FAQs

Coaching is like having a personal guide on your journey to self-improvement. It’s a powerful service that helps you unlock your potential and achieve goals you might have thought were out of reach. Think of a coach as a trusted friend who’s there to provide support, encouragement, and sometimes a gentle nudge in the right direction.

Firstly, coaching offers clarity. It’s easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of daily life. A coach helps you step back, identify what you really want, and focus on the steps to get there. This clarity is like turning on a light in a dark room – suddenly, you can see your way forward.

Secondly, coaching boosts your confidence. It’s like having someone in your corner who believes in you, even when you doubt yourself. This belief can be contagious, helping you build self-confidence and take on challenges with a positive attitude.

Thirdly, coaching provides accountability. Just like a gym buddy who keeps you on track with your fitness goals, a coach helps keep you accountable to your personal or professional goals. This accountability ensures you stay committed and make consistent progress.

Lastly, coaching is a catalyst for change. It’s not just about talking; it’s about taking action. With a coach’s guidance, you can make meaningful changes that have a lasting impact on your life. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve with a little coaching magic!

Coaching and therapy are two distinct practices that support individuals in different ways. The primary difference lies in their focus and methodology. Therapy, often conducted by licensed professionals such as psychotherapists, delves into the past to understand and heal emotional traumas or psychological issues. It’s designed to help individuals cope with mental health challenges, understand their behaviour patterns, and work through emotional distress. Therapists diagnose and treat mental health disorders, offering a space to explore deep-seated issues, understand personal history, and work towards emotional healing.

Coaching, on the other hand, is more future-oriented and goal-focused. It’s about enhancing personal and professional development. Coaches do not treat mental health issues but rather focus on helping individuals achieve specific goals, improve performance, and develop skills. Coaching is about unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their performance. It’s action-oriented, with an emphasis on the present and future, and often involves setting goals, creating action plans, and developing new skills or strategies.

In summary, therapy is about healing and understanding, focusing on past and present emotional experiences to improve mental health. Coaching is about personal and professional growth, focusing on the present and future to achieve specific goals and enhance performance.

Coaching and mentoring, while both valuable in personal and professional development, differ in their approach, focus, and objectives. Coaching is typically a structured, time-bound process focused on specific development goals or issues. It’s akin to a skilled coach guiding an athlete: the coach has expertise in coaching techniques and helps the individual to unlock their potential, often addressing specific challenges or skills. The coach doesn’t need to be an expert in the coaching client’s field; instead, they’re skilled in facilitating growth, offering tools and strategies to help the coaching client find their own solutions.

Mentoring, on the other hand, is more like a seasoned guide sharing their wisdom from personal experience. It’s usually a longer-term relationship, where the mentor, who has experience and knowledge in the same field as the mentee, offers advice, shares insights, and helps navigate career paths or personal growth. Mentors provide guidance, support, and wisdom gleaned from their own journeys, often focusing on overall development rather than specific issues.

In summary, coaching is a structured, goal-focused approach relying on facilitative techniques to enhance performance or skills, whereas mentoring is an advisory relationship based on the mentor’s experience and knowledge in a similar field, aiming for broader personal or career development.

Think of sales leadership coaching more as coaching with some mentoring, whilst sales coaching for your team is more tactical, like mentoring.

Coaching and advising are two distinct approaches to guidance and personal development, each with its own unique focus and methodology. 

Coaching is a facilitative process where the coach helps the individual to uncover their own solutions and paths forward. In coaching, the coach primarily listens, asks probing questions, and encourages self-discovery. The coach’s role is not to provide answers, but to guide the individual to find their own solutions and strategies. This method is built on the belief that the individual holds the keys to their own growth and the coach is there to unlock that potential.

Advising, however, is more direct. An advisor is an expert in a particular area and shares their knowledge and expertise to provide solutions, recommendations, or advice. Unlike coaching, where the answers come from within the individual, in advising, the answers come from the advisor’s own knowledge and experience. Advisors provide specific guidance, often based on their own expertise, and direct the individual on what to do, which can be particularly useful in specialised fields or complex situations where expert knowledge is essential.

In essence, coaching is about facilitating self-discovery and empowering individuals to find their own solutions, while advising is about providing expert advice and direction from the advisor’s own knowledge base.

Mentoring and advising, while similar in their supportive roles, differ in approach and purpose. Mentoring is a long-term, developmental relationship where a more experienced individual (mentor) guides another (mentee) in personal and professional growth. It’s holistic, focusing on the mentee’s overall development, and often involves sharing experiences, providing support, and nurturing potential.

