Hello, I'm
DAVID
Life coaching, through the lens of your photographs.
That’s what you and I will be doing, together.
I’m a trained life coach. Using your photos as part of our process, we’ll work together to support your personal growth. This is your time: for your thinking, reflections and insight, with me supporting you.
Why use photographs? You’ll probably know the phrase “a picture says a thousand words”.
Sometimes words get in the way. An image, especially one that you have a personal connection with, can provide an express route to discovery, and change.
What does coaching look like?
Sum of the parts...
Time and Space. Trying to create more of these commodities in our lives can often feel like science fiction! Coaching is a special kind of conversation, a dedicated time for you to think and talk openly, about creating the life you want. It’s an investment in yourself. No judgement, no right or wrong.
Why have a coach? The fact you’re here means you’re already thinking about carving out that time for you. We all need support from others, and often our friends or family provide this. Sometimes the dynamics of those relationships, combined with the nature of what we’d like to talk about, are best heard by someone with no attachment to the situation and outcome. Speaking of which...
State your goal
Shout about it. It's ok to put you first.
Coaching can result in many positive outcomes, simply by you having time to think.
These are up (or down?) to you but some of the ways in which your already perfectly good self may be augmented could be:
- A structured path to achieving a goal that leaves you feeling in charge
- Greater self-awareness - tuning in to your theme and asking yourself “is what I’m doing, right now contributing to my stated goal?”
- A more mindful way of being - creating your own theme and revisiting that will give you a continual reminder of your own purpose
- Increased confidence - often through being challenged, with your coach holding you to account
- Clarity - perhaps regarding an aspect of yourself, a relationship or in decision making
- A new perspective on a situation discovered through facing reality, rather than operating on assumptions
- Focused and/or renewed creativity: For example, I’ll ask that you take some photographs that represent what’s going on for you. This is your work, your theme, which leads me to...
Photographs can do many things:
- Inspire - by helping us recognise what we’ve already done
- Provide perspective - see how far you’ve already travelled
- Create pause and stimulate reflection (and you’ll have that time to reflect)
- Generate insights
- Guide our conversation - “Oh, wow! That reminds me...”
Life through your lens
Your photos will be a basis for what we tak about, together.
Your own images, both pre-existing and new ones you will create during our sessions, will help us facilitate the above. NB: I am not a professional photographer, and you certainly don’t need to be either! You will however be willing to go outside (if that’s possible for you), sometimes as part of our time together, and take photos. (Movement is often a great aide to thought.)
Finally - and I cannot emphasise this enough - these rewards will require work, from you. That thinking thing I mentioned? Yeah, that’s work.
We’ll do this together though, and here’s what this alchemy's comprised of:
- You - you know you, best. No one else comes close. So, fair warning: the outcomes are yours to achieve; the topic of our conversation each time we meet is chosen by you. You’re in charge. Not me.
- Me - I will be the guide to our process, mostly listening, occasionally asking questions to support your own thinking; and suggesting ways you might link your process with the images you choose or create
- Being listened to, knowing you won’t be interrupted is rare and very powerful. My experience in both coaching specifically and 27 years’ (😱 time flies) supporting people in various settings and roles, means you’re in good hands.
Accessible and Inclusive
Words that are used a lot today. Here, this is what I'm talking about:
- Whatever your age, income, however you identify, and regardless of disability, religion et al, I want more people to access the support that coaching can bring. For example we can talk about how some of coaching activities might be adapted to meet your needs.
How it works
Interested?
To begin, let’s have a conversation, however that suits you (Zoom, phone etc). We will talk over what you want in a free 30-minute call and of course you can ask me any questions during this time.
You might then say, “no thanks”, which is of course fine. This is such a potentially powerful piece of work we’ll do, that being able to happily work together is vital for both parties.
So, after we’ve had an initial conversation, or even after a session, if you don’t feel that I’m the right coach for you, I will not be offended. Similarly, if I don’t think I am best placed to support you with your goals, I will be clear about that, and see if I can recommend an alternative coach.
What’ll it cost man, what will it cost?!
Each session’s standard rate is £60 an hour but as I said (up there somewhere) I am happy to discuss your particular situation.
