Question 1

What is coaching?

Accepted Answer

Coaching can help you bridge the gap between where you are now, and where you would like to be in your personal or professional life. 
 The partnership between you and your coach can support you with making lasting changes to your thinking or behaviour within specific areas and help you create practical, step-by-step action plans to achieve your goals.   Coaching can also provide on-going support through any changes or obstacles a you may encounter and help you make the most of effective tools, techniques and strategies to create lasting change and success.

Question 2

What can coaching help me with?

Accepted Answer

If you've ever struggled with something - such as moving out of your comfort zone, improving your confidence or starting healthy habits, then consulting a life coach could help you. Coaching can actually support you in all aspects of your personal and professional life - from relationships, productivity, and improving your wellbeing, to building self-confidence, decision making and finding your purpose in life.   There are many benefits you will gain from coaching including;  Clarity about what you want, why you want it and how you can get it  Bridging the gap between where you are now and where you want to be  Strategies and techniques which enable you to reach your goal faster  Overcome obstacles, low confidence and insecurities  Explore and evaluate all possible options available  Dedicated time, support, encouragement and motivation.  Establish and take action towards achieving goals  Become more self-reliant  Gain more job and life satisfaction  Contribute more effectively to the groups you are engaged with  Take greater responsibility and accountability for actions and commitments  Work more easily and productively with others  Communicate more effectively The aim of coaching is to support you with making sustainable changes to your thinking or behaviour within areas of personal/professional development identified and agreed in our sessions. Coaching aims to be flexible, according to your priorities at any particular point in time, and specific aims and objectives will be agreed at our first meeting and reviewed periodically to ensure that coaching continues to meet your needs.

Question 3

What is a coaching session like?

Accepted Answer

Sessions usually take the form of a discussion where I will ask a range of searching questions. This will help you dig deep into your goals in order to get clear on what you truly desire and who you are at your core.   A range of tools and strategies may be used to support you in achieving your goals, including; creativity, cognitive behavioural coaching, neurolinguistic coaching, narrative techniques, strengths and values and exploring metaphors. All techniques will be fully discussed and you are able to decide whether or not you want to make use of them.

Question 4

How is coaching different from counselling/psychotherapy?

Accepted Answer

There are many models of counselling/psychotherapy and the difference between them and coaching can be subtle. At its most basic level, clients seek counselling when they sense something is wrong and coaching when they sense something is not as right as they would like it to be.   Therapy outcomes may focus on improved emotional/feeling states. The focus is on treatment and healing of problems associated with intense emotional distress (for example, depression, overwhelming anxiety or phobias), severe mental illness, or relationship problems and crises. So, therapy is drawn from the fields of medicine/psychiatry and clinical psychology and counselling can investigate the underlying causes of mental health problems.   Coaching comes from scientific research in the fields of positive psychology, organisational psychology, and positively-focused psychotherapy. While positive feelings/emotions and wellbeing may be an outcome of coaching, typically a coach works with someone who wants to improve already existing healthy behaviours and mindsets to achieve a specific goal.   In terms of techniques and activities, there is overlap between therapy and coaching. Activities like goal-setting processes, working with positive thinking patterns and developing healthy life skills are some examples of techniques that you might find in both fields, as are finding and working with blocks or obstacles that impede progress.the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one’s work or personal life. The emphasis in coaching is on action, accountability and follow –through.   In terms of techniques and activities, there is overlap between therapy and coaching.  Activities like goal-setting processes, working with positive thinking patterns and developing healthy life skills are some examples of techniques that you might find in both fields, as are finding and working with blocks or obstacles that impede progress.    I believe there is a place for both coaching and therapy and the two can be effective partners. However, I am not a qualified therapist and feel it is unethical if I don't point out when you may be better served by speaking to a counsellor or psychotherapist.

Question 5

Can I change my thinking and behaviour through coaching?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely! Coaching has the power to help you understand what drives your thoughts, feelings and actions to create your mindset. It can help you make significant changes to the way you experience challenges, stress and frustrations and enable you to feel more in control of your life and achieve your goals.    It can also help you challenge imposter syndrome, reprogram your inner critic and build your confidence and self-esteem. This will enable you to make positive changes in your personal or professional life and gain greater life satisfaction.

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