new life coach

Hello Kate

Welcome to Healthypages and the Life Coaching forum. :wave:

I’m not sure if we have any other members currently studying at Newcastle College, but I’m sure they’ll make themselves known if we do.

Search will reveal previous threads on the courses being taught at Newcastle College, although there’s nothing newer that I could find than from a couple of years ago, and the courses content may have changed in the meantime. This one may be of interest:

You said that you found your first phone session to be quite daunting, so I wonder if you’d like to say a bit more about that anyway, and perhaps we can discuss it and maybe offer some support/suggestions? Was the whole conversation like that, or maybe just initially, while getting the ball rolling as it were?

Look forward to hearing from you and hope you enjoy your visits here 🙂

Holistic

Hi Kate, I've been a coach for over 10 years now, and in my experience the hardest coaching you will ever do is your practice clients, over the phone. First, as they ARE practice clients, they probably have not actively sought coaching out, and may not have a particularly high commitment level, especially as they may not really understand what coaching is about, and be looking for you to take the lead to "fix" things for them. Secondly, I have to say that despite everything you are told on these course about phone coaching, its a medium I have had little success with. I charge more, and go to my clients 🙂 I've not done a major coaching session on the phone since my assessment day. I DO sometimes do phone coaching, but for existing clients wanting additional support, not as the main method. None of this may apply to you, but that was my experience 🙂 I'm not sure what you are required to give to clients pre-session for your assessment, but this is a summary of a sheet I send beforehand, to get clients thinking about what they want, and what is called their "evidence frame". Its not original, I've seen it in various formats over the years, but feel free to use anything that is helpful. I get them to return it to me, of they don't, I postpone the session till they do, as the information is so helpful in structuring an initial session that I wouldn't want to do it without it. (This is for life coaching obviously, I do something different for my corporate clients) The questions I ask are:
What’s that dream goal you want to achieve, which will make the coaching really worthwhile to you?

What challenges are you facing right now?

If I could wave a magic wand how would you want things to be? (alternatively, if you knew you could not fail, what would you do?)

Why is working on this so important to you?

How can I help you achieve your goal? (or what do you want from your coach?)

What would be the most valuable thing for you to achieve in our first session?

It's the end of our coaching partnership, how will you know it has been successful?

Hi,

Thankyou both for your helpful advice.

I guess these things do improve with experience! I think the main thing that threw me was that the clent herself was quite nervous and I found it difficult to try and build rapport and break the ice, so to speak, over the phone.

The whole conversation was a bit stunted really and it I felt like I was doing more of the talking to compensate for the lack of it on her part.

Anyhow I have another call tonight with another client (phone) so Im sure those questions will be really useful - thanks charisnlp!

I have found most of my clients through friends who tend to be spread around the country so will mainly be phone sessions. Il have to try and find some local clients too.

Thanks again

Kate G

Kate, may I ask, is this new 'client' a volunteer/guinea pig who is helping you with your studies, or really a potential coaching client? Or possibly both!

I ask because it seems to me that, with no disrespect to ClarisNLP, some of the above questions are perhaps geared more towards someone who might be already 'signed up' and committed to the whole coaching process. With someone totally new to the whole concept of coaching, such intense questions just might be counterproductive.

As your client is booked in for tonight, obviously you won't be able to send questions in advance, but I have to say I'd rephrase this one:

because questions beginning with Why? can put the other person on the defensive.

Here are a couple that you may also find helpful:

What are you most proud of in your life?

What do you not have/make time for?

Both can open up other areas of thought for the client. The important thing, I think, is to avoid running the risk of overloading the client initially, but to be supportive of where they are now ... and curious 😉

Good luck with tonight's session anyway, and do let us know how it goes 🙂

Holistic

Hi,
Il take that into account and let you know how I get on. feeling much more positive - thanks

Kate

Yes, when I first trained, it was drummed into us never to ask why, and over the years, I do find there is a place for it, if asked with rapport and respect. Certianly I agree with Laura that a barrage of "why" can put people on the defensive, and give you as the coach a lot of answers that justify a particular position, rather than real information. Nevertheless, I find that having rules about not using particular words less useful than I used too.

