As Coaching is still quite a new concept here in the UK, compared with counselling, I find that some of my clients come to me with plenty of questions at the outset.
To help you decide whether it’s right for you, I’ve tried to cover those most frequently asked, on this page, but if you think of any others, please contact me.
- What is coaching?
- What is NLP?
- What qualifications and training do you have?
- What experience do you have?
- Why should I have a coach?
- Who can benefit from coaching?
- Why should I choose you?
- Is coaching confidential?
- Where does coaching take place?
What is coaching?
Life coaching is a process which aims to bring balance, achievement and happiness into your life by helping you to develop a greater awareness of who you are and what you want. It will enable you to set and work towards goals, in harmony with your true values and to transform the obstacles that stand in your way into stepping stones towards achieving them. Coaching is holistic, which means that every area of your life will be taken into account to ensure a healthily balanced lifestyle. It’s rather like a make-over but for the whole you! Find out more here.
What is NLP?
NLP stands for Neuro Linguistic Programming. It is a powerful life-changing technology that helps you to get from where you are now to where you want and need to be, in order to feel happy and fulfilled. It provides a toolkit for implementing positive change. This unique model teaches you how to learn, how to motivate yourself and how to change your behaviour to develop high levels of personal effectiveness and increased success in all areas of life.
What qualifications and training do you have?
- Master Life Coach and NLP Practitioner Certification from AUNLP and OCN qualified in Coaching and Mentoring. I have also trained in Performance Coaching with The Coaching Academy.
- Law of Attraction coaching certificated. Trained with Joe Vitale from The Secret.
- Advice and Guidance Qualifications (Levels 3 and 4) which involved four years on-the-job training and rigorous ongoing training and assessment through portfolio-building, case studies and observation of sessions with clients.
- Diplomas in Life Coaching, Counselling and NLP from The Sherwood Foundation.
- Hypnotherapist certified by the Institute of Leadership and Management.
I have also undertaken a variety of other courses to keep my skills current including Coaching for Professionals run by Youth at Risk and the Certificate in Community Leadership run by WCAVA.
My adult teaching qualifications enable me to deliver high quality training to groups as well as individuals.
What experience do you have?
I have been coaching, mentoring, tutoring, training and advising for 20 years in a variety of different roles, which has allowed me to gain a great deal of experience in working with a wide range of people from all backgrounds. I have also managed, coached, mentored and trained other coaching professionals. Apart from working privately with coaching clients, I have worked mainly with educational establishments including schools, colleges and universities and private training providers as well as advice agencies. As well as working 1-1, I have delivered lectures, seminars and workshops to undergraduates and postgraduates on all aspects of career management from skills analysis and networking to excelling at interviews and writing kickass CVs.
Why should I have a coach?
The great thing about coaching is that you have someone to really listen to what you have to say, who will actively question you to help clarify your goals. As a coach I will be supportive but will also remain objective and sometimes that may mean telling you things you don’t want to hear. That’s something that friends, family, colleagues or you yourself are unlikely to be able to do but it’s what you will need if you want to break current behaviour patterns or limiting beliefs and be free to start taking radical steps towards building a better life. You might think you can do it for yourself but if you’ve had a goal for a while and you still haven’t achieved it, then it’s probably time to do something different and getting a coach could be the missing ingredient to making it happen.
Who can benefit from coaching?
The answer to that is just about anyone as long as they are committed to the process. I have coached people from all walks of life in all sorts of situations from young offenders to high level professionals. You will find that even most coaches have their own coach to make sure they keep developing. If you are already working with a professional and receiving therapy, for example, with a counsellor or psychotherapist, we would need to wait until you had completed your sessions with them and that you and they felt you were ready to move on to the next step.
Why should I choose you?
Apart from 20 years experience, I have a range of tools and techniques that I can bring to the coaching relationship, so that I can tailor each program specifically to your needs as a client. There are a range of NLP tools, for example, that can be added to the mix to accelerate your success. Clients tell me that, whilst being highly professional, I also make the process fun, which I think is really important. Sometimes the going may get tough, so a sense of humour and a playful approach is needed to see you through the difficult times. I will also aim to challenge you whilst being mindful of your hopes and fears, to nudge you out of your comfort zone in such a way that you will look back and wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. All my clients leave me with more confidence than when they started and every single one has given positive feedback.
Is coaching confidential?
When you start your coaching relationship with me, we will sign an agreement, which states that everything discussed within your sessions is confidential unless certain information is required by law or if either you or any other person is at risk. If you have been referred to me, I will also let the referrer know when you have taken up the coaching and whether or not you complete the program but not the content of the session.
Where does coaching take place?
Most of the coaching I offer is by phone or online via Skype, Zoom or Whatsapp, as this tends to be more convenient for most people, although I do meet clients face-to-face whenever possible or practical.
I hope this has answered any queries you may have about coaching but if you can’t find the answers here, please contact me directly to find out more. A consultation is a great way to find out more about whether or not coaching is right for you. It’s free and there is no obligation to enrol on a program if you don’t feel it’s for you.