How I Work
What can life coaching do for you?
What’s it like to work with me as your coach?
On this page you will see what kind of results my clients have reported and I will give you a sense of my approach to coaching. You will also find details of the practicalities, so that you get an idea of what it is like working with me as your coach.
When you commit to working with me as your coach
- you can expect to increase your clarity and focus so you can begin to move forward with increased confidence, and with greater ease, in your chosen work and life roles.
- you will experience growth and change - be it via fresh perspectives on personal challenges and opportunities, or via changes in attitudes, beliefs and behaviour.
- as you recognize, identify and make steady progress towards achieving your personally relevant goals, you will begin to utilize your unique strengths, to unlock your potential, make changes in your life for the better- and in the process discover more of what you have in you to become.
- you can expect an improved balance in your personal and professional life through managing yourself more effectively in relation to your own unique resources, issues, and potential.
- enhanced personal satisfaction and fulfillment are the result when you start to live your life more in keeping with what is really important to you.
I see coaching as a rigorous, interactive process in which there is a pooling of expertise: you are the expert on yourself and your situation, the coach is the expert on helping you to discover how to make the changes you want to make.
Each of us is unique and only you can find out what works for you. Most people go through life realizing only part of their true potential while sensing that there is so much more they are capable of. Sometimes we need outside help – a catalyst, if you like – to access the resources that are within us.
A good coach can provide that catalyst for change.
Professional coaching goes beyond constructing fancy to-do lists that you tick off item by item. The coaching relationship offers a holding space where you can be supported - through enquiry, exploration, reflection and experimentation - on a journey of self-discovery and development in order to reach the goals you are seeking. You may need a consistent commitment of time and energy to achieve what you really want from your life. No doubt about it, it can be challenging and hard work. But don’t worry – it is also rewarding, inspiring and invigorating!
The practicalities- How the Process Works
The main coaching service I offer is one-to-one personal coaching.
(If you are interested in other services, you can find out about my workshop programme or contact me to discuss how I might help you).
If you are not clear about what coaching can do for you and would like to experience it for yourself, you can contact me now to arrange a no-obligation, complimentary coaching session….so you can get the flavour, feel and sense of what it’s all about.
If you feel comfortable talking to me, we both agree we are a good match to work together and you decide to commit to coaching, we then arrange an initial “intake session” which typically lasts about 2 hours. I prefer to arrange this face-to-face if possible, but if geographical distance gets in the way then “meeting” over the phone can work equally as well. The aim of this session is to begin to understand more about you and what makes you tick, as well as to set expectations, goals and outcomes.
I sometimes use forms and checklists to help us discover how you view the world in general and yourself in particular. These require some thought on your part and can be completed outside of our coaching time – in fact, I often send them in advance of a first session, as part of a “welcome pack”.
This initial session is a process of discovery: designing how you want to be coached and what the focus should be. Finding out what works for you and what doesn’t. Where you get stuck, what you want to be different in your life. And what might have to change for you to create this new future.
By this stage we will also have agreed on the length and frequency of sessions that best support you, and all the logistics and practical/administrative matters will have been discussed.
I believe in identifying the intervention that will make the maximum difference with the least effort, so I work as simply and powerfully as possible.
I will assist, support, challenge and encourage you
not direct, advise or teach you.
I don’t tell you what you should do or how you should do it.
Rather, I ask powerful questions that stimulate an internal search so that you will yourself work out what you want and choose how to go about it- and in the process you will learn what motivates you and what gets in your way.
My work is built on commitment, professional integrity, respect for others, and humility. Often a good dose of humour is thrown in too – an issue may be serious but sometimes it helps to lighten up. My clients also tell me that they appreciate my honesty and professionalism together with my open heart and mind, and that I am non-judgmental
How do I deliver my coaching?
There are a variety of different ways: face-to-face, on the telephone, even email…or any combination of these! Each has its advantages and disadvantages. If we meet in person, then it can be in my office or any other convenient location.
Even if geographical location does not demand it (I am based in Geneva, Switzerland) most of my clients prefer the weekly 30-60 minute telephone call where they contact me at a pre-arranged time.
This is convenient and efficient, and frequent enough to maintain momentum. Any reservations about this way of working are quickly overcome; I now find telephone contact is generally just as effective as face-to-face.
Whether we meet face-to-face or on the phone (or via Internet communication such as SKYPE), I always offer additional email support as required. And phone contact between sessions as appropriate.
How many sessions?
Many coaches typically offer coaching agreements that have a minimum time commitment of three to six months, as this is generally considered to be the optimum time period to see results and maintain progress. But I have worked with clients for just a couple of short sessions (brief, focused coaching) and I also have clients on a longer-term basis.
The duration of our coaching relationship depends purely on your needs and preferences: we discuss what suits your situation best and, however we design it, there will be regular reviews to take stock.
Although I don’t require a written commitment, I usually ask my clients to be open-minded and to consider committing mentally to three months of coaching. This seems to work best for me and for them, and clears the way for us to get on with the coaching process. Sometimes we find that in fact we meet less than this.
And if clients stay for the longer haul, they do so because they want to and see the benefits of it, not because they feel obliged to.
Remember: if you are working with me as your coach then we will have designed a strong partnership together, so we will have discussed and agreed all the details and you will feel comfortable about raising any concerns or issues at any time.
What about fees?
Working with a coach requires personal commitment of time, energy and finances.
I work with clients in different countries and my fee varies but, as a guide, for personal one-to-one coaching (in UK) you can expect to invest around ₤150-₤250 (GBP) for 2 to 3 hours of coaching per month delivered in whatever form suits you best.
Since my coaching is personalized to fit your own requirements, fee structure is one of the issues we discuss together in relation to your individual situation.
Maybe it’s hard to put a value on living the life you want. I like to think that you would discuss your personal circumstances openly with me, rather than presuppose you have to exclude yourself from coaching on purely financial grounds.
For details of my corporate fee structure or if you are interested in workshops, please contact me directly.
If you are ready to devote the time, energy and resources to making real changes in your life, then coaching may be a beneficial way for you to grow and develop.
How to choose a coach?
When you are looking for a coach these days there are many to choose from. And, indeed, at the moment anyone can call themselves a coach whether or not they have any formal coach training or experience. Shop around for the coach with the experience, training and combinations of qualities you are looking for, and choose a coach that “feels” right for you. A coach you can easily relate to and with whom you can create the most powerful partnership.
Don’t be afraid to “interview” a coach to find out if they are right for you – most coaches are used to this and normally there is no charge for a conversation of this kind. And ask about their training and qualifications – a well-trained coach gives you peace of mind.
What makes me different from many other life coaches is my background as a professional psychologist in the field of mental health and self development. As a coach I draw on
- my transferable skills such as skillful listening, intuition, reframing (putting a belief or experience into a new “frame” and so changing the perspective towards more positive thinking)
- my ability to seek solutions and suspend judgment
- and my experience with confidentiality and ethics issues.
As a life coach, I continue to develop my work as an experienced helping professional, facilitating the change and growth that results in people feeling better about themselves and experiencing greater life success.
If you are curious to find out more about my training and qualifications, or about my approach to coaching you can go to “About your coach”.
Please do not hesitate to call or email me if you have any further questions about how I work and the services I offer.
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