Stress Management | Wellbeing | Resilience | Performance
Coaching
What is coaching?
Coaching is guided discovery. It’s not telling someone what to do or how to do it. The coach guides the coachee through careful questioning and reflection, enabling them to unlock their thinking. This is the process whereby ideas are developed, solutions created and opportunities identified. A safe, non-judgemental space facilitates the nurturing of plans and the establishment of innovations that deliver results whilst promoting personal growth. In this relationship, the coachee is the expert, the keeper of vastly more knowledge of their own lives, subject matter or the business within which they work. The process of coaching empowers, motivates and inspires, enabling people to realise and release their true potential.
Why Coaching?
Everyone can benefit from being coached. In businesses over recent years, the attitude to coaching has changed. Once regarded largely as a remedial activity, coaching is now widely utilised to develop an elite talent pipeline, nurture rising stars and supporting the leadership. The companies with whom I work regard coaching as a valuable investment in their people and an asset that promotes steady business growth. Many have developed a top down coaching culture throughout the organisation. The empirical evidence validating the benefits of quality coaching is conclusive.
It’s not just the world of business where coaching is beneficial. All of us at times hit a metaphorical brick wall and, now mixing my metaphors, are not be able to see the wood for the trees. Coaching is reflective time. A chance to consider situations and create ideas in a safe and confidential environment.
Performance Coaching
Performance coaching strives to eliminate the discrepancy between actual and desired performance. The objective is to broadly facilitate performance improvement, personal development and behaviour management.
So, how does it work? The starting point is to establish with the coachee the coaching objectives. From there we agree on the preferred approach. My clients usually have clear style preferences that they feel work better for them. Together we create a coaching contract that defines those objectives, rules and individual responsibilities.
I specialise in Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) which explores the relationship between our beliefs, emotions and resultant behaviours. Unhelpful beliefs, attitudes and assumptions can severely distort perspectives and limit choices, so being aware of rigid performance inhibiting thinking can be the first step towards positive change. As those psychological barriers are tackled, performance increases.
I also work with a range of coaching tools such as the GROW, PRACTICE and OSKAR models, giving practical, useful skills that aid problem solving and decision making, ensuring that progress is steady and positive change becomes permanent. Sessions are solution focused with an emphasis on the present and future.
After each coaching session, clear goals and preferred outcomes are identified and agreed, then a homework assignment is set. This activity will test practical ideas and solutions as part of the job, in the working environment. At the following session, we review and evaluate those experiences, agreeing what went well and what requires more focus or a change of direction. The objective is to steadily develop the expertise that drives personal performance, increasing the thinking, reasoning and problem-solving skills that enable people to become their own coach.
Performance Coaching Packages
Life Coaching
Performance Coaching Programme
1 introductory session (@ £50 if we agree not to proceed with the programme)
Then...
Performance Coaching Programme
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5 x further sessions
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A complimentary copy of Unlock You
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Follow up 1 hour Skype session one month after final session
Package total: £700
Specific Event Preparation
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1 x 2 hour session
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A complimentary copy of Unlock You
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Follow up 30 minute Skype session one week after final session
Package total: £250
All of us can benefit from being coached. We don't have to be in a business setting or a high powered executive. We all find that at times in our bust and complicated lives we have hurdles to jump, obstacles to negotiate or dilemmas and challenges to overcome. Unsurprisingly, we can get in our own way. Life gets more frantic. More demanding. So having some space and quality time during which to talk and reflect in a safe and non-judgemental environment is a very positive part of helping to declutter.
My life coaching approach is strongly aligned to the Mind Fitness programme. In our book, Unlock You, my co-author, Mindfulness expert Beth Wood and I explore the concepts of becoming calmer, more confident and happier. For many of us, this seemingly simple objective can be so difficult to attain. Yet, neuroscience provides the evidence to demonstrate that it is within our grasp. Life coaching sharpens focus and helps to develop the thinking skills that release potential, creating lasting positive change. If for example you regard yourself as a constant worrier and would prefer not to be, then you can change. That is simply a scientific fact.
Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) is present and future focused, goal based and time limited, meaning that progress can be rapid. CBC explores the relationship between our beliefs, our emotions and the way we feel and behave. By working together, examining the challenges and tricky situations in your life that tend to trip you up, we agree the areas to focus on and challenge. We explore those unhelpful rigid beliefs that can result in anger, anxiety and unhappiness. We challenge those Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) that can so easily lead to a spiral of low self-image, self-doubt and self-sabotage.
We work together to explore and develop new, more helpful, flexible beliefs. We look at ways to deal with ANT infestations, and you start to develop a new personal philosophy based on unconditional self-acceptance. Learning to be at peace with yourself, your new thinking skills will serve to facilitate positive and lasting change.
CBC has another big benefit. All the way along the coaching process, you’ll be given practical coaching knowledge and tools that assist in future problem solving and decision making. Your new skills enable you to become your own coach. My coaching clients also receive a copy of our book Unlock You that contains a wealth of practical tools, advice and ways to get out of your own way.
Life Coaching areas covered include:
• Building confidence
• Conquering presentation or speaking anxiety
• Managing perfectionist tendencies
• Beating procrastination
• Raising resilience – Coping with frustration
• Tackling Social Anxiety
• Creating an active, varied social life
• Managing Stress
• New beginnings after a relationship
• Increasing motivation – become more fulfilled
• Balancing work and life-improving health
• Getting organised. Taking back control of your life
• Managing money more effectively
Life Coaching can be of significant personal benefit, but it is not therapy. Coaching should never cross a line into areas that require clinical or medically qualified intervention. As a member of The Association for Coaching, I am governed by and adhere to strict ethical guidelines and standards. Should cross over become evident, I refer my clients to seek suitable clinical support.
Life Coaching Packages
Life Coaching – Unlock You Programme
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1 introductory session (@ £50 if we agree not to proceed with the programme)
-
5 x further 1 hour sessions
-
A complimentary copy of Unlock You
-
Follow up 1 hour Skype session one month after final session
Package total: £560
Event Preparation
-
We work together intensively to prepare for a big event such as a speech or presentation.
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1 x 2 hour session
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A complimentary copy of Unlock You
-
Follow up 30 minute Skype session one week after final session
Package total: £200
Skype coaching
Geographic distance is no longer a barrier to coaching. I work with clients across the UK and from overseas by working together via Skype or equivalent. I also coach on the phone and by email.
Life Coaching Packages
Skype Life Coaching – Unlock You Programme
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1 introductory Skype session
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5 more Skype sessions
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A complimentary copy of Unlock You
-
Follow up 1 hour Skype session one month after final session
£350
Skype Event Preparation
-
We work together intensively to prepare for a big event such as a speech or presentation
-
1 x 2 hour Skype session
-
A complimentary copy of Unlock You
-
Follow up 30 minute Skype session one week after final session
£125