What does a coaching journey look like?
One of the questions I get asked frequently, is what happens when you express an interest in coaching? What does it entail? What does it look like? What is expected of me?
These are all really good questions and I’ll attempt to give you an idea.
There are a couple of ways to get started. You can either book a free discovery call with me via the booking link https://alignednorthftvg.setmore.com or if you prefer email me victoria@alignednorth.co.uk or whatsapp me 07856 560152. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, just get in touch in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Once we start chatting I’ll ask you what made you curious about coaching. Does something feel off in your life at the moment. Have you lost direction. Are you suffering from overwhelm. Are you unhappy rather than depressed. Perhaps you have a deadline or goal and need someone to keep you accountable. You may feel everything is going brilliantly and you want to make sure you sustain this way of living. I’m happy to coach anyone and anything although I will check that it isn’t counselling or medical advice that you need as that is not my remit.
I might ask you about your current work and domestic situation. How do you spend your free time. Do your habits support you or pull you away from your goals. There’s absolutely no judgement from me - I’m human too! I’ve also spent 25 years as a doctor and have heard so many stories about so many different lives that nothing shocks me. All this information helps me understand the context of your presenting issue.
Clients have said that just this download, this information dump, can be therapeutic in itself. Having someone listen to you without their own agenda can be strangely liberating.
If we agree that we’re a good fit (and it’s OK if we’re not - there’s no obligation to continue if it doesn’t feel like the right thing for you) then we can book our first session. In between the discovery call and this first session I’ll send you an email with some important information about our working relationship, a coaching agreement for you to sign and if we think it’s useful a coaching wheel which helps us work out what’s off balance in your life.
That first session is often more of an information dump. It can be quite emotional and that’s OK. This session if often about clarifying the problem(s) and then figuring our what your goals are within that. The first bit of magic happens between session one and session two. I love getting that text saying a client has just seen something more clearly or taken the first tiny step of action that gets them unstuck after months or years of stagnation.
Session two usually starts with a brief recap and then we get to work properly. We define clear, SMART goals so you know exactly where you’re heading. We break down what the payoff would be from achieving this. We examine resources that you already have and those that you may need. We consider what obstacles are in your way or may crop up as you move forward. Having a plan to tackle them makes them far less intimidating.
You should leave the session with a clear action plan and the first, tiny step that will start the ball rolling. Often if it’s sending a text or ordering a book we can do it within the session. Don’t underestimate how good this feels!
If your issue was well defined and contained, such as making one decision or having one difficult conversation, you may only need a couple of sessions. If the issue is more complex or if there are multiple issues to tackle then you can have as many sessions as you need. Most people take 4-6 sessions but there are no upper or lower limits. People usually leave 3-4 weeks between sessions so they have time to put things into action and assess their impact. I offer an interim chat if you need to talk between sessions to refocus your energy, get a boost of motivation or report back for accountability.
It’s good to have a sign-off session at the end to remind you what you’ve achieved, what you’ve learnt and how you can tackle similar issues if they crop up again. A good life coach should not encourage dependence - I feel like I’ve done a good job if I can wave you off knowing you’ve got this problem sorted. However, life wobbles, new problems arise, we fall back into old behaviours and you can always reach out for top up sessions or a new course if you need it. The door never closes.
I hope that helps. Please reach out for a chat if you think I could help. I look forward to hearing from you. Vicki