accredited
 |
|
accredited
|
Your
questions answered
|
|
Christopher
J. Coulson, MAHPP
Eating Disorders Coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
It is appropriate for you to have many questions about me and the way I work. Ultimately, there's no substitute for talking together, but in the meantime I've tried to cover many of your questions here.
Once you have decided to take me on as your coach we will establish three things:
From then on, we will meet as planned until such time as you wish to change the arrangements. Prospective working relationships are really covered on the Telephone or face-to-face? page. Suffice to say here that I will work with you to create a working format that meets your needs Can I call you between sessions? Yes. I take 'phone calls and emails between sessions. I don't put a limit on them. Sometimes you may find you're wanting to make a lot of contacts between sessions. If this happens we may discuss whether you could make use of additional sessions for a short period. What can I expect to happen during sessions? We talk together, exploring and uncovering your true self. Sometimes it will seem very deep, at other times it will seem more superficial; sometimes we will be very practical, at other times our dialogue will be more abstract. Whatever the content or intensity of a particular session, the process always arises from and emphasizes your strengths. How long do you think treatment will take? I don't think of our work together as treatment, but as a developmental activity. Treatment is when you immobilize a broken leg; development is when you start to exercise it again. Unless you want just one or two sessions on a consultation basis, it is helpful and puts you in charge to think of coaching as something you will do for as long as it's useful to you. Some of my clients work with me for a relatively short time, perhaps while going through a transition. Others have worked with me for years, going from project to project, strength to strength. The likely duration of our work is something we can discuss at our exploratory meeting and can revisit at any time thereafter. How much experience have you had coaching people with disordered eating behaviors? I've been working with clients with eating-related behaviors for around twenty years. As a group, they constitute about a third of my practice. I'm not in favor of greater specialization than this because it can lead to a focus on the behaviors rather than on you the person. What are your thoughts about using medications in the treatment of EDs? Generally, I believe we should all avoid medication as much as possible. However, there are certainly times when it makes good practical sense and we shouldn't let our idealism stand in the way of our greater health. No. Insurance companies, reasonably enough, require that client and coach work in a way that they prescribe. I prefer to be able to adapt my approach to the needs of the client. What can I do if I don't think I'm improving fast enough? Say so. We would need to determine whether we are missing something in our work or whether you are simply and temporarily stuck. It is important not to drop out just because of a discouraging period. As one writer puts it: "Overcoming 'stuckness' in treatment [not my word!] is a major victory.'" What can I expect to achieve working with you? The answer to this question is dependent on your own goals and ambition and by our joint ability to form a strong partnership. If you approach our collaboration with motivation and the widest sphere of reference, the results experienced by my other clients show that over time you can expect a transformation in your life. How do we take advantage of what I already do well? We use it in many ways. To start with, one thing you do well is the
kind of research that has led you to this point. We use your motivation
to change and improve as a primary driver. Other abilities are used
as examples of your true competence and as guides when you step off
into trying new behaviors. Would anyone be working with me besides you? Absolutely not. The most effective coaching relationships have deep connections and understandings that are unique between the coach and client. They are true partnerships, unlike, say, training relationships where all that is sought is a mechanical exchange of information. All the information, insight and wisdom I have to offer, delivered
with as much skill as I possess. This will quite often mean your hearing
things you had not expected, and being challenged to look at things
from a new and perhaps discomforting angle. Hopefully I am skillful
enough to do this with you without driving you away. Because it unites three passions with a - for me - ideal lifestyle. The passions are:
I very selfishly want the world to be a good place for me and the best way to achieve that is to surround myself with happy healthy people. Hence I devote myself to helping others find health and happiness. Why should I elect to work with you? There's one main reason I can think of. It's because you've done an evaluation of a number of coaches and other professionals and you've decided that I am the one who can go with you further and more comprehensively than the rest. Otherwise you'd be wasting your time and money and probably be building up to an angry departure. I am not a coach-for-everyperson. My clients, just like other coaches', have recognizable characteristics in common. When would we be able to start? That depends on coordinating my schedule and yours so we would need
to discuss it over the 'phone. I like to get started immediately,
however. Do you have a track record of
helping individuals reaching their goals? Very much so, otherwise I would do something else for a living. My clients' triumphs are very much part of what makes my working life enjoyable.
I hope these questions and answers have been helpful to you. If you would like to explore further, please schedule a free 30-minute visit or 'phone discussion. You can email me, or 'phone me: my contact details are below:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright © 2001-2008 Christopher J. Coulson. Information on this web site may be viewed and downloaded free of charge by individuals seeking coaching, counseling or personal therapy. For all other uses of this web site, prior permission of Christopher J. Coulson is required. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