Advising, on the other hand, is more immediate and specific. It involves an expert or knowledgeable person (advisor) giving advice, solutions, or recommendations on particular issues or decisions. Advising is often short-term and issue-specific, focusing on providing guidance or solving a particular problem, rather than the broader development offered in mentoring.

Coaching is future-focused and works on goals, behaviour, and performance, while mentoring usually involves advice from someone with direct experience in your field. Therapy is different again, as it often focuses more on emotional healing, wellbeing, and past patterns that may be affecting life or work.

Executive coaching is a structured, confidential process that helps leaders think more clearly, improve performance, and develop the skills needed to lead well under pressure. It focuses on real challenges in leadership, decision-making, communication, and personal effectiveness.

You may benefit from an executive coach if you are successful but feeling stretched, stuck, or under more pressure than usual. Coaching can be especially useful if you want more clarity, better leadership habits, or a more effective way of handling people and performance.

Executive coaching focuses on professional development within an organisational context, targeting leadership skills, business strategies, and career advancement. It often involves stakeholders beyond the individual client, such as the company or team. The goals are typically aligned with improving workplace performance and achieving business objectives.

Life coaching, on the other hand, takes a holistic approach to personal growth across all aspects of an individual’s life. It may address relationships, work-life balance, personal fulfilment, and overall well-being. Life coaching is client-driven, with goals set by the individual based on their personal aspirations and values.

Often, there is an overlap, and Obnatus works with executives who want to focused on professional outcomes. Hence, we focus on personal development first, as some limiting beliefs and behaviours often originate from “life” rather than “work”. The two can blend into one another but do not have to.

The coaching client is always in charge of the direction they want to go, and the goal they want to pursue.

Overall the benefits of coaching can be summarised as follows:

  • Self-awareness and self-observation of leadership behaviour
  • A more conscious approach to both leadership and personal life
  • An improved leadership style, teamwork and management skills
  • An improved influence and performance
  • Better interpersonal and communication skills leading to better relationships across your business and personal life
  • Increased flexibility in managing change
  • A better understanding of handling conflict, stress and change

A coach will be your support buddy and your accountability partner, creating a safe space, holding you accountable to reach your goals. The most important thing a coach does is that the coach will help you to manage and change your mindset over time. Creating new habits, helping you to rewire your brain and accomplish what you want to achieve.

Executive coaching can help you gain clarity, strengthen self-awareness, improve how you lead others, and make better decisions when the pressure is high. It is especially useful when you want to grow your impact without losing yourself in the demands of the role.

Embarking on a coaching journey can be an exciting and transformative experience. Here’s what you can generally expect:

  1. Goal Setting: Coaching typically starts with identifying specific personal or professional goals. You’ll work with your coach to define what you want to achieve.
  2. Structured Approach: Expect a structured process, with regular sessions and a clear agenda. This structure helps maintain focus and momentum.
  3. Active Participation: Coaching requires your active engagement. You’ll need to be open to discussions, self-reflection, and taking action outside of sessions.
  4. Solution-Focused: Coaching is solution-oriented, focusing on finding practical ways to achieve your goals and overcome obstacles.
  5. Personal Accountability: Your coach will hold you accountable for your progress, helping you stay committed to your goals and the actions needed to achieve them.
  6. Feedback and Perspective: Expect to receive constructive feedback and fresh perspectives. A coach offers insights that can challenge and broaden your thinking.
  7. Skill Development: Coaching often involves developing new skills or enhancing existing ones, such as communication, leadership, or time management.
  8. Progress Tracking: You and your coach will regularly review and assess your progress towards your goals, adjusting strategies as needed.
  9. Confidentiality: Just like therapy, coaching provides a confidential space where you can speak openly and honestly.
  10. Empowerment: Ultimately, coaching aims to empower you. It’s about building your self-reliance and confidence to handle future challenges independently.

Remember, the effectiveness of coaching largely depends on the chemistry between you and your coach, as well as your willingness to participate and make changes.

That depends on what you want to change. At the outset, we’ll identify outcomes that matter to you; perhaps making a difficult decision, handling conflict more effectively, leading with greater confidence, or finding a more sustainable way to perform. We can revisit those aims as we work and look for changes you can observe in your decisions, behaviour and working relationships.

I won’t promise a financial return or a particular result. If an organisation is paying, we can agree appropriate measures of progress while keeping personal conversations confidential.

