Frequently Asked Questions

Catalyst Coaching Terms & Conditions

Q. What is our motivation to train outstanding Coaches?

• We cannot satisfy the demand for quality Coaches from our own existing clients who recognise the value of Coaching in their organisations
• We are committed to best practice and will not jeopardise our long standing relationship with our clients by importing external Coaches with dubious Coaching qualifications.

Q. Is the market for Coaches saturated?

There is certainly a glut of people calling themselves “Coaches” who have attended “happy clappy” motivational seminars with little substance and have been “brainwashed” into believing that they have the requisite skills to command huge fees by setting up their own practices. The reality is that although there are many people masquerading as Coaches, the demand for quality Coaches has never been greater.

At Catalyst, we believe that establishing a Coaching Practice is as demanding as starting any other business which is why we are so stringent in our selection process. If you have the drive and enthusiasm we will ensure you have all the skills and support to develop a successful new business.

Q. Why do people train to become a coach?

• Personal Development: Coach training will challenge the individual to re-visit their own values and beliefs. Learners will improve their communication skills, become more confident at rapport building and develop better relationships. You will gain a greater understanding of where you are now and where you would like to be. You will know how to set goals and how to achieve them. As you work through the Coaching process you will become much more aware of how you interact with other people, you will listen more effectively and you will be able to help others realise their potential.

• To Set Up a Coaching Practice: Once you have completed the training and become accredited, you may want to build your own Coaching business where you will help your clients achieve their goals.

• To Take Coaching Skills back to the Workplace: You may be an HR Practitioner, Team Leader, or Manager wishing to implement a Coaching culture within your organisation. Coaching has been shown to embed behavioural change as well as improving individual performance and productivity.

Q. Is Coaching Regulated?

Although there has been a great deal of progress in defining core competences and establishing professional standards for Coaching there is no single governing body. Whilst the call for regulation is gaining momentum the likelihood is that most reputable training providers will continue to align themselves with ethical Codes of Practice established by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (E.M.C.C.) and the International Coach Federation (ICF) amongst others.

Both the ICF and EMCC promote best practice and Catalyst fully embrace their core values of Competence, Integrity and Professionalism, with all of our Coaches being required to make a copy of the Code of Practice available to both the individual client at the contracting stage, as well as the sponsor (where the individuals coaching has been commissioned by their organisation). Any breach of the Code will be investigated by Catalyst.

Q. How long does it take to become qualified?

The timescale will largely depend on you and your existing commitments although the majority of students complete the foundation course in 6 to 12 months. If you want to specialise or Coach in a niche area you may need to complete some of our advanced course modules.

Remember our Best Course Assurance™ service will ensure that you make the right choice before you choose to invest in your training and our Action Plan Support Programme (APSP™) is individually tailored to your specific needs.

Q. Why is Coaching so Effective?

Imagine being listened to unconditionally! Imagine being able to vocalise all your hopes, fears, doubts and insecurities with someone who will never judge you, never impose their solutions on you, keep what you say in total confidence and never have any agenda of their own other than to support you and help you gain clarity on how you would like to move forward. That is what a Coach does.

Can you imagine how much better you would feel if you were suddenly able to step out of your comfort zone and achieve all your goals step by step? Being coached really is one of the most liberating, empowering and exhilarating experiences you are ever likely to have.

Now imagine, that you are the catalyst for positive change in someone else’s life. Whether you are Coaching in Private Practice or Coaching in the Workplace, there is nothing more rewarding than helping someone realise their potential and move forward in quantum leaps

Q. Do you award Scholarships?

As a general rule we don’t offer scholarships although in extraordinary circumstances we may subsidise the cost of training to certain individuals. By and large there is no such thing as a ‘free lunch’ and those training organisations that claim to offer ‘free training’ are very often using the event to bombard delegates with details of further courses.

If you feel you may qualify for a training subsidy please forward your contact details together with a brief outline of your current situation, a statement about why you want to train as a Coach and details of your exceptional circumstances.

Q. Do you provide clients for your Coaches?

Yes. We regularly match Coaches to our existing clients who recognise the value of employing the services of a Personal or Business Coach.

Q. How many sessions will my clients need?

Coaching is a process. The number of coaching sessions will depend on the clients’ issue and their level of self-awareness. Coaching is most effective when delivered over 4 to 12 sessions, usually conducted weekly with agreed ‘action points’ for the client to complete between sessions.

It is important to remember that the clients ‘real issue’ may not emerge until the second or third session when trust and rapport has been established.

Q. How long does a typical Coaching session take?

Telephone sessions will not generally exceed an hour at a time whereas face-to-face Coaching may be for longer periods of up to two and a half hours.

Q. How much should I charge my clients?

Remote coaching is usually a much more cost-effective option than face-to-face coaching in terms of logistics. Many Coaches also feel that the anonymity of the telephone can be a real advantage in accelerating the trust-building process and of course from the Coaches perspective there are no geographical boundaries to expanding your Practice.

The average fee falls somewhere between £75 and £125 per session on the telephone depending on experience and qualifications, and up to £500 per session for face-to-face Coaching.

Corporate Coaches will typically charge themselves out at a day rate of around £900 to £1,200 per day and some considerably more.

Q. What is the difference between Coaching and Counselling?

Invariably a counsellor will explore and evaluate the clients’ past in order to prescribe a solution for the current situation. A counsellor would generally have some expertise in a specific area such as marriage guidance, alcohol abuse or dealing with depression, and would focus on the cause of an individual condition or problem.

Coaching is a holistic approach to developing the clients’ well being and does not delve into the past to enable the client to move forward but rather allows the client to focus on where they would like to be in the future and how to get there. Coaching is non-prescriptive and the Coach is not required to have specialist knowledge about the clients’ profession or life experience as the client will be encouraged and supported through the process of finding their own solution.

It is precisely the fact that the client comes up with his or her own agenda that makes Coaching so empowering. You are much more likely to action your goals if you have identified them and you have unconditional support and total objectivity from your Coach.

Q. What is the difference between Coaching and Mentoring?

Traditionally, Coaching has had a very close association with Mentoring particularly in the area of Sport but in recent years it has been redefined, as a discipline in it’s own right.

A Mentor would be expected to advise, guide and teach, drawing on their own experience to lead the Mentee towards a pre-determined goal or outcome. The role of a Coach is significantly different because there is no need for the Coach to have any understanding of their clients’ occupation or life experience. In fact a Coach will never advise or impose their solutions on their clients.

The Coaching process enables the client to evaluate where they are now and gain clarity on what they would like to achieve in the future. In other words, the Coaching relationship is totally client focused. The Coach will remain entirely non-judgemental, with no agenda of his or her own, other than to facilitate the change that the client has identified.