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    • Free Monday Talk & Meditation
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LIFE COACHING CASE STUDIES

Included below are a few life coaching case studies, outlining how I’ve helped other clients. Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Sarah learned to quieten her inner critic

Sarah works in a corporate role and she’s very good at what she does but she has a persistent (and loud) inner critic. She often compares herself unfavourably to her colleagues and as a result, lacks the confidence to be proactive in her role. She came to see me when she missed out on a promotion because she wasn’t able to sell herself well in the interview process.

We worked together to help Sarah understand and articulate her strengths and to help her connect with the more confident part of herself. Sarah learned to quieten her inner critic and embrace the qualities that are unique to her. By the time we completed our coaching, Sarah was preparing to interview for another internal promotion. She was much more confident in her ability to sell herself.


Life coaching case study Caitlin is more confident to be herself

Caitlin is a senior associate at a law firm in the city and she feels that she doesn’t fit the mould of a typical partner (which is her ultimate goal). She has great people skills but she’s more introverted than her colleagues and prefers going home to family over joining work drinks or attending networking events.

We worked together to identify Caitlin’s strengths and I helped her to recognise the value she adds to the firm. We discussed new approaches to building supportive relationships and as her confidence grew, so did her profile within her firm. She felt less inclined to compare herself to colleagues and more aware of where she could add the best value in her role.


 Business coaching case study Maeve rebranded her business and launched an online course

Maeve is a psychologist who specialises in working with couples. She started her business five years ago and wants to diversify her offering by creating an online course to help more people but she feels overwhelmed and intimidated about where to begin.

We worked together to clarify her offering and the unique value she adds through her work. We reviewed Maeve’s branding and purpose so she has a better understanding of how she makes a difference and we then broke the project into smaller, manageable steps.

After three months of coaching, Maeve was launching her first online course and she had confidence in how to market and sell her new program.


Leadership coaching case study Aesha became a more confident communicator

Aesha is a marketing manager at a professional services organisation and she has a team of four reporting to her. The business was going through a lot of change and Aesha was finding it difficult to get access to her boss. More often than not, their scheduled meetings were cancelled at the last minute because of other priorities. Aesha found herself taking this personally and she began to feel like an ‘imposter’ in her role. She had little clarity about her role priorities which made it difficult to lead her team or to understand her team’s objectives.

We worked together over three months and Aesha learned to speak up about the importance of meeting with her manager. She learned to communicate differently and eventually found greater clarity and confidence in her role and her leadership ability.


Life coaching case study Millie started a creative side-project

Millie works full-time in a digital marketing role. She’s also a talented amateur photographer whose passion is photographing people.

Feeling less fulfilled in her day job but knowing she needs that regular income, Millie opted to start a side-project to engage her creative talent.

After working together for three months, Millie’s side-project had become a small business and she acquired several paying clients, allowing her to reduce her hours in her day job. Her goal is to keep building the business so she can eventually work full-time in her photography business.

