What Really Happens in a Life Coaching Session (Outdoors or Online)

Life coaching session outdoors in nature

If you’ve ever wondered what actually happens in a coaching session, you’re not alone. Coaching can seem a bit baffling if you haven’t tried it before. Is it like therapy? Mentoring? Or, in my case, a walk and talk in the park?!

The truth is, it’s some and none of the above.

This post aims to clarify what you can expect, debunk a few myths, and share what really goes on in life coaching – from the client’s mouth – and my own as the coach.

The Coaching Agreement

After a discovery call (read more here) and before sessions begin, we agree on the overarching objective and the practicalities – duration, fees, dates etc. I also offer a sliding scale structure to make coaching more accessible. This agreement creates transparency, structure and accountability.

What Happens in a Coaching Session

You’ll do most of the talking and lead on the conversation, bringing whatever’s most important that relates to your objective. The coach listens allowing space to think deeply, exploring goals, challenges, and actions to move you forwards. Sometimes it flows and you’re clear on the goal and how you want to feel at the end of the session. Sometimes you’ll have a vague sense of what you think is important to uncover: we’ll always spend time clarifying the focus in each session. At times you’ll feel unsure, stuck, and emotional, or thoughtful, invigorated and excited! –  it’s all part of the process! As a coach I welcome all of it. Former client Cecilia Svensson put it like this:

“Before each session I had no idea what I wanted to talk about, and within 30 minutes, some insight – it just clicked.”

Cecilia Svensson sitting on a bench and smiling
Former client Cecilia Svensson loves the outdoors, and benefitted from online coaching

The Coach’s Role

My job is to raise your self-awareness and help you reach your goals. I might offer tools that could be useful to our conversation, or share guidance. We’ll check and adjust our conversation, as we go. As an ICF-accredited coach, I uphold professional, industry standards, which is important to me. But essentially I’ve come to think of coaching as just being a person who listens and helps another find their answers, without involvement in their day to day.

Outdoor Coaching

Most of my clients choose to meet in-person, and outdoors and this involves walking, sitting, noticing what’s around us – and within us. Walking and talking can feel far more natural, more human (!) than an online call – you can be who you really are. Plus get away from home or your desk, which I realise now is a gift for many. The client leads the route, just like the topic of conversation. Usually it’s in a park or green space. The beauty is that nature and being out adn  the wider world helps provide a different view, often shifting something inside. As former client Nayo Hunt said:

“The therapeutic nature of Kate’s outdoor coaching really worked for me. It gave me space and perspective.”

Path, trees and nature in an urban park
Outdoor coaching in an urban park – a natural, human approach

Coaching while outdoors – or walk and talk coaching as it’s often called, can be a game-changer because of the multiple beneficial processes on your wellbeing. From shifting people feeling stuck and into positive action, to neurodivergent people needing a calming environment – or movement, to those with accessibility issues who need to get out – and I’m honoured to facilitate this.

Online Coaching and Phone Coaching

Prefer to meet online? It’s just as effective. A focused hour online can create clarity and insight too, and we can still involve nature and getting outside into our conversations. Same goes for a phone coaching, with the added benefit of getting outdoors and moving around, hands-free, whilst being coached. Cecilia again:

“Even though we’re in different countries, it still felt incredibly personal and powerful, like she was right there with me.”

How Many Sessions?

That depends on your goals. Some people benefit from just a few sessions; others commit to longer-term support for deeper change. We agree on this together and it becomes part of our coaching agreement.

My Coaching Approach

I use transformational coaching, helping clients unlock lasting shifts in mindset, confidence, and self-awareness, particularly around life and career transitions. My style is collaborative and non-directive – I won’t tell you what to do, but I’ll help you uncover the answers already in you.

Final Thought

The truth is no two sessions are the same and I never quite know what a client might say – which definitely for me keeps me on my toes! If you’re at a crossroads in career or midlife, life coaching can provide the space, clarity, and the momentum you need to move in the right direction. I also run group coaching outdoors in organisations, where the focus is on collective and individual goals and dynamics. Plus a new one for me this Autumn, having now paused Pause Outdoors, I’m creating my own group online – a coaching circle for midlife women and you can contact me here for more.

You can read more in my blog Is Life Coaching Right for Me? Or, book a free discovery call to find out what coaching could unlock for you.


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Client agreement - ground rules.

1. Bring my whole self to this process; professionally and personally.

You cannot separate your professional and personal ‘lives’.

2. Be present in the moment and connected.

… to the coaching; what you’re thinking, feeling, experiencing. And…to nature if and where we are outdoors. If we’re on headphones, I’ll invite you to be descriptive of your environment too.

3. Bring the agenda to each session and keep your overall objective alive.

You can do this in several ways:

  • Be goal and action orientated – bring what you want to discuss and achieve to the session; OR
  • Talk and see what lands – exploratory and intentional.
 

I will bring the process, tools, ideas, resources and best practice to best support you towards your goal/intention/objective. More in your pre-coaching questionnaire. 

