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  • About
  • Coaching
    • Business coaching
    • Leadership coaching
    • Half-day coaching intensive
  • Workshops
    • Compassionate Conversations
    • Write Your Life Stories Workshops
    • The Confidence Course
    • Free Monday Talk & Meditation
  • Speaking
  • Retreat
  • Resources
    • Kate’s books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • 0 items

Life Coaching Frequently Asked Questions

Kate James answers your most frequently asked questions about life, career, leadership and business coaching.

How does life coaching work?

The objective of our work together is to help you create your own version of a fulfilling life. I’ll help you to understand your values and strengths, clarify your direction, create a clear vision, cultivate a positive mindset and we’ll work together to develop your sense of self-belief.

We begin with a single 60-minute session. For some people, a single session is enough while others engage in a longer-term coaching program or book follow-up sessions as they need them. I keep it all very flexible and don’t lock you into any contracts.

Isn’t life coaching all a bit ‘ra-ra’ and how are you different from other coaches?

I have a low-key style and attract clients who say they’re not usually drawn to coaching. I’m not a high motivation, ‘high fiving’  kind of coach. Having said that, most people find that seeing a coach does motivate them to create change in their lives.

We’ll set some tangible goals and action steps that will help you to achieve your vision. For many people, change takes time and I respect that you’ll want to work at your own pace.

For the most part, my role is to support you. I’ll listen and empathise, but I’ll also help you to understand what gets in your way. My aim is to create a space where you feel listened to and understood, and one where you can start to imagine, and begin to create, a life that is more fulfilling.

I’m feeling nervous about the process. Is this normal?

It’s common for people to feel nervous about life coaching (or seeking any kind of support). Some clients worry about whether their issues are normal, whether it’s ok to speak about certain things in the coaching sessions or if they’ll appear silly for raising minor worries.

Please don’t be concerned at all. I’m and open and non-judgemental person and I’m here to support you in any way that I can. If something comes up in a session that I don’t feel I can help with, I’ll  help to direct you to the right kind of  support.

How will I know if you’re the right coach for me?

The single most important factor in the coaching relationship is that we feel some sense of connection with one another. I’m committed to working with clients I am most suited to helping. Have a read of my ideal client here to see if we’ll be a good fit and reach out if you would like to schedule a quick call before you make an appointment.

How soon can I see you?

I keep my coaching practice small which means appointments are sometimes booked out a couple of weeks advance. If you feel a sense of urgency, I’ll do my best to accommodate you.

Is coaching expensive?

Coaching isn’t cheap but most people find that it’s a one-off investment in themselves.  When you consider the impact of not feeling that you’re not on the right life path, coaching might become a necessity, not a luxury.

My current fees are $275 for a one-hour session, $795 for a 3 x session program and $1,250 for a 5 x session program. Coaching programs include an option to pay in instalments.

I’d like my workplace to pay for my coaching. Can you provide a proposal?

Yes, absolutely. Please contact us to discuss your needs and we’ll put something in writing for your manager or your HR Department.

I’m not sure if I need career, business, leadership or personal coaching.

The truth is you don’t really need to choose but you can find out more about what we’d address in each of these programs by following these links: career coaching, business coaching, leadership coaching or life coaching.

I take a holistic approach and believe that it’s important that we spend a bit of time looking at the whole of your life. Having said that, the coaching sessions are your time so I encourage you to direct the content. You’ll complete some questionnaires when you make your booking to let me know what you’d like to achieve.

I think I want to leave my current role and start my own business. Can you help me with that?

Absolutely. This is an area I specialise in. I have extensive experience helping people get small businesses off the ground and it’s something I’m passionate about. Before starting my own business, I worked as a business manager for several small creative businesses. These days I specialise in working with creative businesses and those in the wellbeing sector.

I’m not sure about Zoom coaching. Is it really as effective as face-to-face coaching?

I was sceptical at first too but a Zoom session really is as effective as an in-person session. In some cases, it’s actually a better model for coaching. It’s time-efficient and it’s very personal. The conversations still cut to the core of the issue pretty quickly. If you’re still in doubt, give it a try. You might be surprised.

What can I expect of the coaching process?

The coaching process is characterised by a few things. Coaching will provide you with a supportive and non-judgemental space for you to discuss whatever is important to you. Coaching is solution-focused so while we may spend a small amount of time trying to make sense of why things are the way that they are, we’ll also be asking ‘what can we do about it?’

