Your First Six Coaching Sessions

"I should be able to sort this out myself." "I've tried things before and nothing has stuck." "What if it stirs up more than I can handle?" "What if I get pushed into a decision I'm not ready for?"

These are the worries people have about coaching. Notice that none of them are about cost or time. They're about not knowing what you'll be asked to do. Rather than try to reassure you in a vague way, here is the actual shape of your first six x 60 minute sessions with me, so you can get a feel for how it might be.

Before the first session

We start with a short conversation, usually thirty minutes, with no obligation on either side. It's a chance for you to hear how I work, and for both of us to notice whether the fit feels right. Coaching depends heavily on that fit, so it matters more than anything I could put on a website.

Session one: getting the whole picture

The first session is called 'Discovery'. We set up for coaching and decide how we want to work together. After that, I ask you a lot of questions and I write things down. We cover:

• Your current situation, at work and at home
• What you want more of, and what's getting in your way
• We create your personal values: what matters most to you, and how closely you're living in line with that

We also book all six sessions in the diary up front, so you don't have to think about scheduling again. Then I'll give you some things to reflect on as homework.

You'll probably leave slightly tired from all the thinking, and usually lighter - people often say they are leaving with hope. People also tell me that they are surprised how much can be achieved in just one hour.

Session two: narrowing the focus

By the second session, something has usually shifted. You have had two weeks of noticing, and sometimes things change. That is normal and it is useful.

The second session is about goal setting. We take what we learned in session one, plus your reflections since, and create some rich, ambitious goals together. Most people find this session very satisfying. It's a relief to get all the thoughts out of your head and onto paper as goals.

Sessions three, four and five: doing 'the work'

These are the middle sessions, and they follow a rhythm. We start with what has happened since we last spoke. Then we choose what to work on: whatever feels most alive for you that day, or one of your goals. I'm your thought partner, so expect plenty of questions. If you're open to it, we might also use visualisation, imagery, metaphor or embodiment. If that isn't your thing, we'll find another way in.

We explore what you want, how it feels, what's happening now and how that affects you, and we co-create ideas for moving forward. Between sessions you'll try things: a conversation you've been avoiding, a boundary you want to test or challenge, a fortnight of paying attention to how you are feeling and capturing that. You agree to anything out loud, and if you don't do it, we get curious about why.

I'm always amazed by how much can be achieved in this stretch, and how much can happen for the person.

Session six: looking backwards, and forward

The last session of the block looks both ways. We return to what you said in session one and compare it honestly with where you are now. Sometimes the progress is obvious. Sometimes your actual goals have completely changed! Sometimes it's more subtle: you're just feeling different inside. We get curious about the progress made and also what's next for you.

Then we decide what we want to do together. Some people stop here, they have got what they came for. Some carry on with a longer block, now the groundwork is done. Some come back six months later when the next 'thing' appears. There's no pressure towards any of those options, and I'll also tell you if I think you've got what you needed, or suggest where you might go next.

What you leave with

People leave with anything from "that has been so helpful and I know what I want to do next" to "I've changed my life!".

What you will not be asked to do

You will not be judged. You don't need to have your life together to start. We begin exactly where you are, and there's no "shoulds" allowed!

Dig through your childhood. If something from the past is part of what you're working on, we'll go there together, by choice. Otherwise, we stay with what's happening now and what you want next.

Fill in worksheets. There's homework, but it's light and practical: noticing, trying something small, having a conversation.

Talk about anything you're not ready to. You set the pace and the depth. "Not today" is always a fine answer.

Make a big decision before you're ready. My job is to help you get clear, not to push you towards resigning, restructuring or anything else. Decisions are all yours.

Do exercises that don't suit you. Visualisation, imagery and embodiment are offered, but not imposed.

Be told what to do. I'm your thought partner, not your advisor. You're the expert on your own life.

Be "fixed". You don't need to be struggling or stuck to benefit from coaching, and nothing (nothing!) about you is broken.

Commit to more than you want to. There's no pressure to carry on after session six.

Final note: coaching isn't therapy. We focus on where you are now and where you want to go, and if something comes up that would be better supported elsewhere by another professional, I'll tell you honestly.

How to get the most from it

If you have been circling the idea of coaching for a while, the hesitation is usually about the unknown rather than about the work. Now you know the shape of it. The only part I cannot describe in advance is what you will say in week one. I look forward to finding out!

Ready to talk it through? Get in touch, no obligation.