Performance coaching
in the workplace
"It was really valuable to
discuss development with someone who understands what’s
involved and can offer feedback. Claire was a
responsive and insightful interviewer in both instances;
promoting the occasion for discussion and inputting
constructive criticism as required."
"I was very
impressed with how the first session went and how
you managed to pick my brain apart"
"The coaching session has
identified my weaknesses and skills that I feel I
need development on. In addition when this was
discussed with Claire we managed to produce very
practical solutions to achieve the objectives."
"Talking through my
development areas in depth helped me find practical
tools; I felt really supported and empowered."
Life coaching
"Claire set the sessions up well, we always action
planned prior to the session what we would talk
about, she listened and probed during the sessions,
then made suggestions for improvements and gave me a
variety of options which I was able to use.
I
always had further actions to complete before the
next session, which were always challenging. Claire
was challenging in encouraging me to complete
actions, and when I had not we then re-evaluated and
action planned for the future, or reviewed as to why
it had been difficult and unachievable for me to
complete. Reviewing was key to the process.
Claire is very intuitive and some really good work
came out of the sessions, including:
-
putting together action
plans for journal writing which is something I had
previously done, and was now encouraged to set up
doing again. I found this particularly grounding
during times of stress
-
using positive
affirmations such as "everything is all working
perfectly", and looking back as though I was 80 year
old me to determine whether it would really matter
-
reading my self-help
books, to reinforce the positive message to myself
-
realisation that I always
give too much of myself too soon and realising that
isn’t the best tactic to be when searching for
long-term satisfaction in life
-
excellent techniques for
dealing with a new relationship that had been
causing me some angst"
"Thank you for seeing
me yesterday for our agreed coaching session. It
was a most powerful and empowering session for me
that enabled some profound conceptual and emotional
shifts for a number of reasons, namely:
Because of (what I
consider) the really professional, excellent
rapport and ‘safe environment’ established in the
previous session I was able to broach ‘taboo’
subjects without feeling the potential for total
self-annihilation by exploring them in our coaching
alliance. This is a big step for me. Its the first
time I was able to articulate sensitive subjects
that impact and permeate all areas of my life and
stop me from going forward. In my talking/telling
(being allowed to talk) and your ‘listening’ to my
very sensitive ‘problems’( in the areas of
self-worth etc.) have diminished in size and
significance by the mere act of being respectfully
and ‘deeply’ listened to - a first for me.
The areas visited
yesterday - low self esteem issues, very strong
feelings of not being valued and difficulties with
establishing mutually satisfying and equally
nurturing relationships (generally speaking) are
pivotal and fundamental areas for me to address
before I could productively move forward
professionally.
I thank you for
allowing me the ‘space’ to do my ‘long story’
approach to explaining something that may appear on
the surface to be quite simple and straight forward
for the average individual. For me it was deep
stuff and the ‘round the houses’ / ‘long story’
approach was/is the only way I could have addressed
such sensitive (to me) issues with my current skill
base. The ‘long story’ approach allowed me time to
process the pain and ‘slowly and gently’ come to the
point of the subject without feeling annihilated by
a ‘too much too fast’ strategy that I think might
have left me feeling not truly listened to and
ultimately feeling like I usually feel after
attempted ‘listening’ encounters by friends. To
have interrupted that process in favour of the more
‘focused’ and what may appear to be a more
quantitatively productive approach would have left
me cold. I do like/love/need structure but in this
case it would have lost the plot - that one had to
be slow and somewhat indirect for me.
This little soliloquy
may appear disproportionate to what we covered
yesterday but believe me its not. Profound stuff
got covered in that session. Shifts occurred. I
feel a sense of liberation from it and have already
acted on the ‘empowerment’ it facilitated.
Our session yesterday
was profound. If nothing else happened in out future
sessions yesterday will make up for that. With an
open mind I look forward to working with these
self-esteem and other professional development and
related issues in the future. Finally, there wasn’t
anything I would like to have done differently in
the coaching session yesterday. I can’t see how I
could improve on it.
