Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is coaching?
The ICF (International Coach Federation) define coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential."
2. What is the difference between coaching, therapy and consultancy?
Therapy deals with healing emotional pain and is focused primarily, on one's past history. A client is often related to as a patient who needs to be 'fixed'.
Coaching is focused on a person's future and acheiving specific goals in one's work or personal life. Whilst space is provided for feelings and emotion, the coaching relationship is focused on creating self-initiated change through the development of insight, action, accountability and follow-through. A client is related to as a partner who is whole, complete and completely capable.
Consultancy is provided for those looking for expert advice. Consultants identify problems and provide solutions.
With coaching, the assumption is that the individual or team is capable of creating their own solution whilst the coach provides a supportive and discovery based framework.
3. Why do I need a coach?
Nobody needs a coach just as nobody needs a coach to play most sports. However, I can guarantee you're more likely to achieve success and reach your potential if you have one.
You might choose to work with a coach for many reasons. The most common ones are:
You're stuck, bored or riddled with indecision
You don't know what you want in life
You want to improve your confidence/leadership skills/health and fitness/love life
You want help with your new job or position
You're afraid of what's next in life and want someone to help you navigate
You know you’re getting in your own way & want support to get past that
4. Why should I work with you? What makes you different from anyone else?
I am here to help you feel safe and have trust in the work we do. These are some of things that contribute to 'who I am' as a coach and would help set our work apart.
COMMITMENT:
I am as committed to my own growth as I am to yours. I continue to receive coaching and mentorship 10 years down the line to help me make sure I’m walking my talk & that I’m growing alongside you. I’m committed to this profession and being the best I can be in it, partly evidenced by the fact that I travelled 6000 miles from England to New York each month for over a year in order to get the best training I could find.
SUPPORT AND PARTNERSHIP:
Working with me isn't just about our weekly session. When clients hire me, they hire me for a monthly fee: this fee includes support around mutually agreed upon work to complete between sessions as well as spot coaching for emergencies or breakdowns.
Emphasis is placed on our relationship being the foundation for everything that we create. Our work is about two perfectly imperfect people being the best they can be. I pride myself on partnering with my clients in a collaborative and reflective process to help them achieve their goals. I am not an expert who will ever dictate what you should do.
TRAINING:
I am a graduate of an ICF accredited (ACTP) program called Accomplishment Coaching. This means that my training has been monitored for high standards by the International Coaching Federation. Not all trainings are.
Accomplishment Coaching is also considered "The World's Finest Coach Training Program TM" due to it's length (12 months), depth, the practical experience and mentorship it provides.
The program's philosophies are based in Ontology which means we work on creating deep, longer lasting change to a person's life. This is different to many coaches who are only trained to be facilitators. A facilitative coach helps you to plan and take action. Whilst ontologically trained coaches are also trained to be facilitators, it is only 20% of the work that we do with you in session.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Alongside my certification from Accomplishment Coaching, I’ve also since become a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation. Being a PCC reflects an amount of paid experience in the coaching industry as well as a level of skill as a coach that typically takes years to acquire. A further qualification I’ve since acquired is that of being a Trauma Informed Coach Practitioner. At the simplest level, this means I have an understanding of the potential presence of past trauma in a client’s present day experience.
MY HUMANITY:
I am out there doing what I will be supporting you to do. I pay for my own support and have a network of coaches challenging me to grow too. I don't profess to be perfect and I am willing to share my very humanity with you in sessions.
5. Why did you decide to become a coach?
I first decided I wanted to become a coach after I had worked with my own coach for 7 months. Before working with a coach, I had been stuck in a soul-draining job I hated and I couldn't see a way forward. After 6 months, I had found something I really loved doing and my confidence was improving. Coaching had made such a difference for me that initially, I just wanted to learn more. I wanted to understand how it all worked. Two years later, I completed my training and I've been coached ever since. I soon realised how much of a difference the coaching industry could make in the world and I fell in love with personal development. I wanted to continue to be a part of that. Now, I love to grow alongside the clients I support.
6. What are your credentials?
I am a graduate of an ICF accredited training program (ACTP), Accomplishment Coaching.
I also now hold a PCC (Professional Certified Coach) qualification directly through the International Coaching Federation. This qualification denotes a higher coaching skill level since graduating my initial training, as well as the fact I have more professional paid experience as a coach.
My teachers and main influencers are Dr Brene Brown, Elizabeth Gilbert, Eckhart Tolle, Deepak Chopra, all the coaches and therapists I've had, my family and my friends.
I also hold a BA (Hons.) degree from the University of Nottingham.
My dissertation (First Class) was based in how social subjectivity and the way we 'identity' ourselves has an impact on the world (political, economical, cultural) we create for ourselves. I believe a lot of the theories I studied for my dissertation underpin a lot of the work that I do as a coach today.
7. What is Ontology?
Ontology is the study of nature, being, existence and reality.
For coaching, it means that we will work on 'who you are being' in your life. Who you are 'being' is the primary driver behind what you do, how you act and ultimately, the self-fulfilment and results that you create in your life. Within each session, we will work on shifting your being first and foremost, before we develop your plan of action.