"We LOVE our jobs, we help people evolve!" --Coach Marshall & Coach John
OUR COACHING SERVICES
HOW PROFESSIONAL COACHING IS DIFFERENT
Coaching, counseling and therapy share many common elements. In general terms, each discipline focuses on providing the client with the support and assistance necessary to realize positive changes and achieve desired goals.
Counseling and therapy focus, in large part, on the diagnosis, treatment and healing of psychological disorders, often stemming from the client’s past. A significant goal of counseling and therapy is on providing the necessary treatment to support the process of healing. The counselor or therapist is the professional of choice for individuals dealing with feelings, emotions and unresolved psychological issues, which exist as barriers to positive development.
At times, clients may benefit from the services provided by both a career coach and a counselor. For those clients interested in working with a professional counselor, we are pleased to arrange a referral to one of our trusted colleagues in counseling and psychotherapy. These mental health professionals have the training and expertise to assist clients with a broad spectrum of issues, including: anxiety, burnout, motivation and focus, depression, stress management, dealing with the “difficult” boss, conflict management, and low self esteem.
In COACHING, the client’s past may be reviewed and discussed, but the focus of these discussions is on exploring how the client will move forward in their life. Coach and client work together to identify what motivates the client and to clarify aspirations the client can pursue with passion.
Through COACHING, the client takes a very active role in setting the agenda for each session. Coaching examines the present and explores possibilities and expectations for the future. PROFESSIONAL COACHING provides a framework of support and encouragement for the client, to identify goals and take very specific, immediate steps to achieve meaningful results.
CAREER COACHING
Coach John Long has developed a unique brand~system of career coaching called Mindfulness Based Career Coaching™. This system takes a strengths-based approach blended with elements of positive psychology and solution-focused change. Mindfulness Based Career Coaching™ is at the core of John's book Career Judo™, which combines a lifetime of insights with over 12 years of practical strategies and resources that have been applied successfully by numerous students and clients. Like the colored belts you are awarded as you advance in judo training, Career Judo™ offers step-wise levels of trusted techniques and a progression of knowledge, skills, and resources to help you achieve a meaningful change in your career. Each “belt” in Career Judo™ provides viable techniques that you can immediately engage to craft your career map and achieve results. Most importantly, just as you would learn how to balance your own unique strengths against those of your opponents in the dojo, Career Judo ™ helps you discover what makes you unique and valuable in the job market and learn how to demonstrate that powerfully to potential employers.
A Career Coach provides clients with professional support to successfully navigate academic and career issues. The coach will educate clients on the strategies, tools, and resources available to become more proactive and take charge of their academic or work life.
A career coach will assess the client’s current situation and offer feedback to help clarify their career goals and objectives. The coach, as an objective observer, listener, and communicator will work with the client and develop a career roadmap to support positive change.
Career coaching may be right for you, if you feel you need assistance in dealing with any of the following issues:
Assessing and exploring strengths, interests, personality, motivation, and values
Researching and selecting a major for undergraduate study or graduate school.
Returning to school as an adult student for degree completion or graduate study.
Researching and selecting an occupation
Designing a strategic resume and cover letter
Developing a more effective, strategic job search
Interview preparation/coaching
Exploring options for alternative careers
Navigating a career transition
Evaluating opportunities for additional training/education
Identifying barriers to career movement and success
Focus on Results: Defining goals, action plans, time management, and organizational skills
Achieving the desired level of work-life balance
Creating a targeted plan for ongoing career development
For some individuals the answer to the question, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” eludes them well into adulthood. Or at mid-career/mid-life questions may surface such as “What do I want for the next phase of life?” or “How can I be doing more meaningful work, work that has more substance and value?” And turning to one’s parents, spouse/partner, friends, and colleagues provides extremely subjective, often limited results. There is a better way!
Working with a professional career coach can provide the structure, objectivity and motivation to answer serious questions and make informed decisions. The career coach is an advisor who has completed specialty training and maintains industry credentials and alliances to represent the profession of career coaching…and to support the career development needs of the clients served.
LIFE COACHING
Start with an initial 60 minute coaching session and you and your coach can decide on a life coaching package that will fit your needs [$165 per 60 minute session and a 10% discount on the purchase of packages of 3 or more sessions].
Benefits of Life Transitions Coaching:
Coaching is a confidential, non-judgmental relationship built on trust and respect. Coaching is not therapy and is not about uncovering or analyzing emotional issues from your past. It is forward-looking, action oriented and focused on taking you to the next level. Coaching can help clients increase decision making skills, interpersonal effectiveness, and confidence. The tenets of coaching include awareness, purpose and passion, work/life balance, values, vision, intentions, accountability and asking powerful questions. Imagine having a partnership with a Coach whose focus is on supporting you, helping you to get on track and move forward in your life.
If you are contemplating a transition or in the midst of a transition, ask yourself:
What is holding me back?
What would my life be like if I let go of fear and worry to embrace trust, gratitude and optimism
Am I still holding on to the person I used to be?
What needs to change to create clarity and focus?
Do I have a vision for my future, with goals and an action plan? Or am I stuck?
Now imagine having someone who could work with you to:
Clarify your values and vision for your future.
Develop goals and an action plan for change.