You won’t be advised to act in a specific way, the choices are yours, but I’ll ask you questions that encourage you to think differently and open up new opportunities. I’m happy to brainstorm with you when you are stuck and I’ll help keep you accountable for doing the things that you say you are going to do.

Coaching is a positive, validating, supportive experience. You’ll leave feeling clearer about your direction, confident in your ability to achieve your objectives, and you’ll have a greater degree of self-awareness.

I want to become a coach. Can you help me with that?

I get lots of enquiries from people wanting to ask questions about becoming a coach and unfortunately, I can’t respond to all of those personally. You’ll find my tips about what you should consider if you want to become a coach here.

What are your ethical standards?

I operate within the ethical standards set out by the International Coach Federation. I’m committed to providing a professional service with a guarantee of confidentiality. I provide you with a Coaching Agreement at the commencement of your coaching outlining our terms of business.

What if I have more questions about coaching?

If our frequently asked questions don’t cover the content you’re seeking, please get in touch.

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Do you have a place that brings you immediately to stillness?For me, it’s anywhere in nature, but my favourites are the top of a mountain or a place with a view of the sea.There’s something about a wide open sky or an endless horizon that feels completely grounding and calming.In those moments, I don’t need to achieve or fix or figure anything out. I can just be. I try to carry that same stillness into my workdays, but it’s not quite the same as being in one of those magical places.Where do you go to feel grounded? And more importantly, do you make time to be there? It’s an effort sometimes but always truly worth it. Maybe something you can plan this week. ✨#stillnesswithin #natureheals #findingcalm #momentsofstillness #innerpeace #slowliving #mindfulpause #totalbalance
Lately, I’ve been exploring the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) ways our “not good enough” stories show up in daily life.As well as causing an overly active inner critic, they can appear as perfectionism, procrastination, overworking, people-pleasing, self-sabotage and comparing ourselves to others.These patterns, and the behaviours that accompany them, often feel completely normal. Sometimes they seem helpful or even protective. But underneath, there’s a subtle or even subconscious belief: “I’m not enough as I am.” Most of us fall into several of these habits from time to time, but you might notice that one or two are your familiar defaults when self-doubt creeps in.This week, see if you can catch yourself if you're over-functioning or feeling stuck. Pause. Take a breath. And choose just one small step that leads you in a different direction. ✨#youareenough #quietconfidence #selfworthjourney #buildingconfidence #notgoodenough
After some time away, I’m finally returning to this space. I have missed connecting with you here.I’ve been navigating an autoimmune condition which surprisingly, has turned out to be as much of a gift as a challenge.It has made me really slow down and focus on my wellbeing. Like many of us, I’ve had a tendency to overcommit – which is probably why I’ve been teaching mindfulness all these years: as much as a reminder to myself as a gift to those I teach.I’ve spent time reflecting on why we do these things, which has inspired plenty of research, a whole lot of writing and insights that have been helpful for me and I hope for you too as I share them.While I’ve been dealing with this small health issue, the world is also having its own kind of reckoning, and both of these things have given me a reason to pause and consider what really matters.Here’s what I’ve been making time for:✨ Slower mornings, always with time to meditate and walk in nature.✨ Deepening my connection with creativity. I’ve just finished training as a facilitator in writing our life stories. I’ll share more about this soon.✨ More time for journalling and writing.✨ Moving more slowly and gently. I know this sounds like such a small thing, but since becoming a mother over three decades ago, I have had a tendency to rush through my life. ✨ Being aware of my need to rest, which means setting healthier boundaries.✨ Deepening my connection with meditation which has meant writing and recording some new tracks. I’ll share these on Insight Timer in the coming months.✨ Taking the pressure off myself socially, but making time to do restorative, gentle things with dear friends and family.I definitely don’t have it all figured out yet but I am listening more carefully to what matters – and for now, letting that be enough.If you’re on a similar path of slowing down, healing and reprioritising, I’d love to hear how you’re travelling. What have you found most helpful? ✨#autoimmunehealing #slowliving #mindfullife #womenandwellbeing #meditationpractice #creativehealing #natureheals #writingtoheal #insighttimer #lifeinbalance #cradlemountain📷 by @chrisjamesphotos ❤️
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 ✨
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. ✨
© 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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