How long will this last?
That also applies regarding the number of times you want to meet. One of the coaches I most admire, jokes that her way of working is not good for business because her clients often have a breakthrough moment in the first session. I can’t promise that, but if you want to decide at the end of each conversation whether you want to carry on, no problem.
There are also some packages available, how exciting!
The Quarterly
Spread over 3 consecutive months you might choose for us to work together once each month, or perhaps bi-monthly which could create more momentum (coaching sessions often occur fortnightly, which gives time for your own work and reflection).
The Year Long Monthly
Despite the slightly awkward name, the idea is simple: 12 sessions, one each month.
We often compare our time of life to a season, and that notion inspired this.
How do the natural changes throughout the year connect with your sense of progress?
You’re always the one deciding what you’d like to explore, and in this package it might be:
- One theme for the whole year - perhaps a long-term change that you’re considering;
- Or choose a different focus each month (or 2, or 3: there ain’t no wrong way to do this) allowing you to track your own process and progress (with of course, kindness, curiosity, creativity and hopefully a sense of playfulness).
About Me
Who am I? What am I about?
Always fun to start with the big existential questions.
I am a people person. Yes, I said it. And frankly I can’t think of a better way to sum me up.
Since leaving my first “proper” (but ill-suited) graduate job in PR and retraining as a careers adviser I have worked in roles that support others. That’s 27 years of experience helping young people; people new to Canada (I lived in Toronto for 8 years); university students; neurodiverse people and currently, those who’ve experienced homelessness.
Other things
- I am a graduate of the Animas Centre of Coaching
- I trained with the wonderful Dorota Raniszewska to learn how to use photos in a coaching context.
- The natural world is a great source of joy and peace for me.
- Music moves me like nothing else.
- I am a natural collaborator. I am kind. I am funny (humour is one of my defining traits; so I hope we’ll also laugh together).
- Above all, like everyone, I am a WORK IN PROGRESS.
Email:
Phone:
FAQ
What is all this No Filter Coaching?
It’s life coaching, using photographs (mostly yours) as part of our work.
There are many definitions, but commonly coaching is seen as future oriented, and related to other person-to-person professional relationships: from consulting and mentoring through to therapy and counselling (which tend to examine past events connecting to present states).
I am probably closer to the counselling end, (yeah, you’ve got me - a bit touchy-feely to give it its correct nomenclature) and my style of coaching is more likely to be for you if perhaps your focus is more reflective, looking inward to see how your future self might take shape. That said I certainly appreciate the value of a simple question to help you get to the heart of your concern.
My personal favourite? It’s been likened to two people going for a walk with one person just slightly ahead, leading the conversation. (That’s you, that is.)
My definition probably isn’t even a definition. ***looks up the definition of definition***
- It’s a special kind of conversation (different from the ones you might have with your mum, or best mate) and at its best it’s a form of partnership. You will hear that in the way I pose questions e.g., “What work should we think about today?”.
- You will have the space and time to think, reflect, question.
- The thinking you do will guide our conversation (not some presumed knowledge or “expertise” from me).
- What comes up, as the conversation develops, determines where we go next. Yes, there is a “plan”, created by you at the beginning; but I follow where you lead, even if that turns out to be wildly different to what was originally proposed. We just need to check in...
- In coaching, work means thinking. To do this we’ll deliberately slow down. This is hard for almost everyone. Buckle up.
Great question. Hard to answer. Only you will know. It might be a eureka moment, right there in a session. But often change, new insights, transformation (a popular term in the coaching universe), happen outside the session, at unexpected times and places. It’s a kind of magic, as Freddie once said. But you make the magic, not me.
No. Definitely not. Go no further if you think a coach is someone who gives you the answers, fixes your tricky sitch. Much like the recent state of the British economy, that equals zero growth (for you).
- I’ll be listening. And asking the occasional question.
- I’ll guide the process e.g., when you bring a photograph to explore an issue
And hey, steady on, I won’t just be sitting there. Sometimes we’ll go outside to take some air, and some photographs. This will help you think and feel better. Science says so.
- No. The photos you select will be important to you because of their emotional power, not because of their technical or artistic merits (of course they may well have those too).
