Coaching for Personal and Professional Change and Development

My approach combines applied psychotherapeutic approaches with coaching principles and techniques. I reached the conclusion some time ago, that this was an effective way of supporting individuals to bring about change. Self-awareness and deep self-understanding enable us to see the world differently and make different decisions about how we want to be in the world. Many of the issues that bring people to coaching are to do with work or home relationships, difficulties with work, a loss of meaning or a sense of a loss of one's way, stress or grief (including that associated with the loss of job, status, youth), a sense that there is a disconnection between the inner person and the life that is being lived, plus a desire to connect better with the inner self.

The Coaching approach focuses on the here and now and the future; the fundamental principles are:

•  you have all the inner potential you need to move forward in the way you want

•  the coaching relationship is one of equals, the coach is not an expert in the your life (and won't give advice)

•  the work addresses the your goals; coaching is solutions-focused

•  the role of the coach is to provide an environment in which you are able to do the very best thinking you can and bringing all your potential to the surface; part of that is to challenge habitual ways of thinking and assumptions that have been created in response to past experience

•  the coach is non-directive and proactive on behalf of your goals

•  change is brought about by being clear about goals, harnessing the imagination and inner motivation, removing psychological barriers and bringing about some deep personal and professional transformation.

Unlike psychotherapy, sessions tend to be 1.5 or 2 hours in length, 4 - 8 weekly, so that you have time to make changes. We may agree to work together over 4 - 6 sessions.