Frequently Asked Questions

What is coaching?

Coaching is a "collaborative thinking process", where a coach partners with the client, in a thought-provoking and future-focused manner, to facilitate the client finding ways to maximise their potential.

Coaching is founded on the philosophy that the client is the expert on themselves but probably needs space & insightful questions to access their best options. The coach’s role is to support & guide, towards deeper self-awareness and a good ‘thinking environment’, rather than provide advice.

It's deceptively simple, being a series of 'conversations with purpose'. Your coach will listen, question & observe carefully, to help you identify options & plan actions. You'll take responsibility & ownership for your goals, choices, actions and results.

What do people seek coaching for?

Literally anything - handling challenges and using opportunities are typical. Often, people want help with a change or goal that hasn't been easy or possible to date. Examples include:

Career – e.g. leadership skills & style, work-life balance, stress, choosing / changing career
Life – e.g. crossroads or mid-life, health (daily habits or major events like surgery, menopause), leisure pursuits, fulfillment
Personal development – e.g. confidence, impact, time management, motivation

These can arise in a corporate setting where an employer invests in employees, or a personal context, where individuals invest in themselves.

It’s normal that areas interact, so we'd work together to balance 'staying on topic' with 'seeing where your heart/mind take you'.

How is coaching different from the other types of help I could get?

Coaching is non-directive: you are helped to find your own answers, unlike mentoring (= giving advice and sharing expertise), or consulting (= offering solutions and implementing fixes)
Coaching is client led: topics & goals are chosen by you - unlike training (= pre-defined goals & skills) or line management (= oriented for employer’s goals & results)
Coaching is a healthy partnership: it's a a peer-to-peer partnership between psychologically healthy individuals, unlike therapy & counselling (= therapeutic healing, within an ‘expert-to-patient’ relationship)
Coaching is action & future oriented: focused on your goals and future actions, exploring the past only if you find this helpful for achieving change - unlike therapy (= analysing the past & problems, to diagnose or 'treat' issues)

How might coaching help me?

Coaching is useful if you've got "things on your mind”! Often, goals can seem unclear at first - you may simply feel dissatisfied, stuck or that “things could be better”, whether in a project at work or somewhere in your wider life.

Coaching can help you deepen your self-awareness & learn more about yourself, , think more effectively about your goals, create more options that feel right for your life, become more resourceful and accelerate your progress to what you want.

It is focused on your future, your goals & your solutions, is catalysed with insight and helps you understand how your 'thoughts' may be influencing you subconsciously. It will most likely help you expand your options and optimise your actions.

What does it cost?

It really does depend! For example, corporate, individual & group sessions are priced differently, as they need different input & time to manage.

We offer a complimentary consultation (or 'chemistry call') upfront, so we can get to know each other. We'll answer your questions & we'll all get a sense if our partnership would be valuable for you. We hope you'll get in touch to schedule a no-commitment call.

During this consult, after we've talked about your general topic area, location (eg video or face-to-face), number and duration of sessions, we'll discuss pricing options - and maybe next steps.

How long till I see results?

This varies greatly by client & topic, and depends very much on you!

Progress is often non-linear, and “taking time” helps - enough time in the session to get to the nub of an issue, enough time between sessions to reflect and take action.

Coaching unlocks insights, which then unlocks change. Usually at least 4 to 6 sessions are worthwhile, to plan, act & review results. These are often 60 - 90 minutes, spaced 3–4 weeks apart. But this is just an illustration of what's typically involved for a trusting partnership and beneficial results. We'll tailor a plan for your needs.