What is coaching?

Overview

Coaching is an investment in your personal development and your wellbeing. In the same way you might get a personal trainer for your physical health, a coach helps you make sure other parts of your life are looked after and balanced.

Coaching is useful for all the things you want to set aside time to think about but that always get pushed to the bottom of your to-do list. Or the things you keep overthinking and going round in the same circles.

A coaching session gives you dedicated time to think and talk about these things, unpack everything that's in your head and get a bit of perspective once it’s out in the open. You end up seeing patterns in your thinking or finding new solutions. Plus, talking about it with someone means you’re more likely to actually do something about it.

I’m passionate that life coaching is not just for CEOs and celebrities - it has huge value for everybody. But a lot of the time, reading about coaching can feel intimidating or pretentious or corporate or just really, really expensive. I want to create a space that’s honest, accessible, friendly and fun.

“Alice helped me hugely when I was at a bit of a crossroads having to decide whether or not to quit my job and move to Australia a few years back. She also helped me discover the confidence within myself to set up my own yoga business and start teaching. I couldn't recommend Alice enough, she is an incredibly talented and inspiring coach.”

- Joanna, 5-star Google Review

What benefits will I get from coaching?

Space

A key benefit of coaching is the dedicated space and time to talk to an impartial listener and focus on whatever is important to you. This forces you to think in more depth than usual, and articulate ideas that you’ve never said out loud before - you might surprise yourself! As a coach, I don’t try to give advice or say what I think the 'right' answer is. I help by asking the right questions, and reflecting back anything I notice in the way you're talking about things. Maybe you’re contradicting yourself, or limiting yourself to a fixed number of options or outcomes - we can talk about why that is and how to move your thinking forward.

Clarity

During our sessions, we’ll get clear about exactly where you want to go in your life, whether that’s in the next two weeks or next ten years. Often this takes some time to narrow down what’s really important to you, and what your natural strengths and core values are.

Once you know what your goal is, we’ll start to explore the patterns and habits in your thinking and behaviour. How are these holding you back, and how could you update them with something more helpful? The session might have lightbulb moments (“I’ve never thought of it like that before!”) or it might simply begin a gradual shift in your perspective and goals that you don’t start to notice until the days or weeks after our session.

Action

Just like a session in the gym, a coaching session can be tiring. But by the end, you should feel satisfied, motivated and positive about the week to come. You’ll set clear, manageable goals for yourself that feel like the first baby steps in the right direction. Often my clients will set mini experiments for themselves, trying out new ways of thinking, behaving or reacting. It’s time to stop overthinking, and start taking charge.

Accountability

Successfully making small, consistent steps towards your goals feels great and is a huge boost for your self-confidence. I’m here as your accountability partner (and cheerleader) to make sure you follow up on the goals you’ve set for yourself. And if you’re struggling? We’ll look at what the challenges were and keep exploring ways to overcome them.

What topics does your coaching cover?

Do you feel like you’re making big life decisions and feeling the pressure to get it right?

Do you feel like you aren’t sure where you’re headed in your career, or what success even looks like?

Are your friends at different stages of their career and relationships, making it impossible to know what’s right for you?

Are you struggling with confidence in a new job, a more senior position, or coming back to work after parental leave?

Do you wish you had a safe space to talk about current or past relationships?

Is your current lifestyle leaving you feeling rushed, anxious or burnt out?

Are you struggling to find time for your friends, family, health or hobbies?

Do you seem to self-sabotage every time you make resolutions and try to change?

If the answer to any of these is YES, then you’re in the right place.

Looking for career coaching tailored to your work or a career transition? Read more here.

Curious to hear how I’ve helped other clients? Read their reviews here.

“Alice has been a fantastic coach for me over the last few years and has really helped me take control of my work life balance, as well as give me a clear perspective on many of the challenges I've had to face. I couldn't recommend her calm, collected and measured approach more highly!”

- Max, 5-star Google Review

Is coaching right for me?

Coaching is right for you if you’re ready to do the work. You need to be engaged in the process and open to sharing your thoughts, challenges and fears with me. The benefits you’ll get are directly linked to how willing you are to throw yourself into it, both in coaching sessions and with the goals you set for yourself between our sessions.

Coaching might not be right for you if you’re looking for a piece of specific advice, or you’re hoping for quick fix improvements with minimal effort on your part.  Equally, if you’re really struggling with your mental health (e.g. severe depression or trauma) then there are other services that will be better suited to serve you.