Coaching With Stephen
What is coaching?
Coaching is such a broad and confusing term. Stephen defines coaching as, "an invitation to slow down, press pause, and uncover that which wants to emerge".
Is this for you?
This coaching approach is designed for accomplished professionals seeking personal coaching. If you already excel at problem-solving but sense its limitations when trying to apply it to yourself and your situation, then this approach is for you.
You might be experiencing:
- Success by external measures, but inner disconnect
- Burnout from endless optimisation
- The sense that more techniques won't address what you're facing
- Readiness to explore being, not just doing
- A sense of longing for something deeper and more meaningful
This isn't traditional executive coaching focused on performance goals or career advancement. This is depth work for people ready to question fundamental patterns.
My Coaching Approach
When working with personal clients, my phenomenologically grounded coaching philosophy fosters a particular way of working together. Traditional coaching often focuses on achieving specific outcomes or change goals, which can reinforce a self-improvement mindset. My coaching approach invites a different stance.
Rather than applying techniques or frameworks to help you reach goals, we cultivate awareness of how you're living and being in the world. We uncover your truth through six interconnected dimensions of lived experience: embodiment, moods and emotions, language, relationality, temporality and presence.
As awareness increases, new possibilities start to emerge.
Embodiment
Moods and Emotions
Language
Relationality
Temporality
Presence
An Example
Consider a client who comes to coaching because they're overworked and close to burnout. Rather than exploring why they feel overworked and developing tools for better time management or delegation, we focus on how overwork and burnout are experienced by the client in the here and now.
The client might notice a weight pressing down on their shoulders (embodiment). As they feel this weight pressing down, they notice a feeling of isolation and loneliness.
They recognise how these feelings have caused them to become distant from friends and family (moods and emotions).
“But I need to prove to my boss I am ready for promotion”, says the client, revealing a driving belief (language).
As they stay with the sensation of the weight pressing down on their shoulders, another thought bubbles up, “I'm trying to make my father proud, he always told me that I could go far if I worked hard”. Here, we see how a formative relationship continues to shape their present way of being (relationality), with the past driving them toward a particular future at the cost of their well-being (temporality).
As a result, the client isn't dwelling in their life; they are constantly focused on performing and delivering for work (presence).
Through this exploration, the client notices a shift. The weight on their shoulder eases. They sense a change in their breathing, a slowing and deepening. With new awareness, they have created new possibilities for how they go forward; opening to more connection and support from those around them, while questioning whether striving so hard for promotion is what they truly want.
What would a coaching engagement look like?
An initial engagement is for six sessions over 12 weeks. Sessions last for up to an hour and are scheduled every two weeks. When scheduling, we aim to find a time slot that ensures the sessions always occur on the same day and at the same time. All sessions are held via Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
During our first session, we take time to discuss and agree on how we will work together and establish the coaching relationship.
Each session begins by exploring what's present for you in this moment. Rather than analysing the narrative of what happened, we focus on how you're experiencing it now—not just your thoughts, but your embodied, emotional, and relational experience. This present-moment awareness is where transformation unfolds.
Investment
A six-session engagement over a 12-week period is €1000 (inclusive of VAT). This is for personal clients only.
- Six one-hour coaching sessions (biweekly)
- Email support between sessions for brief check-ins
- Access to additional resources via a client portal
- Commitment to your transformation over the 12 weeks
Payment can be made in full at the start, or split into two payments (€500 initial payment and balance of €500 at session 4).
Financial Considerations: If the standard rate presents a genuine financial hardship, we can discuss options during our initial conversation. I want this work to be accessible to those who are ready to commit to the journey.
What happens after the 12 weeks?
I believe that coaching should foster client autonomy and empower them to continue the transformation process without becoming dependent on a coach. For this reason, many clients will find that the initial 12-week coaching programme is sufficient to start them on their journey.
However, some clients may wish to have additional sessions to deepen the transformation further or focus on particular challenges - this is entirely possible, and we can discuss your specific requirements at the appropriate time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can sessions be held in-person?
If you are located in Dublin, then it might be possible to arrange our sessions to be face-to-face. However, please note that this comes at an additional expense and will depend on several factors. If you would like to consider this, let's discuss it during an initial conversation.
How is this approach different to therapy?
Coaching focuses on present awareness and future possibilities rather than processing or healing past trauma. While coaching may feel therapeutic, if you need therapeutic support, we'll discuss it together, and I'll help you find appropriate resources.
What is your refund policy?
If, at the end of the first session, you decide that this approach is not suitable for you, we will provide a full refund. If you stop midway, then you will be refunded, on a prorated basis for any unused sessions, less a 10% administration fee.
What if I need to reschedule?
With 24 hours' notice, we can reschedule. This ensures we both honour the time commitment. If you fail to join a session or try to reschedule with less than 24 hours' notice, then you will forfeit the session.
Do you offer shorter coaching programmes?
The six-session minimum allows time for the phenomenological exploration to unfold. Real transformation rarely happens in one or two sessions. If you have specific requirements in mind, please schedule a conversation with me so we can explore together.
Can I bring specific challenges or goals?
Yes. While we don't approach these as 'problems to solve,' we explore how you're being in relation to the situations you're facing. This often reveals deeper awareness about what these situations or goals illuminate within you.