What Happens During A Coaching Session & How Many Will I Need?

You may be a bit nervous about delving into coaching and that’s perfectly natural. If you have the kind of mind that needs to know about everything up front, this blog is here to put it at ease and to answer a few of your questions.

You may be thinking:

What does a coaching session look like?
What will be expected of me?
What can I expect of my coach?
What timeframe are we working with and how many sessions will we need?
Who makes the decisions about what happens next?

If you’re still unsure or you have other unanswered questions, I offer a free session upfront so you can get to know me and how I work.

Do a little groundwork

Do you need a coach or a therapist? It can be difficult to know the difference between the two so here I’ve written a roundup to help you decide. There’s also a list of questions to help you find the right person for you, along with an invitation to check in with your inner voice.

If you think life coaching is for you, then I’ve also put together a guide to what it is – and what it isn’t. Only you can gauge how you feel about things like goal-setting and what you want to explore and develop. So I’ve included a little food for thought to make sure you feel happy and safe, whoever you choose to work with.

The first session

The first session with me is a get-to-know-you session and I don’t charge for it. It’s not a sales call and it’s not a discovery call, it’s a fully-functioning session so that we can get to know each other. Other coaches work differently so it’s best to find this out beforehand. Don’t be afraid to ask.

The important thing to remember is that this session (like all sessions) is client-led. It’s my job as the coach to hold space for you so that you feel unburdened by steering the conversation or remembering what we’ve covered.

This isn’t about setting hard and fast goals either. These will develop as we go.

What happens next?

From here, we build on our foundation and although I use the structure below we ease in and out of states, depending on what you need:

Normalise – this is your safe space to express what you’re struggling with.

Personalise – the way forward belongs to you. We can shape it together but it’s your journey.

Actualise – we lift our plan from talk to real life with actions and techniques to try.

Sometimes our work will be fast-paced and focused. At others, I’ll invite you to meditate, reflect or take a step back. What’s important is that you come with what you have at the time. It’s my job to have an overview and keep the goal in mind.

We’ll track of progress but check-ins will be agreed to in advance and they’ll be tailored to you. I’m always there during office hours for emails and messages.

Will there be any actions/homework?

To allow you to embed what we’ve been working on and for you to experiment with the tools I’ve given you, you’ll have time for reflection and trying things out. It’s all agreed and by consent.

What if I don’t do my actions/homework?

Then we’ll explore why not. What was in your way, what were you struggling with and what felt good (or disruptive)? What were the barriers and how did they make you feel? Is there something else we can do instead? This is all part of the process.

What tools do you use?

To move you beyond theory, conversation and the occasional epiphany, I have a whole toolbox we can draw from. Whether this is helping you to achieve one of your action steps or your nervous system is upset and you need a little grounding.

We’ll always draw on your natural aptitudes and preferences, so you won’t have to do something you feel uncomfortable or out of your depth doing. Whether we’re working with NLP (neurolinguistic programming), mindfulness techniques or the 7 types of rest, everything happens with your agreement and consent. We then check in regularly to make sure it’s still relevant and helpful.

How many sessions will I need?

I offer 6 as part of my package because I’ve found that this works. Usually, these happen over 3 to 4 months but they are valid for a year. If you need a break to let our work bed in, then that’s fine, we can pick up again when you’re ready.

Of course, if you’d like to extend your sessions or have regular check-ins, I offer a discount.