Working with a coach is quite different from working with a therapist – in coaching we work with what is now, and what we want for the future. Of course we are all deeply influenced by our pasts, however the coaching process seeks to move people forward from where they are now, making creative use of both personal and external resources. Change is a big topic in coaching – and exploring ways to make it happen is probably the biggest.
All work undertaken is strictly confidential and I at all times work within the code of ethics of the International Coaching Federation.
Coaching can address a wide range of issues – changes in personal circumstances, work related issues, the family environment, studying, retirement... Sessions are conducted by telephone which focuses both client and coach in a very definite way. It may seem unfamiliar to work in this way, however clients quickly adapt and find it a very effective way of working together. Your coach is at all times there for you, not just for the changes and goals you are seeking to achieve.
I aim to meet clients for coffee within the first few months of working together to put the relationship into a particular setting – I have however worked with people whom I have never met, and they report to me that this has been equally successful – my own coach lives in New Mexico!
My fees are £55.00 an hour or £50.00 when they are booked in blocks of 6 or more sessions. Sessions can be taken weekly or worked in an "elastic" way – at a pace which suits you. I recommend that people be open to work with me for an initial stretch of three months to begin to gain some momentum.
The most effective way to use a coaching session is to think through the issues you want to work on beforehand. If you decide to work with me, we will use a system where before each session you complete a preparation form, which you will e-mail to me in advance – to give me a guide as to where to begin our work. Occasionally clients prefer not to do this and to work from where they are at the point of arrival – it's an individual decision.
"Talent neglected or misguided, investigations into the nature of things not completed, what is right understood but not acted upon, and the lack of energy to rectify what is wrong – these are the things which pain my heart, which I exist to remedy"
Kung-Tzu (Confucius)
