What is Coaching?
Coaching is basically a series of conversations, usually spread over a period of 6 months.
There are many types of coaching, which cover a wide spectrum of topics and spheres – business, executive, team, careers, redundancy, retirement, health, sports, fitness, finances, family and relationships.
It is important to understand that coaching differs from mentoring, counselling or therapy. It is about having a collaborative conversation and building up a partnership of trust with the person being coached. The focus is on the present and how to achieve a future goal.
Coaching remains an unregulated profession, although there are 3 main governing bodies operating in the UK – International Coach Federation (ICF), European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and Association for Coaching (AC).
They ensure that training courses cover the core competencies and that trainees are fit for practice and that they will adhered to clear professional standards of practice and there is a Code of Ethics and as well as providing workshops and conferences.
What can you expect?
I am a professional coach approved by ICF. I adhere to their Code of Ethics and follow the guidelines of Continuing Professional Development. I seek supervision as an ongoing process and will continue to have periods of coaching as well.
I provide one to one Life Coaching, which can include issues such as life transitions, retirement and redundancy as well as working with performing artists and those who are childless not by choice.
My background includes working in a residential therapeutic community, being a dramatherapist in an adult mental health setting, taking on the role of mediator within a secondary school and its feeder primary schools and working as a social worker for children in care within a large local authority.
There will be an initial face to face chemistry meeting so that answers to any initial questions can be given along with a general outline of the potential coaching journey. This will include going over the contract, consent form and terms and conditions.
If an individual feels ready to engage in the process, a date will be set for the first session, which can last up to an hour and a half. This can be over Zoom or face to face, depending on individual choices. The second session will normally follow 2 weeks later and a further 4 sessions at monthly intervals, all of which last about an hour long.
What will it cost?
Individual sessions will cost £50 and the expectation is that you will pay for the initial 3 sessions in advance (ie £150) with the balance of £150 being paid before session 4.
If you commit to all 6 sessions at the start, then the total would be £270, again half the amount being paid by session 1 one and the balance before session 4.
If you decide to withdraw from the coaching process before completing 6 sessions, you will be paid back any monies you may be owed. However if you do break the contract before its completion at the reduced price, you will be expected to pay for any outstanding balance at the higher level of £50 per session.
Any specific issues about individual financial circumstances will be discussed during the chemistry meeting to see what alternative arrangement could be made.
