Frequently Asked Questions

My focus is in helping people living with challenging health issues to live well, restore emotional wellbeing and look positively towards the future. Whether they are the person with the health issue or in a supporting or caring role, I work with individuals and families who want to learn to manage their illness or injury more effectively, find long-term peace with the changes, restore relationships with family and friends and return to work and their life.

I do not work with clients on any medical, nutrition or weight loss advice, exercise or physiotherapy, long-standing addiction issues or treatment for clinically diagnosed mental health issues. Health and wellness coaching is also not meant to take the place of medical treatment for illnesses or injuries but can be used alongside to complement your existing treatments.

 Coaching is a powerful way to resolve issues, clarify what you want and move forward when navigating change. We’ll work together to set clear goals and objectives, tracking your progress along the way in and between our sessions.

As your coach, I facilitate the process of you uncovering the issues that you feel stuck on and how to resolve those, rather than telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. This is not consulting or advising. We focus on your present issues and what you want your future to look like in a purposeful way. I’ll listen attentively and non-judgmentally, reflecting back what you say and do and ask thought-provoking questions that will gently challenge your beliefs and assumptions about your current situation. I’ll be here to support and encourage you as you remind yourself of your strengths and abilities and work towards your chosen goals.

Coaching assumes that you can find the solutions to your questions and issues yourself. As your coach, I facilitate that process rather than telling you what you should or shouldn’t do. That’s what makes coaching different from therapy, mentoring, consulting or advising. It’s uniquely placed to empower you to be the expert on your life thereby supporting you to take back control after an injury or diagnosis – and ultimately, to restore your own sense of wellness and wellbeing (with the support of me as your coach).

I’ll partner with you to help you find answers by:

• Listening attentively and non-judgmentally
• Reflecting back to you what you say and do, and what you don’t
• Asking thought-provoking questions
• Gently challenging your assumptions, beliefs and current ways of doing things
• Reminding you of your strengths and abilities
• Being your sounding board
• Supporting and encouraging you
• Helping you keep yourself on track for what you want to achieve.

I also take responsibility for keeping us focused on your agenda throughout, and undertake to keep the details of our conversations confidential (unless the law requires otherwise).

Ultimately, coaching is about you taking responsibility for the choices and decisions you make. This is often an empowering and liberating experience which is why I advise you to come to every session:

• Feeling reading to make changes in your life with the right support behind you
• Prepared to talk about yourself and contribute honestly and openly during the session
• With an idea of what you’d like to discuss and achieve in our work together
• In a collaborative mindset so that we can work together to seek answers and solutions
• Ready to implement the actions that we’ve agreed will help move you towards your goals

If you don’t feel ready to talk about yourself or make significant changes in your life, that’s OK! I’d recommend signing up to the Return to Wellness® newsletter to gain access to the Wellness Resource Library where you can find tips and advice that can help prepare you to take the next step.

Many of the individuals that I work with have experienced a sudden onset of a challenging condition or injury that has been life-changing in many ways. Others have health issues that might appear minor to begin with but actually have a significant impact on their daily life. Some health issues may also be serious but temporary rather than ongoing. If a health issue is having a negative impact on your daily life, I’d love to support you in moving forward.

I’ve worked with individuals and families who have or had:

• Cancer
• Leukaemia
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Spinal cord injury
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Transverse Myelitis (TM)
• Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO)
• Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM)
• Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
• Diabetes
• Lupus
• Heart disease and Angina
• Arthritis
• Benign conditions such as dizziness
• Challenging injuries and pain in the back, leg etc.
• Anorexia

My work is based on my core values and beliefs, which manifests in a relational, insightful and gently challenging approach to coaching. With my background in adult learning, much of what I do is person-centred and supported by theory and systemic thinking. I strongly believe in enabling individuals to learn and support themselves as they move towards their chosen goals and take a holistic approach to our work together. This helps to raise your self-awareness and empowers you to make choices that work for you.

Between our sessions, I offer email support if something comes up as a result of our work, if you have a question or want to share a success.

We’ll agree on what works best for you. You may decide that you’ve reached all of the goals that we outlined or are still working towards those and would like to book additional sessions, either as a one-off or as another full coaching package. You can also subscribe to the Return to Wellness® newsletter to keep up-to-date on tips and advice to continue living well.