The International Coach Federation defines Coaching as an ongoing partnership that helps clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives.  Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life.

The interaction between coach and client creates clarity and moves the client toward action by enabling them to identify more significant personal/professional goals, elicit solutions and strategies to overcoming any obstacles to achieving their goals and increase self-awareness.  The coach provides the tools, support and structure to allow the client to accomplish all of these things.  Coaches are your partner in living the life you want to live and maximizing your personal and professional potential. The three general categories of coaching are personal, relationship and career/corporate .

What Can Coaching Do For You?

• Simplify your life and develop new life skills

• Rediscover your passions

• Discover real personal needs and wants

• Discover hidden personal needs and wants

• Make decisions easier with more clarity

• Help identify your goals and work towards them

• Be more effective and creative

• Enhance personal and business relationships

• Create space for personal success

• Develop organizational skills

• Find balance between career and family

What is the Coaching Process?

Coaching is an ongoing, consistent relationship between the coach and client.

The best way to understand and feel the benefits of coaching is to experience it personally with a complimentary session.

Once a partnership has been agreed upon, the experiences of coaching start taking place with a discovery session.  This is done at the very beginning and can least 2-3 hours either in person (geography allowing) or on the telephone.  All areas of the client's life; career, money, education, health, family, friends, relationships, spirituality and recreation are explored.  The coach and client become clear about where the client is in their life and where they want to be.

Sessions are then scheduled weekly and are typically done over the phone.  This allows the client to be in their own space either at home or work.  The coach and client work together to assign the most appropriate and convenient time and method of interaction.  An initial four month commitment is most effective for the coaching process to fully take place.  In between coaching sessions, my clients may e-mail me at any time for any given situation and continued support.

Coaching vs. Therapy, Consulting and Mentoring.

• Therapy - The therapist is the expert who uses the past to explain present and predict future behaviours.  The client has more severe issues that require a different type of help.  Their problems are analyzed and may or may not be solved.

• Consulting - The client requires the help of someone who has a particular field of expertise.  The consultant answers questions and solves the problem for the client.

• Mentoring - A mentor is a role-model who has years more experience than their protégé.  The mentor possesses qualities, characteristics and/or behaviours that they wish to emulate.

In Coaching, the client is the expert.  The client is creative, resourceful and whole.  With the aid of a coach, clients ultimately solve their own problems.  It is important to remember that Coaching is a partnership of equals.