About Coaching (for those too tired to think straight)

Coaching. I'm sure you've come across it on TikTok, Instagram, in books, TV or film. You've got a vague idea of what it is, but it does sound a bit vague and woolly. And you probably have loads of questions. 

Is it therapy-lite? 

Will you tell me what to do? (Please?!)

We often talk about what coaching is not - it is not mentoring or therapy or consulting or training. But it can involve some of these, depending on the coach and their other skills. 

• Coaching is about empowering you to think and take action. It is not trying to fix you.

• Coaching is about helping you access what you already know so that you can grow. It is not about teaching you new things.

• Coaching is about you finding your own resourcefulness in order to take control of what you need to do. It is not about me telling you what to do.

If you want the official version, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) updated its definition in 2025, and now defines coaching as: “...a transformative journey where you discover your true potential. ... At its heart, coaching is about exploration. It’s a process that stirs up creativity, fuels personal growth, and maximizes both professional and personal potential. Through powerful questioning and insightful dialogue, coaches support you in discovering your own solutions, whether for life decisions, career shifts, or business challenges. Coaching goes beyond surface-level improvements; it cultivates deep, lasting change.”

Claude - my favourite AI - told me that the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it consistently is where most of us live (I'm sure Claude ripped this off from someone, but I can't find a source).

It's when you're stuck in that gap, and you are ready to start getting unstuck, that coaching can help you.

Coaching is a conversation with a purpose, and that purpose is to help you future. I help you to navigate through it. I don't set the agenda in coaching - you do. If that feels hard right now (and let's be honest, when you're burnt out, making decisions about what to have for lunch feels hard), I can provide a loose framework or tools to get us started. I can also offer tools or models that can help you find your way towards where you want to be, whether that's better boundaries with clients, guilt-free rest days, or just remembering what you actually enjoy about your work.

What results will you get from coaching?

I don't get results - you do!

It's a cliché, but you get out what you put in.

I can't promise you will never burnout or get out of balance again. My hope is that by working with me you'll get better at noticing when it's on the horizon - maybe when you start living on coffee and meal deals, or when you haven't seen your friends in three weeks because you've been working back-to-back. And that instead of collapsing into burnout, instead you'll be able to prioritise the rest you need so you can recover quicker.

I believe you're inherently resourceful, and are already holding (or able to find) what you need to do to change things in your life. I also know that sometimes we all need someone beside us to help us access our inner resourcefulness. If you're running on fumes and had a proper weekend in months, it's harder to access this, and coaching is a great way to help you do so.

In coaching, you decide the destination and focus of our sessions. Maybe that's "I want to stop saying yes to extra shifts because I don't want to let people down," or "I want to enjoy my work again without dreading the next event" or simply "I want to remember what it feels like to be properly rested without the guilt".

I provide you with the time and support to explore what it is that you want, what you need to change, and start to take actions to make it happen. Coaching will guarantee growth and self-awareness as you better understand what you need to do to feel more rested and less guilty about prioritising yourself.

"In coaching, you set the destination and focus of our sessions. Maybe that's "I want to stop feeling guilty when I say no to extra shifts," or "I want to enjoy my work again without dreading Monday morning," or simply "I want to remember what it feels like to be properly rested."

I provide a safe space where you can explore what you want, what you need to change, and start to take action towards that change. Coaching will guarantee growth and self-awareness as you better understand what you want from life - and crucially, what you need to feel more rested and less guilty about prioritizing yourself."

"I made progress on the way I was thinking about my situation, rather than achieving a specific goal. It made me realise that I am the keeper of my own work destiny and can implement small, significant changes to my own working patterns and working life."

Through a time that I didn't know I could ever possibly navigate for a whole new future, Jo helped me create a new mindset and I feel mentally stronger than ever."