaranteed results: Sessions may not always produce action but will always produce new thinking
• Solutions or answers: ‘Magic bullets’ in the form of advice or opinions
• Doing the work for you: Only you, the client can take action toward the goal
• Psychological therapy or counselling: if I feel there are underlying issues which need professional help that I am not qualified in, I can assist in a referral to someone who is trained in that area. We can maybe reconsider coaching at a later date.

 

Am I Qualified to Coach?

 

At present, the Coaching industry is unregulated so in reality, anyone can call themselves a ‘coach’, even if they don’t go through any training. I am certified in Transformational Coaching with Animas who are considered the world leaders in the transformational field and the diploma is in line with the ICF (International Coaching Federation – the main governing body in the industry) so creates a path for me to become credentialed. Being affiliated with the ICF will involve some of the best training and support available bringing further credibility to my service and preparing me for when the industry does eventually shift toward regulation. In the meantime, I am continually logging hours (over 350 hours as of September 2019) to improve my skill set and experience.

 

Why Work With Me?

 

In my opinion, the coaching process can, and should, be challenging. If you aren’t pushing yourself and getting out of your comfort zone then you won’t grow. This zone of discomfort is where the magic happens. I figure, if we can make the journey an enjoyable one and actually have fun doing it then it will make it easier. At its core, coaching is about conversations and I’d rather we both had a laugh when we chat than be all serious each meeting. That being said, I am still very organised and logical so I like sticking to a foundational structure so this gives you the best of both worlds. I specialise in productivity so my knowledge of motivation, procrastination and psychology can help overcome any resistance or challenges along the way.

 

I could list what I think I am good at in this section but, I decided to ask other people who had a less biased perspective and many of them came back with soft skills (that can’t be measured) such as caring, patient, authentic, knowledgeable, optimistic, trustworthy and reliable. These social strengths should enable you to feel comfortable enough to open up and talk about potentially uncomfortable ideas or thoughts (remember each call is confidential). Previous clients have said I have provided support, clarity and increased awareness with a friendly and positive coaching style. Sometimes you have to slog during your efforts but you get a buzz when you reach your goal. I want the journey to be a buzz, not just the outcome.

 

Two of my current values are taking action and advancement so I hope to inspire by practising what I preach. I have a coach myself so I believe in the power and results that coaching can bring. I believe that coaching the person, not the problem will yield longer-term results and further success after we finish our journey together. I prefer to adopt a transformational approach where we get into the deep-lying issues alongside the transactional side where we work through temporary goals, options, and plans.

 

To know me a bit more, check out my Me page.

 

To know what others say about working with me, check out my Testimonials page.

 

What Makes a Good Client?

 

• Be open and honest: The coaching relationship is a safe, confidential place for you to explore and test your thinking. Sometimes it may be uncomfortable or embarrassing but being aware of thought patterns and internal resistance is the first step to overcoming the challenge
• Know what you really want: Coaching will provide you with the framework on how to achieve what you want but you will need to do some internal work on what it is you want deep down and why
• Have the courage to explore new perspectives: During the coaching conversation, new insights and options may become apparent. Remember sometimes it’s ok to be wrong and you don’t always have to be right. Entertaining the ideas could lead to breakthroughs so you have nothing to lose
• Be willing to make changes: To nurture yourself and grow as a person
• Be accountable: For your preparation and your commitment to the coaching process. The results are down to you. You get out what you put in. The mental shifts that may be needed could take more than a session to become apparent and be altered but sticking with it during the periods of uncertainty will get you the improvements in the long-term
• Be prepared to take action: Coaching works on an action-reflection cycle. Take the actions that are discussed in the sessions and then reflect with the coach afterwards. What worked? What didn’t? What is next? Then take some more action and the cycle repeats. Insights without action are just ideas, real results mean you are doing something about it.

Keen to get started? Read more about how to work with me.