4. Give feedback and be responsive.

Coaching is collaborative. Neither of us should guess where we stand. I ask you to give me feedback and respond – you can rely on me to give and do the same.

I aim to get back to you within 24 hours of you emailing me, even if it’s just to say ‘I received your message’ before I respond properly. If it’s over the weekend or holiday, this may take longer.

5. Do the work in the session and in between sessions.

…so that you get the best value, even when it’s challenging. I might suggest a piece of work based on what you brought to the session. Mainly you will decide your course of action.

Whichever way, I’ll invite you to:

  • Reflect more; through walking, writing and whatever else fires you up, to help you achieve your objective.
  • Explore more; be curious and follow those trails of thought, intentionally
    Practice more; habits? Actions? Keep trying/tweaking.
  • Note what’s coming up that’s important or interesting to you in the session. I may share a few bullet points with you after, via Google Docs.

6. Session duration and timescale.

Generally a session is an hour but happy to shorten or increase session lengths, as and when we both can, that day. Where either of us thinks it appropriate, let’s say in the session. Timescale – let’s keep to the timescale agreed in the contract.

Additional information...

  • Coaching is a relationship designed to facilitate the development of personal or professional goals and develop a plan/strategy for achieving those goals.
  • It is comprehensive; it may involve other areas of your life beyond what you may have originally intended. It is your responsibility to choose and decide how to handle this, or even whether to.
  • It can be challenging; digging deep, creating better habits, becoming more self-aware, changing unhelpful beliefs you hold about yourself to something more helpful. There will be ups and downs. You will gain new insights, learnings and perspectives to help you achieve your goal.
  • You – the Client, are solely responsible for creating and implementing your own physical, mental and emotional well-being, decisions, choices, actions and results arising out of or resulting from the coaching relationship and your coaching calls and interactions with me – the Coach. As such, you agree that the Coach is not and will not be liable or responsible for any actions or inaction, or for any direct or indirect result of any services provided by me – the Coach. 
  • You – the Client, understand that in order to enhance the coaching relationship, you agree to communicate honestly, be open to feedback and assistance and to create the time and energy to participate fully in the program. I will do the same.
  • Coaching is not a substitute for counselling, mental health care or substance abuse treatment.  If you are in any kind of therapy, please tell me.  Tell your practitioner (medical or therapeutic) of you working with me.
  • I ask you to agree to commit to the coaching sessions to facilitate the required change.
  • I will treat you as the expert regarding the subject matter, which is…YOU.
  • I will allow time and space for you to explore your thoughts and think for yourself, no interruptions. There may be long pauses or silence sometimes to elicit more.
  • What goes on in your sessions is confidential. I do not discuss it with anyone. There may be occasion when it is my duty to break confidentiality:
    > If I feel you or I are at risk of harm.
    > Criminal / illegal activity.
    > A safeguarding concern or something else so serious that warrants concern.
  • I may talk to my coach or supervisor about issues arising in our sessions without ever naming or giving away you as the client. This is to ensure I am following professional and ethical guidelines and delivering my best. I subscribe to these by the ICF; https://coachfederation.org/code-of-ethics
  • Qualifications and CPD; I am an accredited coach. This means I have trained, practiced and qualified with Animas Centre for Coaching (Nov 2020). I hold a ‘Diploma in Transformational Coaching’. This is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
    > I have my own coach and group supervision
    > My CPD includes –  Outdoor Intelligence for Online Coaching (Oct 2020) -Positive Psychology (Feb 2021
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My accreditations

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My story

I’d been trying to work out ‘what else’ I could do with my career and life.

After 20 years in HR and with the children getting older, I wanted to change careers, but into ‘what?’ And ‘how’ was that even possible? And…’who would take on a mid-40’s apprentice?’!

I took small steps to boost my confidence and mindset; a regular ‘walk and whinge’ with friends to offload, short courses to up-skill, more running, more netball.
I asked my workplace ‘what else’ they needed that I could help with – ‘job crafting’. 

I was trying to make changes but it wasn’t really working. I was still frustrated and now, more miserable. I needed a different approach to find a way forward and release the building pressure I felt.

Hiring an accredited coach with whom I knew I could work with, enabled me to take a good look at myself – at times, uncomfortably.

To be listened to without any interruption, or judgement was empowering and I started to recognise what made me, me – my personality, strengths, what energised me and made me happy. What if these things amounted to a job I would…love…?

I followed my curiosity and dabbled with ideas about potential jobs, tasks and environments that would suit me, with a new, growth mindset.

I started to shift perspective. When I finally realised the ‘what’, I felt an energy and sense of knowing that was powerful. And I laughed, because it had been right in front of me!

Coaching undoubtedly helped me get to know myself, to see my potential and what was possible. I wholeheartedly decided through those sessions, on what and how I wanted things to be.

It had taken me two years of feeling stuck and miserable and a number of hours to be liberated.

This is what I now do with my clients. I help them rediscover themselves so that they can play to their strengths and thrive.

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