FAQ
What is coaching?
The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaches honor the client as the expert in his or her life and work and believe every client is creative, resourceful and whole. Now that is something I can get behind! What about you?
What are your specialties?
I work ambitious, curious adults who want to build a rich life outside of work while still being successful at work. Many of my clients have a secret dream to go out on their own and we explore how and if to make this happen. I have 10+ years of experience in helping people achieve their goals. Most recently, I worked with job seekers to help them identify career pathways, develop professionally, and find and keep employment.
What do your clients work on with you?
My clients often come to coaching because they want to work on finding more purpose in their jobs and careers. Because people are so dynamic and multi-layered, the conversations easily expand into finding more general fulfillment in the way they relate in interpersonal relationships, see themselves and spend their time.
So, you give advice?
No, actually. My job is not to give advice (as a consultant would) or to diagnose (as a therapist would); it is instead to walk alongside clients offering them helpful, outside-the-box tools to explore their own realities as THEY find their own answers! Have you ever had someone give you advice and it’s not until you find your own way that it becomes clear what you should do? This is what progress looks like in every call! What a concept and so freeing!
What do clients gain from coaching?
Clients gain a much deeper sense of self-knowing. They get a better understanding for their personal values, their life purpose, and their deepest desires. As a result, clients often express a clearer sense of who they are and have a deeper understanding of how to get more out of their lives.
How is coaching different from therapy or consulting?
Coaching often gets compared to therapy. Coaching is unique as it allows a client to look at where they are presently and where they want to go. The focus is on a future trajectory. In coaching, clients are seen as "naturally creative, resourceful, and whole". They are not diagnosed or seen as someone to be "fixed". It is not uncommon for a person to work with a coach and a therapist simultaneously. The services tend to complement each other very well.
Why is coaching so often done via phone?
This work is done 90% of the time via phone for a variety of reasons. First, it allows for the ideal coach/client match since neither coach or client is limited by geographic location. I have one client living in South America and many living in different time zones. Doing the coaching by phone also allows for greater convenience, efficiency, and confidentiality. Most importantly, it's been proven that coaching is more effective when clients have the freedom to express themselves in the privacy of their own space. Both coaches and clients can access their intuition when external physical distractions are limited.
Is it worth it?
As someone who has worked with a coach (and is committed to continuing to work with a coach) and from what I hear from my clients, the answer is a resounding “YES- it’s worth it!" Clients experience a deep sense of satisfaction from doing this work. They are able to get more intentional about tying important decisions to clearly defined values and often are able to build stronger relationships as a result of their deeper sense of self.
What workshop topics do you offer?
- Connecting Your Values to Your Work
- Communicating with Ease
- Maximizing Individual Styles for Teamwork
- Leadership at All Levels
- The Balancing Act of Workload and Life
- The Art of Saying No
(I can customize to your needs around communication, life/work balance, self care, and leadership at all levels.)