Action-focused, empowering and supportive
Life Coaching
One-to one, online life coaching to help you get to where you want to be.
Some of the most profound personal growth I’ve ever had. Thank you James! I never thought some simple conversations could be so transformative, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the work we did together.
CEO, National Retailer, Canada
What is Life Coaching?
A life coach is a trusted, supportive and empowering companion – there to help you get from where you are to where you want to be.
I’ve been supporting clients for nearly 20 years, helping them find their way and empowering them to live the life they want.
Life coaching is about helping you get from where you are to where you want to get to – all through empowering you to forge your own path and build the resilience to make it stick. It’s action-orientated and focuses on helping build the confidence, perspective and self-awareness to make changes in your life and build on what you have.
We could all do with a trusted, qualified companion sometimes to help us unpack our thinking, explore options and reflect on what we really want. A life coach can be a valuable companion through this process.
You’ve become a trusted companion in some of the biggest life changes I’ve experienced to date. Your support, insight (and challenges!) have been invaluable.
Consultant, National Health Service, UK
How can Life Coaching help?
Life coaching is, fundamentally, about helping you be the best you. It’s about working through parts of your life you want to change and helping you find a solution that works for you.
It’s built on the belief that you already have the capability to find your own solutions – given the right support, encouragement, space and time to reflect. Life Coaching is about making the most of the strengths you already have, and using them to make the change you want to see.
How does Life Coaching work?
In its simplest form, coaching is just a series of conversations. But a good coach is one who can listen, empathise and play back your own thinking – helping you explore your perspective, challenge you when needed and help you turn your ideas into action.
You always set the agenda
You’re in charge and set the agenda for each session or group of sessions. We’ll always agree at the start what you want to focus on and what we want to achieve.
My role is to be an attentive companion
I’m not there to give you my views – I’m there to explore your thinking. A coach should never be the biggest personality in the room and our focus will always be on helping you find your own way.
It’s action-focused
We’ll always focus on what actions or outcomes we want to see. Sometimes you won’t know exactly what that looks like – so we’ll work on it together
It’s a partnership
We’ll always work in partnership with an equal commitment and accountability to get you where you want to go.
Life Coaching packages
For clients who want to invest the time and energy in working together. A programme is generally a minimum of 6 sessions, but can be longer if we both agree it’s useful.
1. Initial exploratory work
We’ll work together to explore your issues, where you are now and where you’d like to be. We may also agree to do some additional psychometric analysis to give us a clearer picture of your strengths and areas for growth.
2. Additional sessions
We’ll contract a series of sessions and agree the overall objectives. We’ll then use the remaining sessions to work towards your goals, accessing and adapting as we go.
Useful for clients who have a very specific, but isolated, dilemma or situation and would value a session to explore options, expand their thinking and choose a way forward.
Single Sessions
These sessions are generally 1 hours. This type of session is useful if you’ve had coaching before and know what to expect, or you’d like to see how we get on and work together.
With these Life Coaching sessions we won’t be spending time beforehand doing much analysis, so we’ll tend to dive into things straight away!
Need help but not sure you can afford it?
I would never want money to be a reason someone in need doesn’t get help and support. For this reason, if you can’t afford my rates, I offer a reduced rate for a select amount of people per year.
If you need help but are struggling to find the means to pay for it let me know.
Common questions on Life Coaching
These are some of the most common questions I get asked about Life Coaching.
Are all Life Coaches qualified?
No. There is currently no official qualification for Life Coaching, which means you can technically call yourself a life coach without any training or perhaps after taking a weekend course. That’s why it’s always worth checking what qualifications and experience a coach has and checking to see if it’s from a reputable source. Coaching in general is still quite a new industry and it’s likely this will change in time, but for now, it’s always worth asking.
Do I need a Life Coach or a Therapist?
Life Coaches are generally not qualified to offer mental health advice in the same way that a licensed therapist or psychologist is. Although there may be some overlap in topics, if you are struggling with mental health it’s generally better to see a licensed therapist. Some coaches are qualified, and some therapists aren’t licensed, so it’s always worth asking the question.
What’s the difference between an Executive Coach and a Life Coach?
In general, it’s a difference of where they focus and, to some degree, whether they are accredited. An Executive Coach tends to focus on career and work related development, whereas a Life Coach will look at your life in broader terms. There are, of course, overlaps between both. All coaches should follow the same basic philosophy, even if they do things differently.
What results can I expect to see from Life Coaching?
This is a difficult one to answer but it depends on a) the coach you choose, and b) the level of commitment you’re willing to put in. In general, there is strong evidence to suggest that coaching can improve your chances of achieving your life goals and builds self-awareness, self-resilience and emotional growth. As with most things in life, the energy you put in will impact what you get out.
Is Life Coaching just snake oil?
Great question! Although the answer’s less clear. Coaching takes it’s philosophy from a range of psychological schools, all of which have significant research proving their efficacy. If your life coach draws on these, and uses them effectively, there is evidence life coaching can work well. If, however, the approach tends to draw on broad platitudes and affirmations then there is little evidence that this can be useful in the long run.
