From What Is Coaching? to How Can Coaching Help Me? I get asked a number of questions regularly, I have listed these to help you understand a little bit about the services I offer. If you would like to know more about these or any other queries, you can get in touch with me to find out more.
What is coaching?
Coaching allows you to surpass your personal and professional ambitions. It can help you to achieve success at work, become more content at home, or enable you to discover yourself and the wider world.
I give clients the tools to confidently deal with tricky situations, to navigate psychological barriers to change and to see life as something that provides opportunity rather than a series of chores.
I am not there to provide advice and impose my own view. Instead, I use objective, specialised techniques to empower you.
The process of coaching guides you from where you are to where you want to be, and I provide the necessary support and guidance along the way.
What happens in a coaching session?
My sessions typically last for 1 hour and can be conducted face to face, by Skype or by phone. We will create an understanding of what you want to achieve, areas where you are not happy, and what your end goal is going to be.
All sessions are confidential which gives you the freedom to express yourself in an open environment. You will not be pushed to make decisions or take a direction which does not feel right for you.
I will encourage you to make decisive changes and support you to remain determined in achieving your ambitions. However, it is up to you to self-reflect and challenge yourself to move forward.
How can a coach help me?
A coach identifies the best way for you to achieve your goals. Through questioning and exercises, I get an idea of how you perceive things and then work pragmatically to help you achieve your aims.
The techniques that I use can help in different aspects of peoples’ lives where they are struggling – for example; being assertive, leaving your comfort zone, maintaining a diet or giving up smoking.
Different people operate at different paces. With some clients, creating manageable smaller goals whilst moving towards the ultimate goal may be preferable. With others, I may need to keep you on track and motivated if your ambitions are not being met straight away.
I can help with business or personal matters, but improvement and pushing your limits are the common threads.
How is coaching different from counselling?
Counselling looks into the past and examines the origins of the current situation. This could potentially involve dealing with mental health issues. Coaching, however, mainly looks to the future, and is linked to personal growth and self-improvement.
I am not qualified to diagnose or treat health-related problems (as will be the case with most coaches, unless specified). Furthermore, if it became clear that a health issue was being discussed, I would suggest you see a GP.
How many sessions will I need?
I offer a Gold Package of 6 one hour sessions and a Silver Package of 4 one hour sessions for Life Coaching and Career Coaching. This is because many issues require in-depth work where change will happen over a period of time. These issues will usually require you to put in work and achieve actions along the way, as well as questioning the path that you are taking.
As I operate over Skype and the phone, as well as face to face, sessions can easily be adapted to your schedule. I also, however, offer ad hoc single sessions and, in the end, it is entirely up to you to decide the number of sessions required.
How will I know if a coach is any good?
Do your research! As coaching is an unregulated profession in the UK, in theory anyone can call themselves a coach.
In my case, I am fully qualified. I am a member of the IAPC&M (International Professional Authority for Coaching and Mentoring). I possess a Level 7 Diploma in Coaching and appropriate insurance cover. My HR management background also means that many of the skills required as a coach were already being developed over a number of years prior to formally being qualified.
Aside from qualifications, rapport is very important. That is why I conduct a free introductory call before you book the first session. It allows us both to decide whether we will be able to create a mutual, beneficial relationship. You are under no obligation at this point, and I never try to ‘hard sell’.
Is (life) coaching a passing fad?
The short answer is no. Life Coaching does not make outlandish assertions. It is not a wonder drug.
It is a way of improving what you have, making use of what you know and deconstructing limiting beliefs that hold you back from achieving your true capability.
Structured and realistic, the benefits of discussing these things with a coach are immeasurable. It is an effective and transformational process and an industry which continues to grow.