Our coaching services are delivered via telephone and/or secure video link. Following an in-depth triage, our practitioners will identify where coaching may be appropriate, considering multiple factors including presenting symptoms.
Definition of Coaching
Coaching is a partnership between Coach and Client, in a thought-provoking and creative process, which aims to build self-awareness, to explore and unlock some of the things we’ve believed or assumed to be true. It is about growing into the person we want to be, through identifying our unique resources, keeping the strengths and characteristics that serve us well and discarding or re-framing those beliefs, assumptions and behaviours that limit us. It is a protected, non-judgmental relationship, which facilitates a wide range of learning, experimentation, and development, built on mutual regard, trust and respect. While coaching can be therapeutic, it is not therapy.
Benefits
Clients can learn to better solve their own problems, improve their managerial or leadership skills, improve relationships with others, learn how to reflect and develop themselves, become more confident, a better performer, have greater insight into themselves and gain new perspectives, acquire new skills and abilities, develop adaptability, improve work-life balance and reduce stress.
What is the Relationship Between Coaching and Therapy?
Coaching can be therapeutic but is not “therapy”, though the key theoretical underpinnings, models and techniques have their origins in the field of psychology and associated therapies like gestalt and cognitive behavioural therapy (which have broad-ranging applications in both organisational and personal contexts).
Coaching is generally commenced on the premise that clients are self-aware and resourceful and coaching has been selected because they do not require therapeutic intervention. It is possible for someone who has underlying issues to experience success within a coaching context even if the underlying issues are not resolved. If, however, a client becomes “stuck” and the coaching programme is not achieving the desired results, then a psychological or therapeutic intervention may be necessary to move forward and help them to achieve their goals.
It is very important that a coach does not stray into the preserve of the counsellor or therapist and maintains an ethical approach to dealing with a client who may benefit from the services of a professional trained specifically to deal with these issues. Progress is always monitored, and coaches watch for signs which may indicate that a client requires an assessment by a therapist. Our coaches will onward refer a client to an appropriate therapist if this is felt to be useful. Sometimes it may be beneficial to conduct a coaching programme in parallel with a therapeutic intervention. Coaches are keen to maintain professional boundaries and will collaborate with therapists when a client requires both forms of intervention.
Therapy or counselling is aimed at life improvement or enhancement. It is about helping people understand the cause of their negative beliefs and behaviour and break free from problems and issues that have held them back and prevented them from getting all they can from their lives. Some professional coaches are also trained in counselling but if they feel counselling would be more appropriate than coaching, they will make a distinction between the two interventions and always undertake a proper therapeutic assessment.
Coaches and counsellors are similar because of the following:
- both coaches and counsellors want to help you find/create a life you feel better about
- they both create an atmosphere of trust, non-judgement, and support.
- both help you identify what is holding you back.
- both counselling and coaching focus around good listening and asking you good questions
- both counselling and coaching help you to be more resilient
- they both want you to find your own answers that work for you.
- both coaching and counselling can help you identify and work towards life goals
- they work to help you move forward in your career, relationships, and home life.
- both help you with identifying core beliefs and changing your perspective.
- they both have the goal of helping you reach your potential.
- coaches and counsellors both encourage self-discovery.
If you want to understand patterns of thinking and acting that have been plaguing your life for some time, want to feel heard, raise your self-esteem and understand yourself, whilst figuring out what you want in life and move towards it, counselling might be the choice for you.
If you want to elevate your progress, focus on what you are dealing with right now, explore how to approach that, come up with strategies for the future and want help with making those action steps, whilst not digging deep into the past; coaching might be the choice for you.