How We Work

Life Coaching999

"The Client Is In Control"

In life coaching, the same method is known as 'Collaborative Coaching'.

We mean that the coach and the client work on creating changes together.

A collaborative coach doesn't 'fix' your life, solve your problems

or assume a position of superiority or higher knowledge.

Instead, a collaborative coach adopts the principle that you know

more about your own situation than the coach does, believing in your ability

to create insights and ideas needed to move your situation forward.

The task of the coach is to use skills of listening, questioning and reflection

to create effective conversations leading to empowering experiences

for you. This style of working feels more like a partnership of equals.

We work with you - not on you.

In stress management, the starting point is the same as in coaching -

only you know how you feel, what you want to do about it and

which way forward suits you best.

Then there are some differences to the work we do:

In stress management, it is important to have background information

about you as a person, whereas in coaching we start

from the present time and work forward. In building a picture

of your life and the events that has affected you

and made you who you are, it is likely that you will be asked

about your childhood and schooldays, as well as your present situation.

This does not mean that we will dwell on childhood memories

or blame your parents - it just helps us to understand who you are.

In stress management, we also use various forms of relaxation methods;

meditation, breathing exercises and autogenic training.

We discuss the methods with you and then you decide

which ones you feel suits you best. These are skills we pass on to you.

In coaching and stress management, you explore inherent skills

and how you can develop them perhaps by further studies

or practical training elsewhere, but

we never make assumptions about 'what is best for you'.

In psychotherapy, it's known as 'Client Centred Therapy'

originated by Carl R. Rogers, who in a personal statement said:

'If I can create a relationship characterised on my part:

by a genuineness and transparency in which I am my real feelings;

by a warm acceptance of, and prizing of the other person as a separate individual;

by a sensitive ability to see his world and himself as he sees them;

Then the other individual in the relationship:

will experience and understand aspects of himself which previously he has repressed;

will find himself becoming better integrated, more able to function effectively;

will become more similar to the person he would like to be;

will be more self-directing and self-confident;

will become more of a person, more unique and more self-expressive;

will be more understanding, more acceptant of others;

will be able to cope with the problems of life more adequately and more comfortably.'

We couldn't have put it better ourselves.