What are the key differences between therapy and coaching?
In general, coaching tends to focus more on the present and future while most therapies focus on resolving past issues. Whereas therapists use interpretative or explanatory frameworks (e g. Jungian) for understanding human behaviour, most coaches do not. This is because the skill in coaching is not in interpretation or explanatory power but instead in asking questions which allow clients to discover their own goals, solutions and preferred futures.

Coaching is not a substitute for therapy. It does not focus directly on treating emotional or cognitive disorders. If a client is in a lot of emotional or psychological pain, therapy is probably a better choice of intervention.

Therapy and coaching can be complementary processes if their different approaches are clearly defined and understood by all parties.

"The weekly sessions made me more action orientated, helped order my thoughts and steered me in the right career direction." Fiona

Isn't coaching by telephone too impersonal?
Most clients have found telephonic sessions much less impersonal than they initially imagined. Some say that it can be a surprisingly freeing form of contact precisely because they are anonymous and there are no settling in rituals to attend to. Others feel that the main advantage is simply its convenience and time efficiency.

"I was delighted to experience how warm, easy and engaging telephone coaching could be. Our conversations were very focused and the honest feedback help me to keep an eye on the future I wanted to create." Moira

How long are sessions and when can they take place?
Sessions usually last between 45 and 60 minutes. They can be shorter if that is your preference. They can be arranged for evenings and weekends as well as during the day.

What does the complimentary coaching session involve?
This session is an opportunity for you to ask any unanswered questions. We will then look at a specific issue that you may be considering for coaching which will give you a taste of what 'real' coaching involves (this is optional and you may prefer to simply talk more generally about coaching.)

If you decide that you want to go ahead with the coaching you will be given a task to do before the first session. Alternatively, you may want some time to think about whether coaching is right for you.

Whatever your choice you will find this session friendly, engaging, and with no pressure to sign up.

Do you ever explore the past?

Yes. Although coaching primarily focuses on the present and future, sometimes it is also useful to look at the past. Identifying the origins of a negative belief, habit or fear can be very liberating because you get to see that it may be redundant and can be released.

The past is also a rich source of achievements, coping strategies, defining moments, and forgotten passions and interests which can give invaluable clues for the present and future.

For further information, or to arrange a complimentary coaching call, then feel free to contact me here or by telephone on + 44 (0) 1225 314 694.

You can read some of my latest testimonials here