I found both sessions
very useful in that they focused me on pertinent
areas of my life that it would be easier to ignore.
Getting these areas sorted to some degree is pivotal
to progress in the professional areas."
"The
problem that I had identified for myself before I
came to the coaching sessions was that I try to do
too much and never actually achieve (highly - or to
my expectations) on any of it. In
addition I had not long been home from 2 years
travelling and was trying to make a plan of my time,
include new activities and ensure there was clarity,
direction and the ability (and time) to achieve
within that.
The
techniques that we used were: wheel of life, values,
work/life balance, some NLP techniques, plotting of
highs and lows in life on time line (and identifying
commonalities), activity planning and plotting.
Many of the activities
were useful in addressing time planning and
assessing goals and whether they were achievable or
unrealistic expectations.
The life line and the
values were good exercises. The values were hard
work but worth the effort to find out what you are
really about and good for self understanding and
focus. All
in all I would say that coaching was very useful as
time out to concentrate on what you are doing rather
than plodding on in the same direction (which may
not be the correct direction) and never realising
there is an alternative.
I feel that I have a
good understanding of what I want to achieve now and
a much clearer plan of how I might do it - small
goals as part of a bigger picture is a good approach
and the coaching helps the individual see that
bigger picture (often hard to do) and gives step by
step techniques on how to get there. People just
need to keep checking that their big picture is
still what they want to achieve."
"I feel I am much more focused on
what I really want, I’m more aware of what energises
me and the things that can makes me happy."
" Now most people think that I'm organised and tidy
and I am when I'm at the office. At home though it's
a different matter... basically because there always
seems to be something more interesting to do. Claire
did a phone coaching session with me - so I was able
to look around at the problem whilst she worked
through it with me! That weekend
I stayed at home and get my teeth
into it.
Well, I can now see the floor in my office at home
and she's helped me to put more structure into
dealing with problem.
It makes such a difference being
able to have everything to hand rather than throwing
things into a bag and hoping that I've got
everything and knowing that I can't do some things
because I don't have the technology there.
So,
if you also have paperwork piled up, filing cabinets
overflowing and can't remember what your desk
actually looks like or you have something else in
your life that you need to think differently about
then get in touch with Claire."
"Claire
helped me to clarify my thinking about what I wanted
to achieve. She helped me eliminate obstacles
I thought existed and to see how I could after all
achieve my aim of improving my fitness (through
regular exercise). I have been able to do this and
now feel all the better for it."
"I
wanted to have a coach to keep me on track, increase
my motivation and help me see things more clearly.
Claire's listening and questioning skills were
excellent and she always acknowledged my values and
strengths. The most valuable exercise was breaking
down my working week to calculate the hours I
do, how I could be more effective and improve my
work-life balance- this really changed the way I
view things."
FEARS and phobias
Dental phobia/ Fear of needles
"I’ve done it- I’ve had an injection. I had to wait
for a long time in the dentists waiting room and normally I
would have lost my nerve and left but I used all the
techniques you’d taught me and kept really calm. I
feel this is a major breakthrough for me and I’m
beginning to think really differently about my
dental phobia."
Fear of commitment
I've been dating
for 2 months now, your session made me realise
(amongst other things) that there were so many
things I'd never thought about, its scary stuff but
as you well know that's a good sign, still have the
odd wobble, but definitely much better.
Fear of food
"After four hypnotherapy sessions for fear of foodstuffs my fear has gone from a 10 (on a scale from
0-10, 10 being the highest) to a 3.
I’m getting on much better with all things food
these days.
I now eat a much wider range of foods and am much more likely
to try new foods. Also I am able to eat out at
almost any restaurant and feel ‘normal’. I would
say I am 99% satisfied with the results of the
treatment - perfection is rarely attainable!"
Fear
of facing death
"My fear of facing death has significantly reduced
resulting in my concerns about my health being less
which means I feel I am able to start planning for
the future again. I also feel that my sense of
control, over the thoughts that were disturbing me,
has now doubled."
