12/08/2023
For the past year or so, I've been learning about coaching and I have now started practicing what I have learned on real live people! I still have a lifetime of things to learn about this whole field, but a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step, so here is the one step that I am taking now.
I'm now ready to start offering pro bono (free) coaching sessions.
Why would a person want to be coached?
Coaching is different from mentoring, and it's different from therapy. It's a conversation between two people that is focused on one of the people (the "thinker"). It is forward-focused, and it helps the thinker take the next right step in whatever they are trying to do. A coaching session can focus on a problem the thinker is facing, but it can also be focused on a situation that the thinker wants to think about or reflect on. It can be about a person, a behaviour, or a situation, for example. It can be about a feeling or something that the thinker has been pondering for a long time and can't seem to make good progress on. A coaching session is co-created by the thinker and the coach in the moment, so whatever the thinker wants to bring to the session, or doesn't want to bring, is fine.
It's a low-pressure way to have a conversation that will help you think, and maybe also help you decide to act.
My job as your coach is to help you think about whatever you want to think about. That's the basic dynamic, and the topic can be anything from family life, to your studies or your career, to leadership, to relationships or friendships, etc. Really any area of your life that you want to do some good thinking about is fair game for coaching!
That is how I would define coaching, but it really needs to be experienced to be understood fully.
I want to go slow and build in lots of time for reflection, so I am planning to only take a few appointments per week. Each appointment will be set to last 25 minutes, but if we think we need more time, we can agree to extend it to up to 50 minutes.
How to book an appointment:
If you are interested in being coached by me (or finding out more -- also free!), please send me a private message (PM) here in FB or in LinkedIn, or send an email to paisleypeers[at]gmail.com. I will then send you a link to book an appointment in my calendar.
If you want to refer someone to me, please share this post with them, or send them the above email address and ask them to contact me there.
I am planning to offer sessions for free for a few months and then transition to paid appointments by the end of 2023 as I build up my experience and understanding.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please let me know! I'm here for you!
Shaney Crawford @ Paisley Peers