Temptation training – Cathy Edwards Life Coach

I didn’t know how Cathie worked when I first went to her for help to stop biting my nails.   I didn’t understand what a coach was, so I was interested in what she would do as a coach as opposed to being a counsellor.

Once I started working with her, I was impressed with the way she didn’t let me get into a counselling situation but kept the focus on what we were doing.
It’s still a bit of a mystery to me how coaching has worked, but my experience has been positive. Meeting with Cathie has kept me on task.

I particularly liked that Cathie really cares about what she is doing, and does her homework.
When I arrived to see her, Cathie was always really prepared.  She made notes that she sent me after our meeting, and a reminder about the next one.  She gave me lots of exercises.   (Most of them that I haven’t even had to do yet, so they are all stored up for when I have to struggle with this)
In any sort interaction the person who is leading it needs to do more at the beginning, and gradually enable the other person to do more as they go along.   I think that this worked well in my coaching with Cathie.   She provided me with the structure and she provided me with a lot of information  (which of course it was up to me to use or not)  As the process has gone on I've become more of the active one, and that that's what I feel is a useful process, so it has gone well.

e-mail from Jean 3 months later when she had a scheduled follow up appointment with Cathie

Hi Cathie
Thanks for the reminder.
I will pass on this as have a busy week and all is well.
Thanks again for your help.

‘Thank-you Cathie. I know I did the work but in this case you provided the key. And I will shout the benefits of life coaches to all that will listen especially my life coach.’

When I hired Cathie I had never used a life coach before and I wasn’t sure how a life coach would help me.  I had tried a couple of different counsellors a year ago but didn’t find them helpful at all.

I wasn’t sure if working with a life coach was the correct pathway, but my health was being affected so I decided it was worth a try.
I found that Cathie’s style of coaching suits me.  Meeting every week has been really helpful.  Previously I wouldn’t plan for the next week.  Cathie has got me thinking.  She has made me concentrate on a few things that are important.

It is good the way that Cathie reiterates my plan and then e-mails me as well.
Reporting back on what I have done has also been important.  The questions on the weekly ‘Preparation for coaching session’ form have been really helpful, especially ‘What are you grateful for? ‘It has helped me remember things I was grateful for.

Having coaching has helped me focus on myself. Previously if I had spare time I would help others rather than taking the time to do things for myself.
My mood was low when I started coaching but now I am beginning to get a sense of purpose.  Coaching has opened up a lot of things for me.
I think in a very short time I have come a long way and achieved a lot in 5 weeks.  There is no doubt I have benefited significantly from coaching with Cathie.

I imagine most people would have some anxiety prior to doing something like this workshop about what the group will be like, and whether they will fit in.  At the Procrastination workshop I found there was a great bunch of people.   I really enjoyed the group and I was surprised that there were probably one or two in the group that I thought, ‘Wow really – you have trouble with procrastination? You, who have done a PhD?   It just goes to show that people who appear as if they have got it all together battle things like procrastination.    I am always amazed when I attend anything like this workshop, at the range of different personalities, different cultures, different educational levels etc

I really enjoyed the day I thought it was fabulous. Two things  I found most useful.   The ‘ if… then…’  idea was something I’d never heard of before.  It was like a bit of a light went on when I heard about it, so I appreciated being introduced to that idea.   Also  I ‘d never really  stopped to think about that if I didn’t feel like doing something, or I wasn’t motivated to do it, then I could feel like that, but go ahead and do it anyway.  I’ve drawn on that quite a bit this week already.   I can say to myself (when I don’t really feel like doing something), ‘Well I know you don’t feel like doing it, but that was your plan, so start’.

I would definitely recommend the Procrastination workshop to others because I found it a really stimulating day, and very useful in a practical sense of getting myself moving.’

‘When I first heard about the procrastination workshop, I wasn’t sure if I could spare that amount of time, if I could spare most of a day on this. But then I decided to invest in it. I found it was an investment well worth making.
I also thought, I know a lot about these things already, because I have done a psychology undergraduate degree and I have experience teaching . I should be able to knuckle down and get on with it. In spite of all that, I found I learnt a lot and it will help me a lot.
It was very good and I liked it all. As well as helping me make sure I do what I intended to do, what I learned at the workshop is helping me clarify the decision making processes I’m using. It’s helping me clarify how I come to some conclusions or how I do something or not do something else.
I would definitely recommend the procrastination workshop. It was very worthwhile learning. ‘