What is coaching?

Coaching is a partnership and dynamic interaction between a client and a trained professional who has gained expertise through education, personal experience and achievement.  Because each person is unique, the coach honors individuality by developing a life plan that is directed by the client's needs, desires and input.  The life plan is used to reach the client's stated goals.  Coaching can be used throughout a lifetime.  You may chose a coach when you want to move from one level of life to another, or when you find that there is a particular issue or issues that block you from moving further in your career, relationships, health, etc.  Employing a coach is the first step of bringing your challenges forward which can then be viewed and evaluated outside of yourself.  This begins a clarification process.  A coach is there to support, connect, assess and verbalize the heart's desires with practical goal setting.  A coach assists in the development of an action plan that requires the client's intention, commitment and accountability.  The coach aligns the plan with the client's stated goals and supports the implementation of the plan to achieve the goals.  Each session provides a timeframe for structure, schedule, commitment and accountability.  This makes coaching a viable vehicle for change.

What do I have to do?

You will need to choose responsibility, commitment and accountability as a force in your life.  This choice will drive the necessary changes that you want to make in your life.  Be open to change.  Be flexible enough for a three to six month commitment.  Although all people are unique, a three to six month commitment is ideal.  However, we do have three, six and eight week programs to accommodate individual needs. Exemplify accountability by keeping agreements that are self-driven and supported by the coach.  Maintain scheduled appointments for sessions.

What is expected of the client?

Be willing to tell the truth, give and accept feedback. it must be understood that change will usually occur and is often times challenging.  The client is responsible as a partner within the process.  Some coaching sessions will be dynamic and produce breakthroughs. Other sessions will assimilate the knowledge and skill that have been gained.  Still others will result in plateaus of learning.  When this does occur, it is a good time to evaluate and validate the progress that has been accomplished.  The coach requires that the client has patience with the process and themselves.  

What does the coach do?

The coach helps the client formulate goals and proceed toward the goal with clarity, focus and accountability.  The coach conducts the session with the client's uniqueness in mind.  The coach listens, observes, and reflects back to the client what is being presented during the session.  The coach directs, questions and provides resources during the session.  The coach creates a win-win environment.  This focus stresses there is only change, lessons and opportunities in the process called life.

What if I need to talk to the coach between sessions?

Crossing Bridges' philosophy is to provide support for the client between sessions if the client requires support.  The support sessions are kept to five to ten minutes at no charge to the client.  It is Crossing Bridges' pleasure to support clients in goal attainment.  If more than five to ten minutes is required, additional sessions can be scheduled for a fee at the client's request.

What is the difference betweening coaching and psychotherapy?

Coaching involves consulting.  The coach aids the client in implementing new skills, change, transition or elimination of  blocks that  may stop their capability to move to the next level of achievement.   The client states the goal that they want to achieve. Coaches move the client toward the stated goal.  Coaching is based in the present time frame.  Coaches focus on the client's desire to set life goals.  The personal coach is similar to a sport's coach.  The sport coach enables a participant to break through plateaus that have been static in the athlete's life.  The coach provides feedback, expertise and structure to move to the next level of performance.  Coaches help focus on the need to quickly produce results.

Psychotherapy as defined here is engaging in the treatment of a mental disorder, including the treatment of clinical depression.  If issues arise, either related by you or recognized by the coach, that  appear to be creating distress that hampers you in your daily life or feelings of depression that would best be dealt with in a therapeutic context, the coach will refer you to a professionally trained, licensed therapist who can see you in a face-to-face therapeutic setting or refer you to a medical doctor.  

In entering into a coaching relationship, you agree that any mental health difficulty or physical difficulty that arises during the course of the coaching relationship, you will notify your coach, so that you may be referred to an appropriate licensed mental health care professional or medical doctor for evaluation.  This is agreeded upon to safeguard your well-being and provided the best possible circumstances for you to reach your ideal situation in life.  

There are issues that will be discussed about blocks in your production, creativity or relationships .  The coach will help you explore these blocks and assist in determining the methodology required to overcome them.  Psychotherapy or an evaluation by a medical doctor may be suggested as an adjunct to these methodologies.  Coaches do not deal with clinical depression, chemical imbalance, chemical dependency or personality disorders.  

What is the relationship between client and coach?

A coach is a partner with the client.  The client decides upon goals through the assistance of the coach.  The coach cannot promise something the client is not willing to achieve.  When the client sets the goal and is unable to achieve the goal, the coach helps the client review and re-evaluate the goal and make changes where necessary.  The structure of coaching provides an avenue that brings the internal need and intellect into a clarified state.  The client begins to utilize energy to evaluate, integrate and take action toward goal accomplishment.  Coaching is not about right or wrong.  It empowers clients to review their actions. It enhances a sense of self-reliance and success.  The coach supports the client in the exploration of commitments to insure  the goal reflects the client's needs.  Sometimes what the individual thinks they want is not what is needed.  Through coaching, the client is able to visualize the commitment process.

How is coaching performed?

Ninety percent of all coaching is done via the telephone.  This allows the client to be in the privacy of their home or office, saving travel time and money while providing a comfortable and safe atmosphere.  

Does a coach make my decisions for me?

The coach does not make any decisions for the client.  The coach gives feedback and helps create definition for the goals stated by the client.  

How do I pay for my coaching sessions?

Crossing Bridges offers the use of a personal credit card to pay at least one month in advance.  Advanced payment through checks or money orders is also accepted.  The safety and privacy of our clients are paramount to Crossing Bridges.  Our system is secured to provide safety and privacy through an SSL.