WHY COACHING?

The biggest surprise for first-time clients is realizing that the coach isn’t there to give

advice. Instead, powerful, incisive coaching questions stimulate you to examine

the things in life that matter most from new angles. A coaching conversation can

transform the way you look at life.

A coach can be a trusted confidant, an enthusiastic supporter, and someone who

knows you well enough to call out the best in you. A transparent relationship with

your coach frees you to go to places you’ve never gone to before.

With support, encouragement, and accountability from someone who believes in us, we can do far more than we’d ever accomplish alone. A coach helps you stay on

track, overcome obstacles, and convert your “want-to’s” into concrete steps that are

put into your schedule.

Coaches assist you in solving your own problems. Coaching is helping you learn instead of telling you what to do. By leveraging positive, corrective experiences to build your capacity and confidence, coaching prepares you to conquer challenges you're facing now, and in the future. 

Coaching and therapy are "separate-but-equal" fields of personal and professional work. The clearest distinctions are also the most simple: Coaches do not diagnose or treat mental health disorders. Here's another: Therapy often involves a journey through your past, seeking to process past traumas and circumstances that have led you to your present reality. 

By contrast, coaching begins with your present reality. It may look briefly at the past to discover patterns, but it remains present and future-focused.  It clarifies where you are today, considers where you want to go, then strategizes your best path to get there. Some clients benefit from working concurrently with a coach and another support team member like a therapist, clergy member, mentor, or sponsor. 

The answer is, “Just about anything!” A coach is not an expert advising you in a particular field (that’s consulting), or someone more experienced who’s showing you the ropes (that’s mentoring). Coaches are change experts who help you find your own answers to solutions for your unique situation. If you want more from life—more growth, greater purpose, maximum performance—then coaching may be a great fit for you. 

Not in my book! Believe it or not, coaching is often considered "successful" when the experience reaches its natural end. Because each client is unique, there is no generic timetable for the coaching process.

Here's how I see it: I consider it my ethical responsibility to help my clients recognize their own personal progress. I teach my clients to measure their process with tangible milestones, including the milestones that indicate when our coaching relationship has fulfilled its intended purpose.

•  Listen to you openly and actively
• Ask powerful questions
• Validate your experiences
• Offer different perspectives 
• Provide structure and a safety
• Assist in plans and strategies
• Trust you to make your own decisions
• Show up with your best interests at heart
• See the greatness within you
• Believe in your powerfulness & capability

Coaching can be fun, exciting, and inspiring, but much of the time it's also hard work. As your coach, I am committed to serving your best interest, and sometimes I may push the boundaries of your comfort zone. Here's what that may look like:

-I will ask you to make commitments- to yourself and to me- to practice new skills and habits between sessions. I will only ever ask for commitments you want to make and that we agree you are ready for. You are always in charge and just because we agreed on something, there is no punishment if it doesn't happen. This can be a relationship where accountability meets gentleness and authenticity.

-I will always be honest with you. At times, this may involve asking questions and going places you feel scared to explore. The important thing to remember is you never have to talk about anything you do not want to. You always get to call the shots without repercussions. I will do my best to balance directness with sensitivity. I encourage you to be equally honest with me. Let this be a relationship where you can experiment taking new risks and exploring new ideas.

When your going through something painful, we will proceed gently, not aggressively. We will create time and space to facilitate your healing, at your pace. We will also practice techniques that help restore your personal power and allow you to experience self-compassion.

Coaching focuses on YOU and where you want to go. From coaching sessions, you will discover your vision for yourself and your life, analyze what’s holding you back, explore how you might meet challenges, and take action toward your desired future! 

I can help you stay on track, and provide encouragement and support to help you feel empowered. 

• Maintain the highest levels of integrity, transparency, and confidentiality
• Be on time for our appointments and  focused on our sessions
• Utilize an approach that supports wholeness 
• Offer clear, honest, and direct feedback
• Raise self-awareness, challenging you so you can recognize where you may be holding yourself back
• Help you work out, set, clarify and maintain focus on your goals
• Support you in establishing your own solutions and strategies
• Accountability and structure for following through
• Encourage, support, and believe in you—even when you do not!
• Provide a safe and non-critical environment
• Respond to your agenda
• Offer appropriate resources for you to review/consider
• Be very knowledgeable about trauma and its effects, and up to date on the latest trauma research to support you in your healing journey
• Be your peer and guide during our time together. 

• Communicate what works and what doesn’t in our coaching relationship
• Be on time and prepared for each of our sessions
• Dedicate your focus and attention to the work we are doing for the entirety of our session
• Tell me if you feel triggered during a session
• Discuss what you need from me as we work together
• Engage actively in the process of creating and attaining the goals you set for yourself, understanding there is always room for evaluation and adjustment.
• Involve your support team by including them in your healing journey, as appropriate; share successes and other key learnings as the process unfolds