What exactly is life coaching and career coaching, and how is it different from counselling?
Well coaching is all about helping you get to where you want to be in life. It's about setting and achieving goals, navigating life changes and learning how to thrive not just survive.
A coach is in a unique position, because unlike friends and family, they have no agenda. They can offer completely un-judgemental support of any action steps you may decide to make, as well as give the occasional reality check as needed along the way! Career coaching sessions are dedicated time for you, to explore your thoughts, dreams, challenges and goals, and are a wonderful investment in yourself and your future.
Counselling is an incredibly helpful process if you are experiencing mental heath issues and struggling day to day. It's really important that you reach out to your GP or a qualified counsellor if you are feeling overwhelmed, and in fact counselling and coaching can work very effectively side by side.
Who is career coaching for?
I have worked with all kinds of people from all sorts of professional backgrounds, including Event Organisers, University Academics, Project Managers, HR Executives, Marketing Managers, Strategists, Designers and Yoga Teachers.
Some are still in full time employment, some are taking a career break and some are freelance, but what they all want is to discover their calling in life, do something they truly love, create more balance in their lives and feel more confident and authentic. Read here about some of my previous clients and their inspiring midlife career change stories.
Will it work?
I know from working with previous clients how powerful career coaching sessions are, and I'm here to support you every step of the way. But, and this is key, I can't do the work for you. If you feel strongly that now is the time to make some changes and finally go after your dream career, then that motivation will carry you past any fears and excuses, and you will do the work that's needed to make it happen and see the results you want.
What if I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet career wise?
That's totally fine. Lots of my clients don't yet know exactly what their next steps will be. What they do know is:
They want to make a positive change in their lives
They want to to do something they love
They are finally ready to take action and invest in themselves
During our career coaching sessions, we can work together to discover what your unique values, strengths and sense of purpose are, address the fears which might have been holding you back, then move on to design your goals around that and create a personalised action plan. I can also share my top confidence building tips so that you can move forward feeling strong and authentic.
What's your unique approach to coaching?
I use a 12 step career coaching programme called FireworkTM to help you find clarity around your future career path. I also take a very holistic approach and look at you as a whole person and how your dream career fits in with the lifestyle you want to lead. We can work together to help you identify a fulfilling new path that plays to your strengths, fits with your values, covers your income requirements and allows you to achieve a better work/life balance.
What if I don’t have the money right now?
That is a completely understandable concern, and one to think about carefully. Investing in yourself and your future can be scary. What I would say is, think about what your life will look like in 6 months if you don't invest in yourself now. Or in a year. Or in 5 years. Will anything have changed? Or will you be stuck in the same rut? The value of career coaching doesn't just last for the duration of the sessions; you'll experience the benefits for months and years to come. But making a midlife career change does require guts and resourcefulness. If you're just not ready to take the leap right now, then that's totally ok.
How much time does life coaching and career coaching take take?
My career coaching sessions are approx. 60mins long and we’ll usually work together on a fortnightly or weekly basis for x12 sessions. You’ll receive an assignment for each session which with exercises and thought provoking questions, and I would suggest setting aside an hour or so a week to go through them, for example at the weekend. Don't worry if things get busy, we can go at your own pace and move sessions back if needed, as well as set you up with time management tools and structures to avoid overwhelm.
How do I pay?
I invoice for sessions in advance, either in full (save 10%) or monthly over 6 months. I use Stripe which makes online payments really quick and easy.
What if I can’t make one of our scheduled sessions?
When we first get started, we'll agree a mutually convenient time slot for our sessions. However, if something comes up and you can't make it, just give me 24 hrs notice and we can always move the session. Do consider scheduling our regular sessions into your diary and prioritising them, just like you would for a gym session or an evening class. You deserve to finally put YOU and YOUR dreams first.