Let go of negative self-talk and get out of your own way.
Feel more confident and optimistic.
Manage your time more effectively and become more efficient.
Bring balance, energy, focus, passion and creativity back into your life.
ACADEMIC COACHING - STUDENT SUCCESS
This coaching support offers a unique blend of both life and career coaching.
Are you a student in search of greater clarity surrounding a college major that will lead to a desirable career path? Do you understand your options to add a minor, concentration, depth of study, or certificate to your degree program?
Are you aware of the very real benefits, to your career path, of adding an internship, co-op, service learning, or study abroad to your degree program?
Are you an adult looking to return to college to complete an undergraduate degree or pursue graduate study?
Our coaches have extensive experience with high school, undergraduate and graduate students - as coaches, university instructors and leading courses in Freshman Success/First Year Studies.
***Start with an initial 60 minute coaching session and you and your coach can decide on an academic coaching package that will fit your needs [$165 per 60 minute session and a 10% discount on the purchase of packages of 3 or more sessions].
PEOPLE COACHING - STAFF/EMPLOYEE COACHING, TRAINING AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Organizations can engage the services of a nationally certified professional coach to provide their staff with development opportunities or targeted support for career progression.
Employee Coaching and Leadership Development: Progressive organizations recognize the value of coaching. You can provide professional coaching as a holistic benefit to the people in your organization. Individual coaching sessions offer needed support to overcome obstacles, combat negative self talk and self-defeating habits, identify personal strengths and career goals, and create viable action plans to achieve desired results.
Staff Training and Development: We specialize in providing targeted workshops that promote understanding and engagement for your staff. Popular topics include stress management, applied positive psychology in the workplace, and leveraging your personality preferences (Myers Briggs Type Indicator/MBTI) for greater work satisfaction and performance (communication, participating on teams, leading projects, etc.). Contact us to discuss your training needs and ideas and we'll work with you to design and deliver a lunch-and-learn or workshop with impact!
OUTPLACEMENT SERVICES - COACHING FOR STAFF/EMPLOYEE TRANSITION
The OUTPLACEMENT by DESIGN # package will lend professional support to the individual whose position has been eliminated due to an organization's reduction in force/downsizing or restructuring.
A proposed coaching package would include (package will be customized to the individual's needs):
Intake session to review the individual’s background and current situation in detail.
Formal Assessments: MBTI Career Report & Strong Interest Inventory ($100 total)
Self Assessment Exercises for Skills/Strengths and Career Values.
Exercises to research selected occupational roles/career paths.
Establishing both short-term and long term career goals, as well as options for additional training, education, and/or certification to enter a new career.
9 Follow-up Coaching Sessions: for interpretation of assessment results, career exploration, defining focus of a job search, discuss a pro-active job search strategy, and interview preparation ($185 per 60 min. session)
5 hours of writing support to develop an updated resume, cover letter, letter of introduction and reference list ($65 per hour for writing support)
Email support between formal sessions.
# Outplacement services are in-person at our offices unless the individual prefers remote sessions via phone or Zoom.
TRY ASKING "WHAT", NOT "WHY"?
When you’re feeling boxed-in or stuck, it is often a good idea to start looking at things a bit differently and with more objectivity. A simple but often powerful way to make a positive change in your perspective is to start asking different questions. You may currently be asking questions like:
“Why is this happening to me?”
“Why is this happening now?”
“Why isn’t my plan working?”
“Why can’t I reach my goal?”
“Why am I feeling this way?”
“Why?” is one of the first questions we learn to ask as children. As a child I can remember watching movies with my family, who would inevitably become quite irritated with my barrage of “why” questions. Even today friends and family will frown at me for asking too many questions! We ask “Why” questions because we want to understand or reconcile a situation. But is the question being driven by a need to learn and grow or is it an emotional response? I sometimes refer to a “Why” question as the “Victim’s” question…“Why me?” This type of question may be good for reflection, but its focus is on the past or present. And we no longer have an opportunity to change the past or present.
Consider asking “What” rather than “Why.” In the coaching world, we refer to “What” questions as WAQs on the side of the head or Wisdom Access Questions (courtesy of Master Certified Coach Laura Berman Fortgang). WAQs take you beyond information gathering, to concentrate on outcomes and solutions. With a goal in mind, you can then do the research necessary to make informed decisions that can propel you forward. And the future is where positive change and goals reside. Here are some examples of essential, compelling “What” questions:
“What needs to change?”
“What’s blocking my path?”
“What negative patterns am I repeating?” ex. Job Hopping, Toxic Relationships, Allowing Your Voice to be Stolen
“What do I need to embrace or demonstrate to prove to myself that I am ready for change?”
“What do I need to learn / accomplish?”
Think of a common scenario, for example a conflict with your boss. You might ask questions such as “Why doesn’t my boss like me,” “Why does my boss treat me this way” or even “Why is my boss such a jerk?” I’ll admit that these questions are good for venting. But the fundamental problem with these questions is that they have much more to do with the other person and their behavior than they have to do with you. You can’t spin your wheels trying to figure out the other person’s thoughts and motives. So try asking something like, “What can I do this week to improve my relationship with my boss?” A “What” question allows you to be proactive and to seek out a solution.