How long does a coaching session and a coaching programme last?
- Our individual one-to-one coaching sessions last for 60mins typically and 90mins as a maximum.
- Coaching sessions can be emotionally challenging at times, and it isn’t unusual to feel pretty tired afterwards, so be mindful of taking good care of yourself and giving yourself some time and space after a session to decompress.
- Overall programme length may vary but we don’t often recommend less than 4-6 sessions which are booked as blocks.
- We will work with you and your organisation to ensure that programme lengths are established and agreed within the initial contracting stage.
How often will I have a coaching session?
- The time between sessions depends on the specific needs and circumstances of the person being coached, but it is important that there is time for you to reflect, and experiment with anything you have committed to and so we would recommend that fortnightly, monthly or bi-monthly sessions are probably suitable for most.
- We can increase or decrease session frequency to suit you though so again, this will be discussed and agreed during contracting.
Who are TCM's coaches?
- Our coaches are all accredited via the AC, BACP, EMCC, ICF or the ILM.
- Each coach works within TCM’s exacting practice standards.
- We hold regular group network sessions in-house and our coaches follow the TCM ‘standards for excellence’ in terms of supervision, coaching hours and CPD hours.
Will my coach tell me what to do?
- No. Coaching is not about providing solutions, answers, opinions or telling people what to do.
- Coaches use a variety of interventions to evoke awareness, encourage personal responsibility, and help with the feelings of being ‘stuck’ that lead us to believe that we need to look to others for all the answers.
- We are impartial and objective and we won’t impose recommendations or solutions.
Is the coaching process confidential?
- Yes. We work within a confidentiality agreement which creates and ensures your psychological safety. As part of the initial contracting, all parties will agree whether a framework for organisational/managerial feedback is required and if so, what will be included, how and when it will be reported.
- Most organisations understand and respect their people’s need to feel completely safe within the coaching process though, and so, reporting requests are usually infrequent. If they are required, the parameters are agreed during contracting and we will only disclose (with the permission of the person being coached), what themes are coming up, what progress is being made and what commitments have been agreed.
- It’s important to stress that any reporting will remain thematic rather than specific.
- At TCM, we are serious about psychological safety. If at any point during a coaching relationship, a coach identifies a risk of harm to self or others, we will follow the necessary process as outlined in our client confidentiality agreement.
Where will my sessions take place?
- Sessions will take place in-house or online (typically via Microsoft Teams or Zoom) as agreed during initial contracting.
- You will need to ensure that you are somewhere safe and comfortable for your sessions, and that you can speak openly without being overheard or distracted by others.
Do I have to have coaching if my organisation wants me to?
- No. We are huge advocates of coaching, but we also recognise that it’s important that coaching is voluntary.
- If you don’t want or feel you don’t need coaching, then it’s highly unlikely that you or your organisation will feel or see any benefit from it.
- You need to be open to, and willing to think, discuss and explore your self with your coach, to provoke the changes that you may want to create for your personal and professional development.
Got another question?
Pop your details and query into our contact form and one of our coaching team will get back to you as soon as they can. Alternatively, you can always call our coaching helpline on 0800 059 0595.
