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Frequently asked questions
You can find the answers to many common questions by using the links below. If you cannot find an answer to your question, simply contact me.
- What is coaching?
- Can I coach myself using a coaching book?
- Can I just focus on one area of my life e.g. career change?
- How personal does it get?
- Is it like counselling?
- Is it like mentoring?
- Does a coach give advice?
- What goals and ambitions are suitable for coaching?
- What issues are unsuitable for coaching?
- What is a session like?
- How many sessions will I need?
- What does coaching cost?
- How can I get started?
- Are trial sessions available?
- What about coaching for teams or groups?
- What guarantees can you offer about coaching?
Q. What is coaching?
A. Coaching is about making change in your life. It is about focusing on who you are, what is important to you and what you want. It's about learning how you operate in the world and making this work for you. It assumes that you are absolutely fine as you are and don't need fixing. Coaching is about clarifying and maximising. It gets you into action and engaging with the real world with confidence and purpose.
As your coach I will work with you to:
- clarify specifically what you want in life
- set attractive goals which give you a practical vision of the future to work towards
- challenge and overcome barriers which have been stopping you from moving forward in the past
- increase your self-awareness so that you make better decisions in future
- define your personal values so that you make decisions which are in line with your value system
- develop the most important asset in moving forward – self confidence
- support, motivate and encourage you during the transition from where you are now to where you want to be in the future.
Q. Can I coach myself using a coaching book?
A. There are many excellent books around which help you to coach yourself. If you go to the Amazon website you will find dozens of them. They are great for motivation and helping you to realise that you really can achieve much bigger things than you possibly thought.
What books lack though is an external perspective. The great value of having a coach is that they can see the issues that you are too close to. A good coach will challenge your thinking and help you to break down existing barriers to progress. They will feed you with positive feedback which will fuel your self confidence and enable you to really appreciate what you can achieve.
In short, a book is a sensible second best option for people who are not able to hire a coach – it is not a substitute in my opinion.
Q. Can I just focus on one area of my life e.g. career change?
A. Absolutely. Many clients have one goal they want to work towards but often other issues and goals emerge during the coaching conversation.
The agenda for the sessions lies ultimately with the client so you can limit or expand the scope of the coaching conversation as much as you like.
Q. How personal does it get?
A. Personally sensitive issues can come up in coaching sessions. However, at the outset of the coaching relationship and throughout the process, you are able to request that certain issues are not discussed. If I recognise that a personal issue is stopping you from moving forward, I will ask you if it is OK to discuss the issue. It is entirely your perogative to say that you do not wish to discuss the issue. I will respect this and not question your wishes.
Q. Is it like counselling?
A. No – it is different. Counselling is about making sense of the past so that the current time is easier to deal with. Coaching is about looking forward and making positive change.
Q. Is it like mentoring?
A. No – it is different. A mentor works with a person in a specific subject area in which the mentor has the greater experience. A coach does not need to be an expert in the field under discussion, though some clients do prefer a coach who has specific and extensive experience of their issues.
Q. Does a coach give advice?
A. No, a coach does not give advice. Only the person being coached knows what is right for them and how the actions they take will impact on their daily life and relationships. The role of the coach is to support the client in finding their own solutions which fit with their values and which the client is able to commit to. Representations in the press of lifestyle gurus, of the type used by Cherie Blair, are misleading as most coaches operate with the "no advice" rule.
Q. What goals and ambitions are suitable for coaching?
A. Most goals and ambitions are suitable for coaching. See the next question below for situations when coaching is not suitable.
Q. What issues are unsuitable for coaching?
A. Very few issues are unsuitable for coaching but issues which cannot be coached are:- Deep-rooted addictions such as alcoholism, hard drugs or gambling
- Mental health issues
- Eating disorders
- Any form of compulsive behaviour
Q. What is a session like?
A. It takes place over the telephone but is available face-to-face in London and Brighton. We agree a time to talk and you call me at the agreed time. At the start of each session we will agree on the theme and we will then explore the issues and find a way to move forward. You just need to be present in body and mind and engage with the process.
At the end of a session we will agree actions to move forward with or questions for you to mull over between sessions.
Q. How many sessions will I need?
A. You should expect to take around 12 sessions to see solid progress. In the coaching you would be learning how you operate and what you need to adjust to improve things. This type of learning and action needs to take place and this takes time. However, you will gain new insights and actions to take from the very first session.
Q. What does coaching cost?
A. For details of my fees, click here
Q. How can I get started?
A. Just contact me to tell me you want to go ahead. We’ll then set up a time to talk about what you are looking for. If I feel that what you want is suitable for coaching, I’ll send you a welcome pack with questions and exercises to get started on in advance of the first session.
Q. Are free trial sessions available?
A. I am very happy to discuss your needs with you. However, I do not provide free trial sessions. The reason for this is that coaching is about developing a rapport. Judging the potential of coaching on one session is not realistic and may in fact short-change you.
A better approach is to talk to me about what you need. If you feel good about how I have responded and how we get on, then there is not anything more you really need to know. It is then a case of trying coaching and seeing how you like it.
Q. What about coaching for groups or teams?
A. I will be happy to speak to you about how coaching can apply to groups of people – just contact me with an idea of what you want to achieve.
Q. What guarantees can you offer about coaching?
A. There are no guarantees with coaching as its impact is as much dependent on a client's commitment as it is on my commitment. However, if you want reassurance about the power of coaching, you can read my client's testimonials. You can also read about my coach training and personality too. If these things don't give you what you need, just get in touch via the Contact Page and ask me your questions.
- clarify specifically what you want in life
