When I first came across the term 'life coach' in the early 2000's, my impression was of some kind of guru who told you how to live your life. It was only years later when I trained with The Coaching Academy that I began to understand what a good coach really is and does.Coaching is a form of personal development support provided by another person. In the workplace, this could be a manager or colleague, or it could be a qualified external person. The key principle is that the client or coachee already has the answers and resources they need within themselves, and the role of the coach is to bring these things out to the fore during the course of the session or a given number of sessions. Coaching is a specific skill and not everyone may be able to coach effectively, but a good coach will have excellent listening skills and the ability to ask perceptive and powerful questions that get to the heart of the client's issue, helping them to set and achieve their goals.I'm certainly not any kind of guru! And I don't give advice. I work with people to understand their challenges, define where they want to be, and ask the right questions to bring out previously hidden barriers and beliefs, generate new thinking, which then contributes to a structured plan including actions to move forward positively.

No. Coaching is not therapy or counselling, or any other similar intervention you may have heard of. Coaching aims to help a client move forward based on where they are at that moment in time. It's about raising the client's awareness rather than giving advice or offering solutions. Coaching is future focused, positive and motivational. If a client is seeking support for distress or trauma related to past events, then therapy or counselling is likely to be more appropriate for that individual.

No. Coaching is not the same as mentoring, and although there are some similarities, there are some distinct differences too. A mentor would be somebody who has experience of doing the same or similar thing to the client, and they may describe and discuss how they approached a challenge or issue or even suggest solutions. A coach does not need to have specific experience in a given area and will not provide solutions, as they lie with the client. A mentor may not have coaching skills although a coach can also be a mentor depending on the area of their expertise.

You might seek the services of a coach for any number of reasons. It is mainly about identifying, setting and achieving your goals. Quite often a coach can also provide additional benefits such as accountability, which many people find helpful. There are coaches who specialise in a particular 'niche' e.g. confidence, communication, divorce, parenting, business, and so on. The Bodycoach is a high profile example!As my coaching has developed, I have gravitated towards areas of experience and interest - athletes, leaders in sport and midlife men. Despite these specialisms the topics that arise when I am working with a client can be many and varied.

If your life is 10/10 in all areas and you are 100% happy then that is great! However the majority of us do not live a life that is perfect all the time and there are always elements we'd like to improve. You do not have to be 'struggling' to benefit from a coach, in fact many of the world's top executives and sports performers have a coach, for the very reason that they want to remain at the top of their respective fields and continue to get better at what they do. The demands of their roles mean that sometimes they need to make sense of the volume and complexity of the roles they have. Coaching can be effective in so many sectors and situations.

In my opinion (and I realise I am biased!) everyone can benefit from having a coach, and I have coaching myself on a regular basis. You can gain benefit from coaching in a specific area of your life, or your life as a whole. You can choose what you focus on, whether that be personal goals, work-life balance, time management, parenting, career change, relationships and so on. There is a benefit that comes from saying things out loud to another person, as it seems to help the brain declutter and put things in order, helping you to more easily see the way forward. With a coach this is heightened further as they have been trained and are experienced in both listening and asking powerful questions at the right time. This can help you to come to realisations (the 'ah-ha moment') and consider options that you may never has thought of on your own. It can also give you greater confidence to take a certain course of action.

There are many coaches out there and it is important that you find one that is right for you. A vital part of the coaching relationship is rapport and on our initial call we can decide whether the fit seems right and we can work together. Previous clients have described me as a 'relatable' coach and I hope that my down to earth and realistic approach will help you. In short, coaching with me will give you: A greater awareness of who you are, your purpose, values, and what you want out of life An increase in performance and the results you seek The opportunity to be more effective in your role/life Tools to help you break through the thinking that is holding you back A completely safe and confidential space to discuss issues affecting your life Clarity and clear step-by-step actions on the best way forward for you The life you want and deserve!

Many of us have people in our lives that we turn to who may have wisdom and we value their opinion. And a friend or family member may have natural coaching skills. However even if this is the case, unless they are trained as a coach there is always a danger that they may offer their advice or ask closed/leading questions. Also, the independence provided by an external coach is really important so that you do not feel as though what you say will be take any further, judged, or shared. Coaching is not just a friendly chat. It is a structured conversation lead by you but managed by a qualified professional to ensure you achieve your goals.

We will have an initial/introductory call to discuss your situation and what you would like to get from the coaching. Then if we agree to move forward I aim to make each coaching session with you an inspiring, motivating, positive and ultimately helpful experience that will move you forward. It is very important that you feel a sense of progress from each session. The normal length of a session is an hour and these can be online via Zoom or in person if appropriate. I also offer a DISC personality profile at the start of the coaching which helps you to understand yourself and others. This is the basis for the work we will go on to do. I use an established coaching model called GROW. Each session will look at your goal, what the current situation is (reality), develop some options and finish with a way forward or action plan. There are also a number of tools and exercises that can be used to help you along the way.

We can discuss this in our initial meeting, to make sure that the coaching package is right for you. A one off coaching session can be helpful, but it can also be a sticking plaster and not lead to longer term impact. I usually recommend a minimum of 6 coaching sessions to begin with, 2-4 weeks apart, which can give you time to work on things and see some positive change and impact. At the end of the agreed number of sessions we will review whether you wish to continue, pause, or stop coaching.

In short, yes - although there may be some areas or situations where a different intervention may be more appropriate. If this is the case we will have that discussion as things develop and then my role becomes one of signposting you to the right people who can help.

I am committed to making coaching affordable and accessible.I have a range of standard packages available, however please call to discuss so that the right programme for you can be developed and costed on a tailored basis.

Yes, I can run group coaching sessions with your team or within your organisation if this is required, in order to identify ways to work more collaboratively and develop an action plan that will ensure you achieve your organisational goals.