MAKEPEACE
Integrated Wellbeing
Coaching & Councelling
a multidisplinary, holistic approach to help you
put your life together better
HOW I WORK
My Unique Philosophy Services
How I Work
My Coaching Approach
I am first and foremost a Coach, although I am also trained as a Counsellor. However, I am not a psychotherapist, and I do not work with people who are in need of serious psychotherapy. But I do know from experience that many of us carry emotional baggage from our past that is negatively impacting our present, and that resolving this is often necessary to be able to move forward more successfully in our lives. Where that is the case, I will wear my Counsellor hat for as long as it takes to help my client reach the point that they are sufficiently free of emotional or psychological pain to be able to focus their energy on moving forward towards their goals and the realization of their vision.
I am a strong believer in the principle of equality – that while I may have certain specialist skills, techniques, tools and experience, I see my clients as my equals – I operate from an I’m okay/you’re okay perspective. I am firmly convinced that most people are capable of achieving their goals and desires if provided with the appropriate information and support. For that reason, my clients are the ones who define the goals and objectives they want to move towards. I partner with them, using my skill, experience and objective perspective to help them define and refine the steps necessary to achieve their goals, and to provide a point of accountability as they action these steps.
This requires trust, however, so I also believe in the value of being transparent and real, which means I am open about my history, my value system and my beliefs – my clients are welcome to ask enough about me to feel comfortable about who they are working with. Equally important, my clients also need to be open and honest with me so that I have an accurate awareness of their circumstances, challenges and progress. Also, for our relationship to be effective, I subscribe to the idea that I also need to be honest, that it is my duty and responsibility to raise awareness if I foresee potential negative consequences or practical challenges that I think could mean my client may be setting themselves up for failure or disappointment. Consequently, sometimes I will need to tell my client what I believe they may need to consider, which may not always be what they want to hear. But I am also firmly convinced of the importance of celebrating successes and even small achievements, and that this is something we often don’t do enough of, especially as most people don’t easily share their challenges, and thus their triumphs over them.
My Coaching Focus
While l always take an integrated and holistic approach, there are a number of areas where l believe l can bring substantial experience and knowledge, and thus offer significant value to my clients. These areas are:
However, what l have learned from more than 25 years of working as a coach is how profound the impact our formative years has on our adult lives, on how what we learned about life as a child profoundly shapes how we respond as an adult. This impact can be subtle or very obvious, but most people tend to be unaware of how strongly our history drives our assumptions and behaviours unless we take the time to reassess from.an adult point of view what we have learned to take as given in childhood. In my experience, people are often surprised by how a small shift in perspective or understanding can have a major impact on their whole life, dissolving constrictions and opening up a substantial range of new possibilities.
In my work, I have repeatedly seen that, when given the opportunity and enough information to make these connections and review their childhood assumptions, a lot of unconscious constraints will dissolve, freeing the person to be able create a more satisfying life, and this has become an area of specific focus and interest for me. I have repeatedly seen that, with historical restrictions resolved, the focus can then quickly shift to helping my clients effectively identify and then achieve their ambitions and desires. However, in my experience, to do this requires an inclusive approach, something l strongly believe in, but which is becoming rare in an increasingly specialist world.
However, I remain convinced that holistic perspective should extend to all aspects of a person’s life and an integrated approach ensures that a realistic balance, reasonable expectations, viable targets and achievable goals are set, so my clients are set up for success and sustained progress towards the life they want. I can then bring my knowledge and experience to help them address specific areas such as self-awareness, self-care and boundaries, and to clarify their goals and desires in areas such as career, finance, relationships.