WHAT IS COACHING?

Coaching is a process which helps you to identify and achieve your ambitions. It is a structured conversation where the coach (that’s me!) asks questions, listens and provides feedback about what you are saying to help you understand more about who you want to be and where you want to be, as well as empowering you to achieve those things and find the right path for you.

Coaching differs from mentoring as coaches do not give advice or pass on advice to their clients: you decide what you want. I believe you are best placed to find the path that is right for you and my role to support you in this journey by listening and asking the right questions to help you to gain clarity about the way forward. Coaching also differs from counselling as it does not deal with mental health issues (although it does provide an opportunity to address limiting beliefs and build confidence) and it focuses on future possibilities rather past issues.

 

HOW DO I KNOW IF COACHING IS RIGHT FOR ME? 

If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of the following questions, coaching can support you:

• Is there a gap between where you are now and where you want to be?
• Are you at a ‘crossroads’ in your life and not sure what the way forward is?
• Do you feel that you aren’t currently reaching your potential or feeling fulfilled in some way?
• Is there something new you want to explore but aren’t sure how to?
• Do you feel you don’t have the confidence, skills or resources to do what you want to do?
• Do you feel stuck, or like you have too many or too few choices available in areas of your life?
• Do you feel torn by conflicting demands?

 

WHAT DOES COACHING INVOLVE?

Coaching is about you deciding what you want, so you always determine the topic for the sessions. During each session, my role is to ask you questions that broadly take you through a process of looking closely at: what you want, where you are currently in relation to what you want, options to help you to get there and an action plan for the next steps. Depending on what we discuss, I may also suggest tools and exercises that you could benefit from.

Some of the benefits of coaching include:

• Clarity: find out more about who you are, what’s important to you and what you want
• Choice: explore the possibilities to help you move forward and make the decisions that are right for you
• Confidence: build the mindset to help you succeed
• Challenge: ensure you take the next steps to achieve what you want
• Communication: know who to involve and what to say to them

 

WHEN AND WHERE DO THE SESSIONS TAKE PLACE?

I work flexibly during the day and evenings to suit your needs and the coaching can take place face to face, over the telephone or via Skype/FaceTime. For maternity coaching, I am experienced in running coaching sessions where babies have been brought along, so I am happy to facilitate this.

 

WHO ELSE WILL KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN SAID?

Coaching sessions are completely confidential, as outlined in the Coaching Code of Conduct, so nothing you choose to talk about will be shared. If you are being coached through a school or organisation, nothing will be shared with your employer. There are only extreme circumstances where this confidence needs to be breached. These are detailed in the contract which is agreed before any coaching begins.

 

WHAT IS NEEDED FROM ME DURING A COACHING SESSION?

You will need a pen and paper, or something else to record key ideas on. It is also helpful to be prepared for a coaching session by having created some space for yourself and having considered what you would like to work on during the session; this will ensure that the time in the session is of maximum use to you. 

 

READY TO BE COACHED?

Fill in the enquiry form and I’ll get back to you.