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What is Coaching?
When I am asked what I do and I respond with a quick, “I am an Intuitive Empowerment Coach,” folks often seem to glaze over like I’ve started speaking a different language. I then move forward with a simple explanation of how I work with people to overcome certain health and life challenges so that they can start living their best lives NOW. More glaze.
It is not simple to explain what a Coach truly does in an impromptu 2 minute conversation. It is difficult to say, I am a guide who will lead you back through some of the shittiest things that have ever happened to you and that I hold space for you to get down in the mud, have temper tantrums, cry, deny, get angry (even at me), and continue to stand tall with all of my light waiting to catch you on the other side. In fact, a couple of years ago, if someone had said that to me, I would have said, “Girl, you’re crazy!!”
So, that said, if I were to tell people that right off the bat, it is highly likely that not many people would come a runnin to sign up for one of my programs. I do provide cautionary messages that gently let the client know that this is not an hour a week where we exchange pleasantries and ignore or sidestep difficult conversations. It is going to be rough some days, but the sweeter the victory when you stand in the heat of your own bullshit and come out of it a warrior.
All of the programs that I offer take a client on a non-judgmental facilitated journey that slowly allows them to make small changes in their lives that make change comfortable and sustainable. I meet my clients where they are at and we work from that space while equipping them with the tools and rituals that will help them achieve their goals. If my clients aren’t showing up for themselves, I ask about that. I guide with curiousity and gratitude.
Who is YOUR Coach?
Your Coach is someone who has walked a mile or 2 in your shoes. Your Coach knows your pain, your loss, your illness, your wounds, and your sorrows. Your Coach knows the results that you are seeking and because of his or her experience, they are an authority on the matter and will lead you gently where you need to go. Your Coach is completely empathic to your needs and can make you feel comfortable enough to be vulnerable and to let yourself go into the depths of hell and to come up and out of it the star that you are.
In determining who your Coach is, I highly recommend that you “test drive” at least 3 Coaches to determine the right fit for you. Read testimonials and ask around. Most Coaches offer a complimentary session which should give you a taste of the coaching experience. It may arouse emotions and that is probably a good thing. So don’t let that scare you. The prospect of change IS scary.
When I am hosting a complimentary Living the Dream Strategy Session, I am getting to know the potential client and to see if I truly think I can help them. If I don’t think that I should work with the client, I do have a circle of Coaches that I will appropriately refer the client to. I have also had other Coaches refer clients to me. In my account this indicates a level of integrity that should be noted.
In my Coaching practice, I offer a 90 day Living the Dream Total Transformation System that caters to clients who want to experience more joy in their lives, to feel peaceful, to have improved health, energy and vitality, to feel confident and assured, and mostly to believe in themselves. I work with clients who are struggling with having faith in anything but mostly in themselves.
I work with the clients that I work with because I have experienced a lifetime of covering up, making excuses, chasing my tail to try and find happiness, weight loss and weight gain, depression, anxiety, and low to no self-esteem. I am also a Brain Injury Survivor and I was forced to re-create myself and my life.
The biggest breakthroughs you will ever have in life, the kind that will transcend you, are ugly as shit. But, I will be there offering a shift for your perspective and making suggestions that lead you to your own revelations that help you heal and grow and ultimately make your way back to the authentic Being that you were born to be. I am not a “fixer.” This is your work to DO and I am a guide to assist you on your journey back to YOU.
The passion I have for this work is knowing that I can help others wake up before they experience an illness or an injury that forces them to do the work they so badly need to do NOW. I have awakened and know the Goddess within. I find myself more and more, working with women who are beginning to awaken to their true selves but this is a confusing time that often is not well navigated solo and this is the best work ever. I am so grateful for the coaches that supported me on my journey of awakening.
Who ISN’T Your Coach?
Your Coach likely shouldn’t be your best friend, your cousin, your uncle’s wife or the gal next door. If your sessions are to be held at a local establishment over beers or a bottle of red, this Coach also may not be the best choice for you. I think you get the picture. Life and Health Coaching is a seriously personal and intimate investment that you are about to make in yourself. At the heart of progress is honesty. If you cannot be 100% honest with yourself, it will be even more difficult to be 100% honest with them.
Your Coach isn’t someone who doesn’t know the first thing about your top 3 concerns. If you have Hashimoto’s disease, then you should be seeking to work with a Coach who has Hashimoto’s disease, specialized knowledge in how to best treat the symptoms, and who offers a signature program.
Your Coach should be a professional in his or her field. Is this their business? Is their business registered? Do they have insurance? Are they known in their community or in the industry as reliable and someone who can be vouched for? Does the Coach have an Agreement for you to sign? This Agreement is in place to serve both the Client and the Coach. Both parties need to enter the container knowing what is expected of each with the same respect as if you were seeing a Therapist or a Doctor.
As for me, I work with my clients on the phone because this is what works the best for me logistically and it supports the lifestyle that I need in order to take the best care of myself that I can. I have also been told by clients that they appreciate being able to be in the comfort of their own home or office to have their sessions. It makes it easier for them to speak their truths and there are fewer distractions. And finally, this is what I am insured to do.
I do have an Agreement between myself and my clients so that we can honour the experience to its highest good. Some of my clients attend other programs that I facilitate and they are never acknowledged as clients and if it is a women’s circle that I am facilitating, we are all present as participants, including me. I am strong in my ability to keep boundaries and to respect confidentiality in each capacity.
Certifications
Coaching is currently an unregulated industry. ANYONE can hang out their shingle and say they are a Coach. There are a myriad of Life or Health or any kind of coaching courses out there. Some certifications are earned in as little as a day, while more comprehensive ones like the dual Health and Life Certifications that I earned through the Health Coach Institute are 9 months long.
When I was investigating courses to take, it was important to me that I was going to graduate from a program with the confidence and the tools that I would need to best serve my clients. I did not want to be a fly by night coach and therefore a fly by night course seemed inadequate. I also know that continuing my work with the Coaches in my circle and continuing to invest in my training is how I will continue to grow and expand my service.
When you are considering working with a Coach, you should ask them about their experiences if they don’t offer to share that with you. If something feels a bit off, then it likely is. I am not saying that someone without credentials can’t be an effective Coach but for me, as a Consumer, I want to know who I am working with. If I were considering putting a new engine in my car, I would want to have a certified mechanic do that over the guy or gal next door who is always fixing their own car in the disaster of a garage that exhibits signs of spare parts laying all over the place. In the instance of Coaching, you are talking about your best well-being. Consider the value of that!
Coaching Fees
Now, when it comes to fees, this is the part you won’t like. Fees for coaching are all over the map. Assessing what is fair and reasonable for you is what matters. But as in all things that are considered a big investment, this should excite you and also terrify you a little bit too. If “cheap” is a mindset that you live in, you will get “cheap” coaching and you will show up “cheaply” in your work. Tell me, are you more likely to be serious about a $400 investment or a $3000 investment or how about a $20,000 investment?
If this were a car or a TV, it would be so easy to DECIDE what is WORTH the investment. But, if you are seeking or considering working with a Coach, there is a high likelihood that expanding your self-worth is going to be part of your coaching experience and the first step to take is DECIDE that you are WORTH the INVESTMENT. Stretch yourself a little here. I used to work in the beauty industry and I know what you are spending to keep the outer shell looking good. Your insides deserve even more love and attention!
Coach Cassandra’s Advised Action Step
If Coaching is something you are considering, please do your homework. If you want to know more about me, please feel free to check out my website or to reach out to me directly.
Coach Cassandra 📷
519-532-5041
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