Here’s what you can typically expect from the therapy experience:

  • Initial Assessment: The first few sessions are often about assessment. Your therapist will ask questions about your life, history, and what brought you to therapy. This helps them understand your needs and how best to assist you.
  • Establishing Goals: You and your therapist will work together to identify goals for your therapy. These could be specific (like developing coping strategies for anxiety) or more general (like improving overall well-being).
  • Safe and Confidential Space: Therapy provides a confidential and non-judgmental environment. This safety allows you to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours openly.
  • Active Participation: Therapy is not a passive process. It requires active engagement both during sessions and outside of them. Homework, like journaling or practising new skills, may be part of the process.
  • Emotional Challenges: Therapy can be emotionally challenging. Discussing difficult memories or feelings can be uncomfortable, but it’s a crucial part of the healing process.
  • Progress and Setbacks: Healing is not linear. You may experience progress as well as setbacks, and it’s important to discuss these with your therapist to adjust your treatment plan as needed.
  • Collaborative Relationship: A strong therapeutic relationship is key. A good therapist doesn’t give direct advice or tell you what to do. Instead, they guide and support you in finding your own solutions.
  • Duration and Frequency: The length and frequency of therapy vary. It could be short-term for specific issues, or longer-term for more complex challenges. Sessions are typically once a week, but this can be adjusted based on your situation.
  • Review and Adaptation: Therapy evolves over time. As you grow and change, your therapy approach might also change. Regular reviews of your progress and goals are an essential part of this process.
  • End of Therapy: Eventually, you may feel ready to end therapy. This decision is made collaboratively, and the process of ending therapy is an important and intentional part of your journey.

  • Psychodynamic Theory: Imagine that your mind is like an iceberg with most of it hidden under the surface. That’s what Sigmund Freud believed. He thought that our subconscious thoughts and feelings, which we’re often unaware of, influence our everyday behaviour. Ever felt like you’re being pulled in different directions without knowing why? That’s the subconscious at work!
  • Person-Centred Therapy: Carl Rogers had a hopeful view. He believed that, just like a plant reaching for sunlight, we naturally strive to grow and improve, even after tough times. In this approach, I aim to create a welcoming space that helps you blossom into your best self.
  • Behavioural Approach: This is all about the learning process. It’s the idea that our environment and experiences shape our reactions and behaviours. Ever noticed how some children share the same fears as their parents, while others have different ones? That’s learning in action!
  • Existential Therapy: Here, we delve into your unique place in the world. It’s about understanding your own experiences and finding meaning in life. Sometimes, anxiety is just part of being human and can lead us to discover our life’s purpose.
  • Gestalt Therapy: In our fast-paced world, we often miss what’s happening around us and within us. Gestalt therapy brings our focus back to the present, helping us understand the wisdom our body and emotions have to offer. Have you ever thought about how your body can guide you if you just listen?
  • Transactional Analysis (TA): This approach is super helpful when improving communication and relationships. TA shows us how we switch between different roles, like being an adult or a child, in various situations. It’s a tool to understand and respond effectively in our interactions.
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Rational Emotive Therapy (REBT): These are fantastic for tackling issues like anxiety, depression, and fears. They focus on the here and now, teaching you how your thoughts influence your feelings and actions. It’s about changing what you can and finding new perspectives for what you cannot control. For instance, changing your environment can shift your mood – think about how you feel stepping off a plane into a holiday paradise!
  • Solution-Focused Therapy: Instead of dwelling on the past, imagine concentrating on a clear vision of your future. This approach helps you recognise the skills and resources you already have and use them to achieve your goals. With guidance, you can break down these goals into achievable steps. You might be closer to knowing what you want and how to get there than you think!

Each of these approaches offers a unique way to explore and understand yourself, helping you to navigate life’s challenges with more clarity and confidence.

Additionally, Volker is a qualified hypno-therapist.

  • Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that harnesses the power of hypnosis, a state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility, often accompanied by deep relaxation. It’s like guiding the mind into a more receptive state, allowing for positive changes in perceptions, sensations, emotions, thoughts, or behaviour. During a hypnotherapy session, a trained therapist guides the individual into this relaxed, trance-like state. In this state, people are more open to suggestions and exploring deeper issues they may not be fully conscious of in their regular state of mind.

Our sessions are 50 minutes.

I will finish between 50 and 55 minutes most of the time. But I want to leave 5-10 minutes prior to the next session or your next meeting.
It gives us time to confirm the next session as well.