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Uncertainty has been a consistent theme in my life at the moment. With clients, friends, family and even for me at a personal level.I feel hugely grateful for mindfulness practices during times like these and I’ve also found the following five steps to be helpful.1. Find pockets of certainty, wherever you canTidy the house, sort your finances, clean out your wardrobe, organise your paperwork, plan your meals for a week. Making the small things around you feel ordered and beautiful will help you to feel a little more at peace.2. Appreciate the things that make your life beautifulOne of the things I became aware of while we were on holiday in Tassie was how much natural beauty was around us every day. Try engaging your sense of gratitude with every meal you eat, every friendly encounter, every interaction with nature and every opportunity you have to experience or engage in creativity.3. Make time for practices that are genuinely soothingIf meditation isn’t your thing (and it isn’t for many people), try a different form of mindful relaxation. On a recent Insight Timer Live we explored this topic together and came up with dancing, singing, reading, walking, yoga, pilates, gardening, playing, sketching, painting, skiing, paddle boarding, surfing. The most important thing is that you make time for whatever it is that brings you some calm. 4. Acknowledge your feelings and offer yourself compassionMake room for all of the emotions – the fear, anxiety, worry, sadness, anger, frustration and powerlessness. Notice where you feel those emotions in your body and offer yourself genuine compassion.5. Make peace with uncertainty, as best you canWe won’t feel uncertainty every day but it’s likely that we’ll experience it often in our lives and we’ll probably always find it difficult. Remind yourself that nothing will stay the same forever and you’re strong enough to handle this. ✨
“May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” Nelson Mandela ✨
“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” John Muir ✨
A follow on from last week’s post about aspiring to simplicity. I’m on holiday in Tasmania where I was lucky enough to live for ten years. Yesterday, as we drove through the countryside, I was struck by a lovely memory. At around the age of 12, I spotted many abandoned little cottages, very much like this one. I knew at the time that the simple beauty was all that I would ever want and need in my lifetime. A humble home surrounded by plenty of nature. I had a picture of myself planting a garden, reading by the fire, writing at a little wooden desk and baking in an old fashioned kitchen. Maybe one day having my own children and sharing my love of nature with them. Almost 50 years later, it’s still all of these things that fill me with joy and give my life meaning. I think most of us knew ourselves well at that age yet often, we lost trust in what we believed in and started shaping ourselves to please other people. Can you remember what it was you dreamed of? ✨
An invitation to go a little more gently this week. To let go of some of your striving. To notice the things that you already have. And to make sure that you really do treasure them. ✨💛
Since writing last week's post, I've had my value of 'inner harmony' front of mind, because it's something I don't always find easy.I've been a worrier all my life, so even after years of meditation practice, I sometimes find it hard to create a quiet mind – unless I'm immersed in nature. When Chris encouraged me to try paddle boarding a few years ago, I had no idea if I'd be able to do it. I'm not naturally sporty so things like this don't come easily. But something magical happened when I first stood on that board and looked into the beautiful clear water.I felt (and still feel) transported to a place that removes me from all of my worries. I become immersed in the wonder beneath me. The forests of seaweed, the schools of fish, the way the sunlight creates patterns on the seabed and once, we paddled with dolphins. All of it is truly magical (and quite miraculous that I can keep my balance). I didn't mention last week that one of my other values is courage, which is the one I embraced when I first went out onto the water.The irony is that some of the moments that bring the most peace are made possible when I do something that scares me. ✨
One of the things I do with almost every new client I work with is a values exercise. It's such a powerful tool to help you identify what really matters in your life. Once you've chosen your personal values, you begin to understand why certain choices, places or relationships, feel so right. And why others really don’t. Your values will help you make meaningful choices that shape how you live every day. And as soon as you start living in alignment with your values, your life immediately becomes more meaningful.Do you know your top three values? I’d love you to share them if you do. Mine are inner harmony, kindness and connection. As well as connection with others and myself, this includes a deep sense of connection with nature which is why we live where we do. 🌿 If you’re interested to discover your values, I’ve included a link in my bio to an easy exercise that will help you gain clarity on yours. It really can be life-changing. ✨
This morning on @insighttimer Live, I spoke about the practice of gratitude and how research has found it to be an antidote to many physical and psychological challenges.It can improve sleep, reduce fatigue, and lower levels of cellular inflammation. One study found that those who practice on a regular basis experience less depression and are more resilient following traumatic events.Another called it “the mother of all virtues”, in that it encourages other virtues such as patience, humility, and wisdom.In my own life, it has been a daily practice for a few decades now. At the end of each day, an app on my phone called Grateful sounds a reminder and allows me to add a few words and photos.The best thing is that I now have a collection of my favourite memories that I can scroll through at any time. I took this pic just over a week ago at our local beach. At the end of an afternoon of swimming and paddling with Meg and me, Oscar said, “Grandma, that was the best day ever.” I love that he’s already grateful for the simple pleasures. ☀️
Five ways to be more true to yourself this year.I spent so much of my time in my twenties and thirties doing things to please other people instead of trusting myself and listening to my heart. It wasn't until I found the courage to accept that I might be criticised no matter what I chose that I found the courage to be true to myself. And I can honestly tell you, it's life changing. I hope the following quick tips help. 1. Let go of the idea that you need to do what’s expected of you. In Bronnie Ware's book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, number one on the list is, "I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me."2. Believe that you’re strong enough to handle some criticism. It might still be hurtful but after a short amount of time, that hurt will pass. The more you're being real, the less critical you'll be of yourself, and that's energising.3. Trust that you already know what fulfills you. Often when I meet a new client they tell me they don't know what they want. Once we get talking, it turns out that they do, but like all of us, it can be confronting to be really honest with themselves. 4. Give up one thing that hasn’t been serving you. This can be literally anything. Whatever it is that you choose, do it from a place of self-love not from a place of self-criticism.5. Take one courageous step towards the life of your dreams. It doesn't need to be huge but when you want something to change, there has to be some action taken. Make the phone call, update your profile, send (or accept) an invitation, join a class...it doesn't matter what you choose, just do something. ✨
© Kate James 2025

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands we live and work on, the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging.

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