Brian Eddies enrolled on the Life Coaching Diploma and NLP Practitioner Diploma with The Coaching Academy in August 2013, graduated in 2014 and he has been using his coaching skills as a solid foundation for all the work that he does.
Before finding coaching, Brian worked in a supermarket and has struggled with deteriorating eyesight over some years. Then a serious accident led him on a path to fundamentally change the way he thought about adversity and his own life.
“The initial incident that I had in January of 2012 and events after that led me to look into something different how I could get over the adversity that I have faced in a period of time and I came across coaching. And then I found the coaching Academy.
"But then I looked at – how can I improve to get over something that really was a big thing in my life. And like I said, I thank coaching."But what events led to that, were major life changes, losing my eyesight for one over a number of years, a severe sight impairment. I had an accident in January 2012 at London Bridge station.
I was coming home from London spending a weekend with a friend and coming back…and I always booked my assistance on the train to help me to get on and off the train and in between my journeys. My guide dog I had at the time was at home because I had always got help on the train from the staff at the train station.
But on this occasion, I got off at the train at London Bridge station and there was no one there for me. So I thought ‘Oh, I know where the entrance was!’, me being me. I opened up my wide cane and I walk to the platform, but within a matter of minutes I ran out of platform and ended up on the train track. (…)
Over that period of time, I had psychotherapy treatment because it was diagnosed that I had PTSD from my accident. But during that time my chronic fatigue syndrome that I got had got worse so I was going to see my specialist.
But then I looked at – how can I improve to get over something that really was a big thing in my life. And like I said, I thank coaching.
An I thought, ‘look, there’s a free training in coaching down in London’ so that’s what I enquired. Went on that. And I sat there and you were there [Kris Robertson] on the very first day and introduced about coaching and NLP on the second day.
And within the first hour I thought, you know what, this is for me. I think this could help me – which it did.”
It’s been 6 years since Brian qualified so we asked him how is he using his coaching skills now.
“I've done a few coaching sessions over the past year. But because I had other things I was doing, I was studying for, I used my coaching in those other complementary therapies. So it's talking to people.
Even with, like, reflexology, you say to that person – cause you do talk to your clients - you say, ‘If you could have this pain be alleviated from you in due course after a period of time of treatments, how would you feel?’
And some of the answers that I got were totally amazing, and I felt really humbled by some of the comments I got as well because I was able to help that person.
Even being a celebrant it's talking to people. From talking about organising the wedding for them, what is it what they want from the day? What does it mean if their great grandmother was there? How would they feel? Having that person that is a big part of their life, how would they feel on the day?
So it’s using those elements of coaching through life, that I am able to help people that I’ve coached.”
"I really learned the benefit of coaching from my third telephone coaching session that I had and what develop from that was I listened to people more. I listened to the tonality of their voice and having the visual impairment I felt that my senses began to heighten more in my listening."
When talking about how coaching impacted his life and what was the best part of his coaching journey, Brian remembers his assessments fondly."
“When you [Kris Robertson] listened into my coaching sessions and the comments and feedback that you gave me were so constructive. Yes, I made a few mistakes in the beginning because that's part of the learning curve. But you learn from it, you take on board. (…)
And my third telephone interview was the best one ever because I began to feel how people benefited from coaching.
I really learned the benefit of coaching from my third telephone coaching session that I had and what develop from that was I listened to people more.
I listened to the tonality of their voice and having the visual impairment I felt that my senses began to heighten more in my listening.
And I always say at the beginning of my coaching session ‘if I feel you wanted a push or a challenge, would you be okay with that?’ If they said yes then I would challenge that person on certain questions or certain elements of the coaching session. If I thought it necessary, to help them in a subtle way. I'm listening to you, I'm listening to what you're saying and there's something that you're not telling me.”
Brian’s story reminds us that life is not a linear journey and the skills you learn will help you along the way, even if you don’t see how at the moment or you don’t know what the future will bring. Everyone’s challenge looks different in life but once you find your purpose, there are multiple ways of honouring it.
Brian made a choice to start thinking about his challenges differently, started his coaching journey and is now helping and empowering people in all the areas of work that he does.
If you would like to know more about what Coaching is and how it can benefit you and the lives of others, or if you feel that Coaching could be a potential full or part-time opportunity for you, join us in this live training. Choose from available dates here.
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