Common Questions
- How is coaching different from therapy or mentoring?
Therapy tends to focus on feelings related to past events and works on healing emotional wounds. Coaching is oriented toward goal setting and actively encouraging the client to move forward and discover their own potential. Therapy is like helping someone with a broken leg to walk again, coaching is helping them to run a marathon.
Mentoring is the passing on of knowledge, experiences and skills by someone who has already successfully done it before. A coach may not have any experience in the given coaching area, but can use careful questioning and a number of techniques to help the client find their own way of moving forward and discovering new ideas.
- Do you have any specialties?
My main reason for becoming a life coach was to help people undergoing life changing events to experience the same new found confidence and personal freedom that I discovered in myself when my life changed a few years ago. It's difficult to describe the massive weight that is lifted when you suddenly realise that you are a great person and can do anything you set your mind to.
For this reason I enjoy working with people who have had, or are about to go through life changing events such as divorce, redundancy, retirement, illness or injury. I understand and can relate to not just the fear, but also the great opportunity that can come when you are forced to re-evaluate your life. Out of our greatest challenges, can come our greatest achievements.
Most of my coaching is done over the phone, and as such I can coach anyone, anywhere. UK phone charges are included in your coaching fee. Charges for overseas calls are negotiable, although if you are on skype this generally makes things more straightforward.
Coaching is supplemented by e-mail coaching at no extra change. Where your package includes periodic between session calls, these should be limited to a maximum 10 mins and are usually to help when you are stuck or blocked, or to ask questions or check on progress.
Some packages allow for face to face coaching. Currently this is only available in the Portsmouth area. If this option is chosen I can come to your office or home, or we can find a neutral location to suit.
- How long would we work together?
This is entirely determined by the results you want to achieve. If you have a short term goal or a single issue that you want to tackle, you may only need 4 sessions. Where major change is required or you have a number of goals you wish to tackle, then 3 - 6 months would be normal.
You stay with me as long as you love the coaching and are getting MORE value than the money you are paying.
- How can I get the most value from the coaching?
It makes sense you get the most you can from each session. You will achieve results much quicker if we are both organised. To help, I have devised a self coaching form. It will take between 5 and 30 minutes each week and will enable you to reflect on what you have accomplished, what is yet to be done and what you would like to cover over the next few sessions. You email this to me 24 hours before the session. We can then be fully prepared for the next session and get the most out of it.
The speed you achieve your desired results is as much to do with the effort you put in between sessions as what you get from the sessions themselves. You will be doing fieldwork, research and exercises between sessions. From time to time I will ask you to accomplish X in a specific timescale, you are free to accept, counter-offer or decline - after all it's your coaching.
If once you have received your welcome pack, and completed your first full coaching session, you do not feel that coaching is for you and that you have made the wrong decision, I will cheerfully refund your money in full. Please note that this is a once only option that you may exercise at the end of the first session only.
- What if I decide not to finish the coaching term?
If at some point during the coaching term you feel you are no longer getting any value, it will be obvious to both of us. You may cease coaching at the end of any four week cycle, and get a full refund for the unused portion. If you have taken a 3 month plan, you would be charged at the normal monthly rate (rather than the discounted rate) for the coaching you have used, and any remainder will be returned to you.
Payment is made in advance of sessions. Once you have committed to a coaching package, your first invoice will be sent with your welcome pack. You will need to return your agreement form to me before we begin coaching, and you should send your cheque with this. After this, if you are paying monthly, you can set up a bank payment or standing order for speed and convenience, or continue to send cheques to me.
reachforthesky@ntlworld.com
