What is coaching?
Coaching provides you with a safe and confidential place to think. It is future focused and works on goals to help you move forward and unblock areas of challenge and difficulty. Coaching is not about providing advice but helps to unlock the answers within yourself. It helps you increase clarity of thought and widens your personal perspective and is especially useful during periods of change. Coaches hold an impartial and unbiased role.
Benefits to you
- Helps you to achieve your personal and professional goals
- Understanding what success looks like for you
- Improving your performance
- Dealing with areas of discomfort / difficulty
- Increasing your focus and self-motivation
- Understanding your hidden strengths
- Finding opportunities to improve at something
- Safe space for reflection and thinking (often difficult when you are busy!)
Common questions about coaching
What is involved?
A free 30 min consultation to understand you needs, answer questions and explain what to expect. Based on what you’re looking to achieve, I recommend options for coaching and associated costs. Coaching sessions are normally held one to one (though I run group coaching as well). Time between each session allows for reflection, putting into action ideas and changes in behaviour. The coaching session may be face to face or remote by video conference, either works well – whichever you prefer and is most flexible for you. How many coaching sessions you have will depend on what is agreed, but it may depend on how you are progressing and what works best for you.
How would you describe your approach?
I believe that everyone is capable of achieving great success and making change to their lives. My approach aims to be calm and to create a space to allow you to reduce any anxiety and to actively open up your best thinking. I am a good listener and aim to create a strong sense of trust and security. I am particularly interested in positive psychology and helping people connect with their core strengths and how to make the best of these. I aim to widen perspective and identify goals to help move you forward whilst helping to understand what might be getting in the way of this currently happening. I’m there to hold you to account to your goals and am always happy to help with further resources.
Is Coaching Confidential?
Yes, coaching is strictly confidential and you can choose what you’d like to share. The only time confidentiality may be breached would be if I thought a client was at harm. I would always aim to discuss this with you first.
How long is each coaching session?
Typically coaching sessions are about 1.5 hours long.
How much does it cost?
- Coaching costs are agreed following initial consultation depending on your needs and how many sessions are agreed.
- Discounted rates are offered to direct clients (non-corporate) and I also take on pro-bono coaching for charity and enterprise initiatives.
How is coaching different to other services?
Consultants give strategic, expert advice and solutions. Coaches are not problem-solvers and advisors. They are there to help you see things more clearly and empower you to make decisions.
Mentors are typically more experienced in a specific area than you and advise from their own experience. Coaches don’t necessarily need to have expertise in a specific subject matter to help you find the answers, in fact being more removed can often help.
Therapists and Counsellors often focus on past circumstances and how they are linked to current emotions. Coaches recognise the importance of emotions but the focus is always on moving forward in more practical ways.
My job role is very much employee-orientated and focussed on helping get the best out of people. Jo has helped me to see that I need focus too and has supported me to formulate and push forwards a plan for my own development. I have very much benefitted from her sessions, and love how she gets me to focus, propose, take action and keep on track with what I want to achieve.