There isn’t a number I can give you before we’ve met. Some people come with a focused issue; others want time to explore something more longstanding. We’ll discuss what you hope for, agree an initial way of working and review together whether it’s helping. You won’t need to commit to an open-ended course of therapy without discussing it.

Motivation in emotional intelligence is the ability to stay focused on meaningful goals, even when pressure, setbacks, or uncertainty show up. In leadership, it often means knowing what drives you, how to keep yourself engaged, and how to sustain energy without burning out.

Emotional intelligence helps leaders stay self-aware, manage their reactions, and build stronger relationships with their teams. It also improves communication, trust, and the ability to lead in a way that brings out the best in others.

Yes. Executive coaching can help you notice patterns in how you think, respond, and lead, which makes it easier to strengthen self-awareness, empathy, and motivation over time. That is often where real leadership change begins.

Leadership training can help senior managers become clearer, more confident, and more effective under pressure. It can also improve decision-making, team communication, and the ability to lead through change without losing focus.

Many coaching relationships run for several months, often around 3 to 6 months, though the length depends on the goals and the depth of change you want to make. Some people need a short, focused engagement, while others benefit from longer-term support.

Leadership training helps people build the skills, habits, and confidence needed to lead teams effectively. It often covers communication, delegation, motivation, emotional intelligence, feedback, and handling change.

Good leadership training can improve how managers communicate, build trust, make decisions, and support team performance. It can also increase confidence and consistency, especially for people moving into bigger leadership responsibilities.

Leadership training is useful for new managers, experienced leaders, founders, senior executives, and teams preparing for more responsibility. It is often most valuable when someone needs to lead people through growth, change, or uncertainty.

Leadership training works best when it is relevant to real workplace challenges and followed by reflection, practice, and reinforcement. If the learning is practical and connected to day-to-day behaviour, it is much more likely to create lasting change.

Common topics include self-awareness, emotional intelligence, communication, influencing others, managing conflict, motivation, delegation, and leading through change. The best programmes are tailored to the needs of the person or team, rather than being generic.

Yes, but it matters how we do it. Coaching and therapy can both help you understand yourself and make changes, but they are not interchangeable. Coaching usually starts with a goal or challenge you want to work on; therapy gives us space to explore difficulties that may need more sustained attention.

Because I’m trained in both, I can help you think about which approach fits your needs. We’ll agree what kind of work we’re doing before we begin. If your needs change, we’ll talk about that rather than quietly shifting from one approach to the other.

It can be, provided the boundaries are clear and the arrangement is in your best interests. You should know whether you’re receiving therapy or coaching, what to expect, and how confidentiality and fees work. I would not use “coaching” as a label for therapy, or assume that being trained in both means I’m the right person for every need. Where another professional or a separate therapeutic relationship would serve you better, I’ll say so. This reflects UKCP guidance on informed consent, boundaries and referral, and the coaching profession’s distinction between coaching and psychotherapy.

You don’t have to take my word for it. Ask about my training, professional membership and approach, and notice how you feel when we speak. You should feel able to ask questions, understand what I can offer, and decide without pressure whether I’m the right fit.

I’m a hypno-psychotherapist and a member of UKCP and NSTT. My approach draws on training in CBT, hypnosis, family systems, Gestalt and solution-focused work. Qualifications matter, but so does the working relationship; it’s reasonable to assess both before committing.

I bring therapeutic training alongside more than two decades of experience in senior commercial and technology leadership. That can be useful when work, identity, relationships and pressure are closely connected: you needn’t spend the first few sessions explaining what it’s like to lead a team or carry responsibility for results.

I work integratively rather than assuming one method suits everyone. That doesn’t make me the right therapist for everyone, and I’ll be straightforward if your needs fall outside my experience.

I’ve worked in senior leadership myself, including as a chief revenue officer, and I’m trained in psychotherapy as well as executive coaching. In coaching, that means we can work practically on decisions, communication and leadership while taking seriously the patterns or pressures that may sit beneath them.

Therapeutic training does not turn a coaching session into therapy. We’ll be clear about the purpose and boundaries of the work.

I wouldn’t claim to be the only one. Other practitioners may also have training in both coaching and therapy. What I can tell you is what I bring: executive coaching credentials, psychotherapy training and first-hand senior leadership experience. The better question is whether that combination is useful for what you’re facing. I work in Brighton and London as well as online.

Get in touch through my website and tell me a little about what brings you here. We can arrange an initial conversation to discuss what you’re looking for, whether therapy or coaching seems more appropriate, and whether working together feels like a good fit. I’ll explain the practical details before you decide.