I agree completely that these questions are geared towards ensuring that your clients are signed up to the coaching process. I think one of the challenges with pro-bono coaching volunteers is that they sometimes aren't signed up to the process, and so it makes it hard for the student to progress the coaching in a meaningful way. Even though the client is getting the coaching free, even though they are doing you a favour, and even though you aren't qualified yet, they (the client) should still be getting coaching (rather than some other intervention), and the student needs to facilitate this by ensuring the client is signed up to a coaching process. I notice with my own students, that there can be a temptation to take anyone who volunteers as their practice clients, as they are so grateful to have them, and they end up struggling because the practice client was never really that interested, and had not understood the nature of what they were agreeing too. Just IMHO 😉

In any case, Kate, you will find a style that suits you, and it is early days for you yet. Hope this one goes really well. 🙂 Joyce

Hi Kate, I did my training at Newcastle College about 4 years ago, the courses might be called something else now but am sure its the same content.

I think its natural that the first few calls to feel daunting, but they will get easier as you gain confidence and get used to them.

If you want to discuss the course further am happy to help!

Regards, Adrienne

Hi everyone,

just to let you know that my life coach call did not go ahead last night as the client did not answer her phone!
She has since been in touch with me and we have rescheduled for Thurs. Incidentally the client would like to be coached in her organisational skills!
Kate

P.S thanks Adrienne, that would be good.

P.P.S Holistic: yes she was a guina pig/volunteer client

Kate x

Hello to Life Workout and a warm welcome to you too :wave:

Hi everyone,

just to let you know that my life coach call did not go ahead last night as the client did not answer her phone!
She has since been in touch with me and we have rescheduled for Thurs. Incidentally the client would like to be coached in her organisational skills!
Kate

Well, that should be interesting!

As the appointment isn't until Thursday, you would just have time to send her a few things to be mulling over, if you wanted. A few questions to get the ball rolling, then you would have some 'shared ground' for initial discussion ... I mean, you wouldn't be 'going in cold' quite as much, would you?

Holistic

Hi,

The original client that was booked in did not answer again... however I have had a session with another client since that went really well I feel. Much improvement on the last.
Questions worked really well.
Thanks all
Kate G

a hand to help

Hi there Kate,

I'm also studying Life Coaching with the Life Skills Coaching Academy (in Finland), and am now starting to coach outsiders. As I used to live in the UK, I'd like to get some practice clients from there. I wonder if you, or indeed anyone here, would like free over the phone coaching? I've got free calls to UK landlines via Skype.

Let me know if interested, or alternatively, where else would it be good to post an offer to coach for free.

Much appreciated,

Johannes

Hello and welcome to Healthypages 🙂

May I refer you to the notice at the top of this forum, concerning coaches in training who are looking for 'coachees' to help with their studies:

although this may not be too obvious from the thread title. I'll have to change it to something more descriptive! 😉 😀

Good luck with your course, and to becoming full fledged in this very interesting career.

Holistic

EDIT: Thread title on the 'sticky' now changed to [url] Notice - PLEASE READ - for trainee coaches [/url]

Hi Johannes,

I would be happy to discuss this.

Thanks

Kate

Sorry, Kate, I had to remove your email address from the above post. We always do this as a matter of routine, to protect our members from sp*mmers.

Off-forum communication should be by Private Message (PM), but unfortunately it looks as if Johanne's account may still be subject to these initial restrictions because he is a new member:

of which not yet being able to use the PM system is one of them. Sorry about that but, again, the restrictive measures were put in place to prevent sp*mmers.

Will have to wait for him to return to the forum, or perhaps I can contact him privately in the meantime.

Holistic