Our coaching approach
Relationships
Relationship building is at the core of our work and is essential for creating mutual trust. We really get to know the children and young people we work with, knowing their interests, what makes them tick and what makes them laugh! Our sessions are purposeful, yet ‘light’ and we value humour! In building a genuine connection, our clients feel safe, respected, and most crucially…seen and heard. This promotes open dialogue.
As coaches, we are non-judgemental, never have an agenda and we don’t provide the answers. Research shows the most sustained and powerful change, comes from the individual. Our approach is always age-appropriate and tailored to the individual’s personality. We have developed our unique Emergence Approach, however, we believe in ‘flexi-coaching’. Sometimes, one shoe doesn’t fit all.
Everything we do is underpinned with encouragement, compassion and kindness, with a big helping of fun! Most importantly, we genuinely believe that every child and young person is capable of greatness, and our aim is for them to believe it too!
Self-cONCEPT
This is the view a person holds about who they are, and what they are capable of. Nobody can go further than their self-concept dictates is possible for them! We believe it’s just as important to help young people develop a good self-concept, as it is to help them understand their personal ambitions and barriers. Afterall it’s much easier to tackle life’s challenges and be comfortable making mistakes, when you are comfortable in your skin, knowing what makes you ‘you’.
We help young people see their spark, even if they are not able to see it themselves. We want them to feel good about their character, understanding their value and what they can offer the world. Its about knowing their strengths, passions and areas to develop and being ok with being perfectly ‘imperfect’. We help young people find their ‘WHY’ and instil the mindset and confidence they need, to pursue their life goals.
Reflection
Real learning happens when the brain is allowed to be quiet. It’s amazing what insights people come to when they have a designated time and space to reflect. In today’s world we are ‘activity rich, reflection poor’, yet real SELF-AWARENESS and growth comes through reflection. After all, we don’t fully understand how we feel or find clarity, until we take time away from distractions and allow ourselves to think deeply. Only then can we find ways to move forward. Without it, we can feel ‘stuck and other unhelpful emotions and feelings can start to arise. Worse still, they can spiral out of control. We provide a ‘neutral’ and safe mental sorting space.
Active Listening
We are not experts at life, far from it in fact! We are however, expert listeners and expert questioners! Very often incredible and meaningful conversation has saying little or nothing at the root of its success. Coaching can be the same! During our sessions we listen actively to what is said and what isn’t. We notice the subtle nuances and use this to inform our questioning, helping our clients move forward in their thinking.
Solution Focused &
Future-Orientated
For any child or young person, it can be hard to manage home and school or university life, alongside their friendships, personal needs, interests, and the pressures they may face. We get that, and that’s why we focus on the ‘NOW’ and what is within their control. Our approach places a strong emphasis on goal setting and the creation of actionable plans with a focus on personal accountability.
We help young people and educators:
- gain greater clarity and understanding
- generate their own solutions to problems
- remove the blockers to their objectives
- transform insight into action
We are an extra pair of eyes and ears, walking them through their realisations and helping them find the right solutions, so they can move from ‘I wish’ to ‘I did’
Evidence-Based practice
Our coaching sessions adopt the ‘GROW model’, an evidence-based coaching framework devised by Sir John Whitmore 2002, pioneer of coaching and leadership. This approach is widely used today in Sport, Business and Education.
Sometimes children and young people need guidance in overcoming mental barriers and how to manage their thoughts and emotions. In this instance, we can provide scientifically proven tools and strategies. We draw our knowledge from the latest research in Coaching, Cognitive Psychology, Positive Psychology and Neuroscience. We know what works!
