Q. What is coaching?

A: The International Coach Federation defines coaching as follows:

Coaching is a partnership (defined as an alliance, not a legal business partnership) between the Coach and the Client in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximize personal and professional potential.  It is designed to facilitate the creation/development of personal, professional or business goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving those goals.

Q: Why Positive Psychology Coaching?

A: Positive Psychology Coaching is a thought provoking process that helps you envision your goals and take the appropriate steps to achieve them. As certified coaches, we help you align your values, dreams and possibilities realistically while removing obstacles that are keeping you stuck. You will receive support and structure to thrive in your personal life and your profession.

Q. How is coaching different from mentoring?

A: Mentoring is usually about one person benefiting from the wisdom and experience of another.  Mentors are generally experts in the field they are guiding their mentees in and they offer guidance and advice.  Coaching involves an individual working through a structured process to make their own decisions about the way forward.  Coaches do not need to be experts in the field they are helping their clients to navigate. It is not their role to tell their clients what to do and they are not there to give advice. Their role is to help the client arrive at the decision for themselves by asking them to move beyond the limitations of their thinking or the mental blocks that they are attempting to avoid.

Q. Can coaching substitute for counselling or psychotherapy?

A: No it cannot.  Coaching does not involve the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders as defined by the American Psychiatric Association and it is not to be used as a substitute for counseling, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, or other professional advice by legal, medical or other qualified professionals,

Q. What are the ethical responsibilities of my coach?

The Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the International Coach Federation (ICF). www.coachfederation.org/ethics. It is recommended that the Client review the ICF Code of Ethics and the applicable standards of behavior.

Q. What is the MBTI?

A: The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an assessment designed to help individuals understand their own behavioural preferences and those of others.  The instrument helps us to understand how we are energized, how we take in information, learn and communicate, how we make decisions and how we prefer to organize our lives.  It is useful for building greater self awareness and using that information for personal growth and development.

Q. What is the EQI Assessment?

A: The EQI assessment is used to help individuals better understand themselves and their emotions as well as offer insight into how they handle interpersonal relationships, respond in emotional situations and handle stress.  The primary focus of the tool is on helping each person to build a deeper self awareness with the ultimate hope of using that insight to create greater self improvement.

Q. How can coaching help me?

A: Coaching is designed to help you achieve breakthrough.  For anyone who is feeling stuck and interested in figuring out what it takes for them to move forward with making their dream a reality, working with a coach helps.  It helps because it requires the individuals to spend time with the coach investigating the mental block they have set for themselves and then outlining specific steps to move forward.

Q. How long will this take?

A: Coaching programmes generally start with six sessions spread out over a minimum of three months.

Q. Who are your clients?

A:  We work with individuals and with organizations to help them improve their level of performance.

Q. Where do you work?

A:  Our organization is based in Barbados however we work with clients wherever they are located.  Our coaching sessions are often done online and for our corporate training and development sessions, our trainers and facilitators are available to travel.