Fear of failure
"...my confidence
suffered because somewhere a long the way I developed some kind of
learned helplessness, whereby, it felt like there was no point in
trying anything because I'd never succeed or be good at it (although
sometimes I'd try too hard because of fear of failure) - now I do
have perseverance, determination and faith in my abilities to do
what ever I want. Our life coaching work gave me the initial
inspiration and motivation to change and I saw how bad things were
(couldn't have got to where I am without it - was the 1st crucial
step, that I probably couldn't have made on my own)."
Fear of being
paralysed
"I forced myself
to watch a film related to my worse fear- being
paralysed. I managed to watch it and accept
that it was just a film and felt so much more
detached and less anxious than I would have
normally. I have less anxieties since our
hypnotherapy session and am not so anxious over my
kids coming to any harm; life seems so much easier."
driving test nerves
"I had felt
incredibly (and incapacitatingly) nervous both
during my mock driving test and my penultimate
driving lesson. Nerves demonstrated themselves
physically, for example, my feet would shake
uncontrollably over the controls, and also mentally,
as I was unable to assess situations on the road
clearly. All this was nerves rather than a
problem with driving as my driving had been fine,
except in the run up to the test. I had failed
my test 5 times over the years.
Both in my final
driving lesson and the test itself I felt much
calmer and more relaxed than before and my
anxiety levels were low. In particular, during
my driving test, there were only a couple of times
where I felt my nerves at all, and even then they
felt under control. I did feel the adrenaline
which is normal when you’re in a situation where you
want to prove yourself, but instead of being
incapacitated, I was able to give my best
performance. I passed my driving test after
only a few sessions with Claire and I do believe
that these sessions helped considerably, both in
making me calmer by reducing my anxiety and giving
me the self-belief I needed to pass.
I was happy with
Claire’s initial consultation, as I felt she asked
enough questions to understand the nature of my fear
of driving tests. Also, before beginning any
hypnosis she explained what would happen and if I
was happy to continue. I always felt like
Claire listened to my answers or my feedback and
thought carefully how to adapt techniques to suit me
throughout our sessions. For example, I had
a difficulty visualising situations during
hypnosis. I was pleased with the approach
Claire took to this problem, including using a
questionnaire on thinking styles to see whether any
of my other senses other than vision could be used
during hypnosis.
I am very happy to
recommend Claire. She was professional,
tailored her approach for me and created an
environment where I was both comfortable discussing
the background to my problem, and where I trusted
her fully (which is important when you’re allowing
someone to put you in a hypnotised state!)."
"The examiner was very nice and
I explained I was very nervous and a recovered
agoraphobic, so he understood that I might get
stressed. However, I didn't feel as bad as I
thought I would once I got going and by the time I
had finished I felt that I was driving pretty well
and confidence was at about 7-8” (out of 10).
"The time went very quickly too
which surprised me. I think that the session
we had last night really enforced the feeling that
I could do it and I was reasonably calm for the
rest of the evening - I also slept better that I
had done before.
I played the 'stress' CD before
bed and again this morning and though the nerves
were beginning to build, they were not nearly as bad
as I thought they would be. I did all the ironing,
as we agreed to distract me, which took me up to
time to get ready and I also did plenty of the
relaxing breathing etc. I think all in all
that everything we have done worked for me and I
can't think of anything that didn't.
My driving instructor also said
that she was very pleased with the result, since she
honestly thought that I wouldn't get into the test
centre, let alone complete a test. Thanks again
Claire - without your help I wouldn't have gone
through with the test!!"
Claire to client:
"Its been a pleasure working with
you and I have to say absolutely terrific the way
you have embraced each and every technique I have
suggested to you. I really have seen a fantastic
difference in your self-talk and how much more
positive and confident you have become :) So keep
up the good work."
Client's reply:
"It's nice to know that I am
making progress - and it's all thanks to you.
A reinforcer might help although I feel that I
can't get my nerves totally under control but at
least I am 500% better than I was."
"Hi
Claire
Guess what!!!!
