What Actually Happens in Coaching?

“So… what does coaching actually involve?”

It’s a totally fair question. If you’ve never worked with a coach before, you might picture something like a consultant giving you a bullet-point action plan. Or a mentor sharing stories and advice from their own career.

But that’s not what coaching is — at least, not the way I practise it. 

Coaching is about unlocking what’s already inside you

For me, coaching is about creating space to make change possible, and the key to this lies with you. 

We all lead busy lives, and it can be difficult to see a way forward when we’re so bogged down with the day-to-day. Working with a coach can help you to set aside time to think more broadly and more deeply than you can alone. It creates space for your own clarity and decisions to have room to surface.

This means coaching isn’t about advice-giving. I’m not here to tell you what to do. (Honestly, most people already get enough of that from managers, family and social media.) 

Coaching is about taking a journey together, towards something that you want. You have the vision and the goals, and I have tools and skills that can help you get there.

Every coaching journey is different, so exactly what our sessions involve will depend on you. However,  it always starts with a conversation. You’ll tell me what you want, what you already know, and what you don’t know yet. I’ll listen to you, and I’ll ask you questions and perhaps offer exercises that might support you. 

Sometimes we’ll refine skills, such as public speaking, or setting boundaries. Sometimes we’ll work to unpick a limited belief or a tricky decision. And, sometimes, results will simply come from having the space to talk and reflect.

But isn’t it frustrating if I want expertise?

It’s a common worry: “If you’re not going to give me answers, what am I paying for?”

Here’s the thing. Coaching is powerful precisely because you discover your answers. That said, I don’t sit passively with endless open-ended questions.

If I see a concept or resource that could really help, I’ll bring it in. If it feels like a critical piece of knowledge might unlock a stuck point, I won’t withhold it. If you need to build a skill, we can do that together. The point is: everything is tailored to you, and we’ll work closely together to find the best way forward for what you’re looking to achieve. 

It’s also a carefully held space

Trust, non-judgement and clear boundaries matter hugely to me. I take time at the start of our work to set ground rules, discuss confidentiality, and explore how we’ll handle challenge and accountability.

I also pay close attention to endings. We agree on a set number of sessions, revisit goals, and if you’re ready to move on, I encourage you to do so. I’d far rather help you to become confident and self-reliant than build dependence.

So what’s the real outcome?

Ultimately, good coaching is about you hearing your own voice - not everyone else’s.

In our crowded lives, it’s rare to have a space that’s fully yours: no hidden agenda, no judgement, no prescribed solution. Just clarity, spaciousness and growth.

Curious what that might look like for you?

Let’s have a conversation.

I offer an initial free 30-minute discovery call, so you can get a sense of me and how I work - no pressure, no sales pitch. Just a space to explore what’s brought you here.

Book a free discovery call.