My approach to coaching
TL;DR: A space and process where we work together through playful conversations to create change for someone. Moving toward a goal while getting to know themself better.
This note describes my approach to coaching, which is rooted in my training at the Co-Active Training Institute (CTI).
About coaching
Coaching is a broad field, with many different schools, trainings, methodologies, and frameworks, so coaches naturally work in different ways depending on their education, experience, and philosophy.
The word coach is also used in many contexts, such as sports, job search, leadership, and personal development. Because of this, coaching can mean different things to different people. Sometimes it refers to expert guidance and feedback; in my work, it means a collaborative process of awareness, choice, and action.
This note describes my approach to coaching and is not intended to define coaching as a whole.
Desire for change
People come to coaching because they want something in their life to change. The change might relate to what they are doing, how they are feeling, or the way they relate to themselves and others.
The desire for change can be in any area of life. It may relate to work, relationships, health, finances, personal growth, or a transition they are navigating. Coaching provides a space and process for this change to unfold.
Working together
In a coaching relationship, we work together to create the desired change. The way forward emerges from the client and is explored through questions, reflection, and practical exercises.
My role is not to provide answers or tell someone what to do. Instead, I help clients listen more deeply to themselves so that they can discover their own insights, choices, and possibilities.
Action
Coaching is action-oriented. Its purpose is not only to create insight, but also to support meaningful change in a person’s life.
That change may involve finding a new direction, beginning something important, letting go of what no longer serves you, making a difficult decision, or relating differently to yourself or to a situation.
In coaching, we are always moving toward something: a goal, a choice, a new possibility, or a more fulfilling way of being. Each session is intended to create greater awareness and to support action, even when the next step is small.
Present & future
In coaching conversations, we work in the present moment.. We explore what is here now - what does not serve and what wants to emerge.
and in the future. In order to make change in the now.
Very little time is used on past experiences; if they come up, we try to shift the focus to how these are impacting the present moment.
Playful conversations
Playfulness is an important part of my coaching approach.
In our conversations, we may use imagination, metaphor, reflection, movement, or other creative exercises to explore your thoughts, feelings, body, and inner experience.
These playful approaches help us step outside familiar ways of thinking. When we loosen our usual mental patterns, new perspectives and possibilities often become visible.
Playfulness is not about avoiding serious topics. It is a way of bringing curiosity, creativity, and openness into the coaching process, so that insight can emerge in a more natural and often surprising way.
Beyond the immediate goal
Coaching usually begins with a desired change: a decision, a transition, a challenge, or a goal that is important to you.
We work toward that goal in a practical and action-oriented way. Sometimes the change happens gradually, one step at a time.
At the same time, I see coaching as more than achieving a specific outcome. Along the journey, there is an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of yourself: your values, patterns, emotions, strengths, and ways of relating to the world.
This deeper self-knowledge often becomes one of the most valuable outcomes of coaching, because it can support not only the change you are seeking now, but also the choices and challenges you will meet in the future.