I Passed!!!!!!!!!!!! Couldn't believe it - made what
seemed like lots of little mistakes and really
messed up my reverse round the corner - but
obviously not as much as I thought I did. So what
can I say but THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU - I
wouldn't have done it without you.
At the moment I'm on cloud nine as you can imagine -
now I just have to start driving solo!! So thanks
again - it was well worth all the effort and you
help will also be useful in other areas. I'm so glad
I had both you and my driving instructor in my
corner!!! Will keep you name and number on file just
in case I need anything further!!!
Kindest regards..."
PUBLIC SPEAKING
"I want to thank you for your
help over the last 24 hours, your assistance was
instrumental in my desicion to continue today and
succesfully answering 8 of the 9 questions without
prompting, which was sufficient for me to pass the
task.
Once again, my
sincere gratitude..."
SPORTS PERFORMANCE
"The hypnotherapy and NLP session
with Claire was very useful. We started off with an
evaluation form which was very thought provoking and
set a good professional scene for the hypnotherapy as
well as certain targets to focus on. The
hypnotherapy was very relaxing and I was 'conscious'
all the time - just in a deeply relaxed state.
Claire used some very powerful images and the NLP
techniques were useful to ground them such as using
anchoring to recall the image - something you could
do anywhere if you needed it!
I was very impressed. I found
the goal setting & Locus of Control documents
fascinating, I think its marvellous the way Claire
works. The anchoring method she taught me hasn’t
just been useful for me but also my partner. I
taught it to him and he benefited hugely from using
this to calm his nerves during a presentation where
he needed to feel more confident and lower his
anxiety levels.
I think these sessions are really empowering - we
are unable to achieve so many things simply through
blocks in our mind which hypnotherapy and NLP
techniques are able to help significantly. I would
highly recommend it to anyone."
“Repeating positive affirmations daily and using
visualisation has helped a lot particularly in
helping to develop positive expectations”
STOPPING UNWANTED
HABITS
Stopping smoking following the
H4L
Advanced Stop Smoking Programme
"Following the H4L Stop Smoking Programme I found it
surprisingly easy to stop smoking. I didn’t go out
on the evening I gave up or the night after but went
out the following week. Someone was smoking at my
table and I was offered a cigarette. I explained
that I quit and they apologised for offering me a
cigarette and I told them that they could keep
offering me a cigarette and it wouldn’t bother me.
I have been out with other people who smoke since
the session and didn’t find it as difficult as I
thought. I didn’t even think about it, it just
doesn’t occur to me to smoke. It proves the
hypnotherapy obviously works as I haven’t had any
twinges or sense of loss. I have no problems
recommending you to anyone who will listen, the
programme has been brilliant, really good value and
I am extremely impressed."
"I've stopped smoking no problem,
I have no desire to smoke. I've really found it easy
to stop and I know there are benefits to look
forward to after a few more weeks/months."
Nail biting
"I
haven’t bitten my nails once since our hypnotherapy
session" (6 months after one session).
INSOMNIA
"Since our
hypnotherapy session I have seen a vast improvement
overall. I really believe I've been cured and
just this comforts me because I know I am ok and can
sleep normally again. I feel so much happier
in myself and overall a lot better in terms of
general wellbeing because I now feel refreshed
during the day."
"I have slept really well and been a lot calmer and
more relaxed."
Stress management
"I had one session
of hypnotherapy for ‘stress management/ability to focus’. This is a summary
of the session:
-
Excellent
exploration of the issues prior to hypnotherapy
-
Really good
pace and relaxing tone of voice
-
Good
explanation of process of session and what to
expect
It really helped
me to know I could remember that sense of deep
relaxation, to step back for a few minutes and focus
on what is really important and what are just
distractions. I slept really well that night and
felt so much calmer the day after the session of
hypnotherapy for stress. I
still feel able to cope with the demands and
prioritisation better than the weeks leading up to
the session."
Stress caused by over work
"I felt better after the session more calm and
collected - more logical in my approach to work and
life, so more efficient."
