FAQs Archive - Ursula O'Mahoney

Q: How is coaching different from training or teaching?

[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" border_style="solid"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" type="1_1" background_position="left top" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_repeat="no-repeat" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" hover_type="none" min_height="" link=""][fusion_text] Training and teaching involve the transfer of skills and knowledge to the learner. The trainer or teacher is the expert. As a coaching psychologist, I will acknowledge you as the expert on your life, experiences, and perspectives. I will not give you answers, but will guide with the right questions. One size doesn’t fit all, so I will explore your present, help you focus on your goals and work with you to design your future path. This is your journey, and I will be asking you to work actively on this. The reward is that you will learn and grow during the process; it will certainly be worth the effort. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: This sounds positive but are there any downsides?

[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" border_style="solid"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" type="1_1" background_position="left top" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_repeat="no-repeat" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" hover_type="none" min_height="" link=""][fusion_text] There are very few down sides to coaching. The focus is not on what’s wrong, instead it's on what’s right, and how you can keep that in your life and make it better. There is always risk in everything, though. One risk is that you might feel awkward or uncomfortable as we begin to work on where or what you want to improve. However, finding your starting point is all part of the process and we can explore this together. Sessions may bring up some things that you might want to avoid, or things that might be better served by medical or other forms of support. Avoidance is one thing that comes up a lot in wellbeing coaching; it’s easy to want to avoid change. That is something we can work on in the process of analysing blocks and obstacles. Severe emotional distress, relationship problems, possible mental illness are things that need to be explored with medical support. If these issues come up in a session, I will advise and guide you on seeking this support. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: Can Wellbeing coaching create dependency?

[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" border_style="solid"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" type="1_1" background_position="left top" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_repeat="no-repeat" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" hover_type="none" min_height="" link=""][fusion_text] No. As a Wellbeing coach and psychologist, I want you to be autonomous and achieve what you want. I will make it clear from the start that you are responsible for and own the results of the coaching process. Coaching works to make the client more self-reliant, personal strength aware and improve self-efficacy. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: How will I know if Wellbeing coaching is working for me?

[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" border_style="solid"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" type="1_1" background_position="left top" border_style="solid" border_position="all" spacing="yes" background_repeat="no-repeat" margin_top="0px" margin_bottom="0px" animation_speed="0.3" animation_direction="left" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" center_content="no" last="no" hover_type="none" min_height="" link=""][fusion_text] At the end of a session, I will encourage you to ask yourself if you have learned something new about yourself and gained clarity on your situation. While I would never claim that wellbeing coaching can lead to immediate epiphanies, I do believe you should feel like you’re gaining a bit more clarity on your situation with an initial or each progressive session. You should feel like you’re gaining a new awareness about yourself, to enable new actions and new results in your life. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Q: Is there a way I can get some information before I commit to coaching?

Of course. In any kind of helping profession, you should be able to ask questions, get information, or get a feel for what the work is like. I offer a free 20-minute phone conversation, so I can answer questions, give you a small sample of what coaching might look like and look at how we can work together. I also offer a discounted, 1-time only session on identifying goals, so you can get a small taste of how this works. If coaching is something you want to do, and are interested in exploring, I want to make it as easy and worthwhile for you to explore.