Three questions I often get asked:
1] What is coaching?
2] How is coaching different from therapy?
3] What are reasons people work with me as a coach?
Important questions because:
a] some people are calling themselves a coach without formal training and/or certification by an accredited organization.
b] some think coaching and therapy are the same.
c] some think you need to be in a crisis to do coaching.
Here's a metaphor on coaching conversations with me:
You're in your car [might be running fine or maybe it seems stalled].
You're the driver. I'm a passenger for the time we spend in a session.
You might be clear on a destination, what you want to achieve in a session, or you may not. YET.
You determine desired destination. I offer questions that give space for you to explore which road will get you where you want in the session.
As your coach, I guide with a forward mindset, a map of sorts, that actually emerges from you the direction, especially when the road seems full of potholes, foggy, or there's an unexpected detour.
Your focus in on the windshield, looking ahead to make forward progress to YOUR determined goal.
You control the gas pedal [speed of progress].
You use the side mirrors to glance back from time to time, at what has influenced where you are now. Acknowledging experiences or ideas that may be current obstacles to moving forward AND resources from your past that can ignite forward momentum.
You may want to put the car in park, to pause, make sure from your perspective that you are making the progress you want.
You can always shift to neutral, and leverage silence to process an idea or a question.
Whew! For those who like metaphors, hope this is helpful.
For those who were wondering what was happening over the last eight or so sentences:
Here's a quick run-down:
-The client guides the session focus.
-I create the opportunity for the client to emerge their next steps with greater clarity and confidence from the focus they identified [focus sometime emerges with questions from me, if they are uncertain].
Cue up second question:
What's the difference between coaching and therapy:
With therapy, clients use the rearview mirror with greater frequency to focus on the past, to assess, to consider possible diagnosis. Clients may find using the reverse gear to dive deeper into the past for processing helpful to create a pathway forward.
Here's a couple of professional definitions to further distinguish differences:
Coaching. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “Partnering with clients in a thought provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
[It's important to note I am committed to a code of ethics and standard of practice, if a client needs support beyond that practice, I have therapists I trust to refer them to].
Therapy. American Psychological Association states: “Psychotherapy refers to any psychological service provided by a trained professional that primarily uses forms of communication and interaction to assess, diagnose, and treat dysfunctional emotional reactions, ways of thinking, and behavior patterns.”
[I have therapists regularly refer clients to me who have achieved the progress with the deep areas they wanted to address in therapy, to have coaching sessions on what they want to move towards in life and how does that moving forward translate to practical next steps]
Question Three:
What are reasons people work with me as a coach?
[here are some areas of focus]
- a change [chosen or unexpected, personal or professional]
- making a decision
- not sure of desired focus but identify feeling stuck
- desire to reach a goal professionally or personally
- experiencing grief/loss
- a struggling relationship
- processing a problem
- parenting challenges
- wondering what’s next with pending retirement
- caregiving exhaustion
- creating or maintaining healthy boundaries
- shifting a behavior or habit
- an unexpected event such as health diagnosis
Here's coaching options that can be designed to meet your needs: [with quick links for descriptions]
[one to one sessions/professional or personal focus]
[includes a whole team system of individual sessions and group sessions]
[individual sessions to build leadership skills and additional sessions with direct supervisor]
[coaching that integrates Gallup's Clifton Strengths with leadership strategies]
[specific topic focus in a group coaching setting with option of individual sessions]
A NOTE ABOUT GROUP COACHING: I'm excited to share this page, even though it's under design! In addition to the Beyond Cancer Coaching Group [starting in January 2025] that you'll see, a Moms with Margins Coaching Group and the option to design your woman's coaching group for the workplace or faith community will be listed with registrations going live soon!
Want to stay in the know on women's coaching groups? Email me to get on the list!
Curious about coaching?
Set up
your no cost
Discovery Call with me to see if coaching might be the next step. Together we can create a pathway to fuel
you,
your team or a women's coaching group forward towards goals and outcomes that emerge leading, living, and loving with greater resilience and less regret!
A quick reminder about YOU!
[because I referenced you 26 times in this chat!]
In coaching, you are the expert [even if you don't yet believe that or see how that can be true, you are].
Why does that matter? Because you talk to yourself more than anyone else, and what you say will determine what you're driving towards!
Sandy
P.S. Ok 33 times!
Additional Resources to Build Resilience!
[Team Training Options]
Interactive team development uniquely designed for those participating to practice strategies that build stronger teams and resilient cultures in the middle of change, challenge, and even conflict. click here.
[Event Speaking]
Topics designed for your conference, workshop, podcast, or retreat that weave practical strategies with stories of resilience that offer renewed hope and steps forward when we get stuck.
click here.
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Degrees in Community Health and Organizational Leadership combined, have uniquely equipped Sandy to engage with a whole system lens and hope for collective transforming whether it's an individual, team, organization, family, or community she's partnering with! Visit our website for more information.
