I’ve decided I want health & wellbeing coaching, what happens next?

So, you have hit send on your email, or call on your phone and made first contact with me. What happens next?

In this article I will guide you through what you can expect, both practically and what you may experience emotionally. My aim is that this will take some of the unknown out of what can be quite an anxious or vulnerable time for you. 

The discovery call 

Once I receive your email, or pick up your call we will arrange a time to have a more in depth telephone call, or video chat where you have your first opportunity to find out who I am and ask me some questions.  

For my part, my aim is to give you as much information as you need to make a decision if you want to start a series of health & wellbeing coaching sessions.

This information can be practical, such as:

• How does online coaching work?

• How long are the sessions?

• How much does it cost?

• How long does it last for? 

It is also to see if you feel there is a good fit between us that can lead to a productive coaching relationship.  

I will also be paying close attention to what you are saying and what has brought you to this point. Why are you seeking out health & wellbeing coaching? What do you hope you achieve?  

This initial chat, sometimes known as a discovery call can last anywhere between 20 and 40 minutes. It is free and there is no obligation to take it any further.  

If you do feel that this is something that is right for you, I will send you some information to complete online. This covers more of the terms and conditions of the coaching agreement, a short questionnaire and payment options. We then schedule a date and time for our first online health & wellbeing coaching session.  

Before the first session 

As the first session approaches it is perfectly normal to feel a range of emotions. You may be having second thoughts. What have I done? Maybe I should postpone the appointment? This was all a bad idea. 

Or, maybe you can’t wait to get started and are really looking forward to seeing what changes you will make to improve your health & wellbeing.    

You may feel: 

• Frightened, anxious or confused 

• Excited or energetic 

• Optimistic, hopeful or confident 

• Sad, vulnerable or ashamed 

• Judgemental, critical or hesitant 

• Embarrassed or insecure 

These are all part of the range of emotions and feelings that we may feel at times of stress, change or starting something new. I know from my experience of venturing into the unknown I can feel almost simultaneously anxious and excited. Optimistic and judgemental.  

What you can expect from me  

During our first session and for all the following sessions you can expect:

• To be listened to and heard 

• To feel welcome and safe 

• To be respected and empowered 

• To be given the space to be open, honest and valued 

I have a gentle and deeply compassionate approach to coaching and I sincerely want the best for you, my client. By creating a space that you feel completely free to explore how your health & wellbeing can flourish you can expect your first session to feel positive and motivating.  

Powerful questions

You can expect to be asked questions about why you have come to coaching and what you hope to achieve, building on the discovery call and questionnaire.  

Many of the questions that I will ask you are open questions. These move beyond surface level answers and elicit meaningful responses. I will ask insightful questions that allow you to think, explore, vision, set goals and reflect. They allow you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself, find new perspectives and identify actionable steps to make change in your life. Examples may be: 

• Can you share what has motivated you to seek coaching? 

• What would you like to accomplish in coaching?  

• How would you like to see yourself progress? 

This is the beginning of a process of clearly setting out your goals. This may take some time, but it starts here. We most likely won’t have this all neatly tied up by the end of the first session. 

You may find yourself in the first session saying things out loud that you have not said to anyone else. This can be a really powerful and emotional moment. I will always respect what you bring to our sessions.   

I run 50 minute, online coaching sessions, so you may find in our first session that the time flies by. You can expect me to keep to time and to summarise what we have covered as we wrap up the first session.  We will then schedule our next session.

After the first session 

After the session you may feel another wave of emotions. My hope is that you will start to feel a sense of possibility, of trust building between myself as coach and yourself as client. Maybe you might feel the flickering of optimism or power. You may feel some growing motivation that you have taken the most difficult first step, and what could you now achieve? 

If you would like to find out more about health & wellbeing coaching with me, please do get in touch using the contact page. Thanks.