Silk House Psychotherapy Practice

Work is what most of us do most of our waking lives.  Work can be inspiring, pleasurable, an opportunity to stretch, discover and create ourselves.  It holds the possibility to enrich our lives and the lives of those around us. 

Unfortunately for too many of us work is a far more mundane, draining, boring and stressful experience.  Work is something we do to pay the bills or because ‘we should’ in order to be seen as a success by others.    But when the work we do does not satisfy the inner self the unhappiness and alienation we feel eventually leaks through affecting our families, friends and most of all ourselves eroding our optimism, confidence and creative self-expression.

The career coaching I offer is not necessarily about finding a new job.  Sometimes it’s about changing the relationship we have with our work and our work environment.  Sometimes it’s about changing where we work. It can be about discovering what inspires us and it can be about  support and encouragement enabling us to make the changes necessary to do something that is more aligned with what is valuable and important to us.

The reasons you might consider career coaching:

• You feel stuck, stifled, bored, stressed, overwhelmed with your current work situation
• Work is all about ‘I have to’ and nothing about ‘I want to’
• Only a part of you turns up to work each day (and that part keeps shrinking)
• Your abilities and talents find no opportunity to be stretched, expressed and developed
• Your current work situation is having a negative impact on your self-esteem, confidence and well-being as well as your relationships and life outside of work.

I have over 20 years experience of working with people both in private practice and in organisations (Cable & Wireless, NTL, Ernst & Young, Aviva, Edexcel to name a few) enabling people to achieve their full potential. 

I know from personal experience the satisfaction and pleasure available at work as well as the dissatisfaction and stress that comes with work and work environments that bend us out of shape.  I can draw on my experience of working for and with large corporates, small businesses and freelancers.  For those considering self-employment - I traveled this path  - in fact, it took three attempts before I was finally able to securely do the work I wanted to do – so I know the challenges and pitfalls and offer pragmatism as well as encouragement and bring a broad range of experience of making life changing changes.

Career Coaching is not therapy though just talking to a supportive and friendly other about what concerns us can feel hugely therapeutic.  My approach to career coaching:

• Explore and clarify your career and work aspirations, needs, vision and ambition
• Arrive at decisions and identify practical next steps
• Ongoing support as the inevitable obstacles arise
• Explore new ways of handling difficult or challenging situations
• Impartiality: an impartial, supportive and confidential sounding board, somewhere to hear yourself speak truthfully

There are some great books around that you might find helpful - I recommend:

• Crossing the Unknown Sea by David Whyte (inspirational – his personal journey to doing the work he loved)
• Zen and the Art of Making a Living by Laurence G Boldt (an extensive and thorough career workbook)
• The Art of Possibility by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander (thoughts about transforming impossible to possible)
• Why Women Earn Less; How to make what you are really worth by Mikelann R Valterra (for anyone who is not earning what they are really worth)

 

Whilst books can offer practical guidance and inspiration they cannot give an external perspective and sometimes we can be too close to our situation to see the wood for the trees!  Also a book cannot challenge you, actively support and encourage you, help identify barriers and explore different options and possibilities.  But saying that – they can be a very good starting point.  Good  Luck!

If you are interested in exploring career coaching with me please call and we can discuss what you are looking for from one session to a coaching programme depending upon what your needs are this might include face to face meeting, sessions via telephone/skype, email or a combination.

01625 614754