What is Coaching?
If you are new to coaching there are some things you may want to know. Coaching is a powerful partnership between two capable individuals and is a co-creative process.
The business owner who seeks coaching generally wants to:
- Improve their business in some way
- Attract their ideal clients
- Achieve balance in their personal and professional life
- Reduce stress
- Overcome a perceived obstacle
- Market their business with integrity, confidence and ease
- Change their direction to find their passion again
- Create a new business
The assumption is that people have the answers and an innate wisdom. However, sometimes your situation requires an outside perspective to bring these answers to the surface. Coaching can provide that outside perspective as well as unconditional encouragement, and a safe, judgment free environment.
Coaching can be done face to face or over the phone.
Our Roles
We are peers in this journey. Please show up fully prepared and present for each session and bring the specific topic or challenge area and talk truthfully. Outcome may change in this process so be open to this instead of coming in with how you want things to turn out. I will also keep an open mind to what is discussed.
I will listen, reflect, ask questions, and give perspective and options. I will hear what you say and discern what you want to say. I will support and advocate in order for you to recognize your own wisdom that will help you solve your problems.
I ask clients to stretch out of their comfort zone. Our work is enhanced in session by writing, taking action, and resolving what feels incomplete in your life. You are free to accept or decline. I will advocate for you by holding you accountable to any action steps you have agreed to in our sessions.
Coaching is not counseling or therapy.
While there are some similarities such as one on one dialogue and strict confidentiality, there are many differences, such as:
- There is no attempt to provide diagnosis or treatment since coaching fosters the view that you are whole and don’t need to be fixed or healed.
- Coaching is not a substitute for therapy. There are some instances where seeing a therapist would be advisable and coaching would not be helpful.
- Coaching does not deal with unresolved long-term issues from the past (e.g. clinical depression)
What you can expect from coaching
You may experience the following during the coaching process:
- Fears or doubts about your ability to change or about the effectiveness of coaching
- A rush of energy that result in motivation and excitement when you identifying long neglected needs or “Ah Ha!” moments
- A sense of frustration when you’ve passed through the initial excitement of coaching and realize that some changes are not quick or automatic (this often occurs after 6-8 weeks of coaching). This is part of the process and we will work through this plateau together
- You may experience some aggravation with me when I hold you accountable and don’t supply you with the answers, but instead help you use your wisdom to find the answers
- Growing confidence in your abilities, strengths, wisdom and power
- A willingness, readiness and new energy to make large and small changes
Learn more
- About Valerie
- Testimonials: How people like you have benefited from Professional Coaching
- Read informative articles.