Hannah's story

What were your feelings about being coached when you first requested a coach?

I was unsure how coaching could help me, but I had reached a point where I was open to at least explore the possibilities. I had the benefit of knowing others in a similar situation to myself for whom coaching had been helpful.

What would you now say to anyone who is considering whether to have coaching?

When you’re ready to explore how you are feeling with someone else, find a coach who you trust and you feel able to open up to.

I would tell them to be prepared to not only to explore the practical situation they are in but also their feelings, and be prepared to be open and see things differently. In my experience the introspection wasn’t always comfortable but really helped me to be honest with myself and clearer of how to move forward.

Don’t be afraid to seek help.

What changes has coaching enabled you to make? What has it helped you to achieve in your life and in your organisation?

Doing a counselling course, gave me something positive to do whilst managing a building project, and helped me assess if counselling is something I want to pursue in the future

It helped me to see that I had experienced a lot of changes at the same time and that it was OK to feel overwhelmed, but also that it was OK to take some time out and consider my options

What impact has this had on your personal and work relationships?

• Made me feel better about my situation after a lot of significant changes in my life.
• Helped me explore my feelings in a positive and constructive way
• Helped me consider my priorities and the things that are important to me
• Encouraged me to have some very useful discussions about money and not working
• Helped me explore possibilities that I wasn’t able to do alone
• Boosted my confidence

How has coaching helped you in your wider quality of life?

In general, it has helped to give me a better perspective on my life but particularly my working life in the past, present and future.

I now have an idea that coaching may be an interesting future career option for myself.

What have you found most useful in our coaching together?

• The confidential place to discuss my feelings as well as the practical situation
• I found some of the exercises useful and revealing – no massive surprises but more perhaps validation

What was it about the way you and I worked together that you found most helpful?

• The fact that you didn’t know me before we started
• That you gently challenged me and helped me see things from another perspective
• Slightly surprisingly (to me), I enjoyed working by phone

What could we have done differently to be even more effective?

I’m afraid I can’t think of anything.... I found the process extremely use in many ways, and I’m so glad that you were recommended to me.