"Its so relaxing I
wish I could have hypnotherapy every day, that was
lovely thanks!"
Relationships
Jealousy
"I had a wonderful weekend after the session. I
couldn't believe it. I felt more positive than I
have in a very long time and I also had a very
positive week afterwards. It's been 2 weeks now and
I do feel better than I did before the session."
Moving on after a difficult break up
"I wish I had started working with you earlier. I
feel more positive as I have made more progress in a
few sessions with you than I did in 6 months of
counselling. The techniques you have taught me
really have made a difference."
Long term negative psychological association with
in-laws
"After this session
I was able to spend 3 and half days with my in laws
over the Christmas break without becoming affected
by any negative comments directed towards me and
without becoming involved in making ‘My’ point - I
was able to just let things go, and treat them as
unimportant! - This session has enabled me to over
come a huge personal hurdle & enable my Husband & I
to enjoy a relaxing Christmas time at my in laws -
something I never though would be possible! The very
best Christmas present I could have wished for -
Thank you!"
Finding the
perfect partner
"The
exercise i found most valuable was when you asked me
to picture myself in a dating situation, to see how
I felt and how I felt other people saw me. I also
found the exercise where I noted down my values and
the values I am looking for in a potential partner
extremely helpful. It made me realise that I haven't
found someone yet because I am waiting for someone
who really fulfils my expectations. Perhaps my
expectations are too high but I'd rather that than
compromise my values."
Wedding nerves and
confidence
"Hi Claire,
finally have a
chance to write to you! I know you wanted to know how the wedding
day went, and I have so much to thank you for! Well the entire
day was perfect! I had no nerves what so ever, I was really
surprised at how laid back I felt the night before, which was manic
, cooking for everyone at my house!
On the morning the
flowers arrived, which were perfect, then we loaded up the car with
people/outfits/flowers and I drove to matara, I even felt ok driving
after my earlier bump in the car.
The lady came to
do our hair and makeup, the photographers showed up and I posed
happily for photos without a second thought. I did try and grab a
moment to myself in the meditation room, but there was a huge wasp
in the room and I couldn’t relax at all!!, it seems I didn’t need it
anyway! I nearly cried when I heard the pianist playing our music,
but held it together!
I walked down the aisle looking forward with
my head up and feeling proud of myself and my girls! Everyone was
beaming at me, including Stephen at the end of the aisle! I said my
vows loudly and clearly, looking straight into Stephens eyes, and he
did the same. Afterwards everyone close to me came up and said how
confident I had looked, and how lovely we had looked saying our vows
to each other. I really enjoyed receiving the compliments!
It was so
fantastic being treated like royalty for the day, the caterers,
wedding planner, musicians everyone went out of their way to make
our day amazing!
And of course
behind the scenes there was you, you helped make me enjoy my wedding
day to the full, you showed me where my confidence was to walk the
aisle, and made me believe I could be beautiful and interesting.
it’s hard to believe I had been dreading this day only a few months
ago! I really can’t thank you enough Claire, your amazing!"
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
"I feel as if my urge for
indulging in unhealthy food and overeating has gone. I have
said no to all junk food since our hypnotherapy session despite the
kids and my husband eating chips and other stuff. Also usually
when I start my period I tend to binge eat; my period started a few
days after our session and I didn't binge eat once. I'm really
sold on hypnotherapy now!"
"I have so much more control since
we started cognitive behavioural coaching and now always choose
healthier options in terms of food, drink and exercise. Your
suggestion of eating five fruit/ veg a day really helped because it
makes me feel so much better about myself. Overall I feel more
confident and happier."
"Just wanted to let you know, my
wife and I went to an old mates wedding last night and following our
session on Thursday I have been very positive, been to the gym and I
can already see results in my tummy being a tad smaller, managed to
get into a nice shirt and jeans that I haven't worn for some time,
the night went brilliantly well and I did get very merry but that
aside I felt absolute incredible, really high and confident and very
similar to the elation I mentioned years back. Just wanted you
to know that I feel that we're making progress."
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