This week's Coach in the Spotlight is Chloe Medlock-Webb. Chloe is a Coaching Academy graduate coach who completed our Life Coaching Diploma, she describes herself as ‘Neurospicy’ and is passionate about using her Life Coaching skills to empower Neurodivergent Mums. Read on to learn more about Chloe's journey.
I first came to coaching after receiving lots of counselling, CBT and other support therapies. There is definitely a place for these support services, but for me I felt I had done enough digging into my past and wanted to really move forward into the future. I fancied the idea of being a counsellor, but when I did more research in coaching I found that it was actually where my heart lay. I discovered The Coaching Academy when someone I knew mentioned they thought I'd be good at it. They'd heard that The Coaching Academy was a great place to learn and suggested I look into studying there. I attended the free 'Introduction to Life Coaching' webinar and I felt instantly that this was the support I needed and I knew it would help other Neurodivergent Mums like me!
I joined the Life Coaching Diploma course, and the rest is history. Coaching has benefitted me immensely. On the course I did a lot of reciprocal coaching with other students which not only gave me practise as a coach but also enabled me to saw things from the clients' point of view. This made me realise all the answers can be found within. I liked the fact that the diploma was flexible and I actually had a baby in the middle of my course, completing it after was no problem as the course is incredibly flexible, enabling me to work around when baby napped!
Being Autistic (or ‘Neurospicy’ as I call it!) I don't work like most people. I work at odd times in short bursts, so the qualification was incredibly flexible and worked around me. I would sometimes work late evening before bed, other times I would work first thing in the morning. The fact that it was all online enabled me to access the coursework whenever I had time or felt a sudden burst of inspiration. There are certain seminars to attend, but as these are repeated throughout the year.
Without a doubt submitting my work and receiving that distinction was incredibly rewarding! I put my all into it, it felt like it had really paid off. However, I'd say the absolute most rewarding part of my journey has been my first client. We had only had our first session together when they told me that coaching with me had been life changing and other people had noticed the amazing difference with them. I felt like I'd sent them on a trajectory to a new orbit and it didn't matter if I never saw a client again, I'd made a difference in the world - as I went on to seeing more clients it's only compounded the reward!
I think the workbooks for each module were great because I could go through the course in bite-size chunks. Also understanding more about what a good coach is and what The Coaching Academy were looking for in assessments during mentoring. I have all of these skills in my mind whenever I coach a client and I still keep the booklets to hand whenever I need to review something. They're not the kind of resources you throw away when you're done, they keep being useful.
As an Autistic Mum myself I wanted to utilise the power of coaching I'd received to help other Mums in the same position. So I started a coaching business for Neurodivergent (or ‘Neurospicy’ as I sometimes say!) Mums called Reach Out Coaching. I help them to manage the downfalls of their condition (Autism, ADHD and so on). One client said: “You've helped me so much just from one session even my friends have noticed a difference!”. My mission is to help Neurodivergent Mums to manage life both as a woman in their own right and also as the identity of a Mum. Yes, I don't like to play it too serious, but equally I know it is a serious subject to which I respect and dignify for all my clients.
Sometimes clients come to me with a fixed way of thinking. Asking them their meanings behind words and explaining we all have slightly different meanings is usually an eye opener. It brings about the notion that not everything is fixed to one position and can be changed or adapted. It's amazing how different the definitions of the same words each client has. Some clients feel angry by the use of a word another client finds funny, I always find this the most pivotal eye-opening moment for my clients, as they realise their perspective has a lot of bearing on their happiness.
Coaching's ability to give responsibility to the client to make them take charge of themselves which I think can really impact on anxiety and depression symptoms. The client isn't doing homework for you as the coach, they're doing it for themselves, they're taking control of the situation and they're making a difference to their lives. I am just the facilitator for them to make it happen!
You must do what makes you happy and certainly having a coaching business makes me happy! Coaches don't give advice as clients must do what's right for them, so I can't say do it if it's not right for you, but take responsibility for your feelings, what's your body and mind telling you, to do it or not to? What's your gut reaction? Whatever you chose, taking control of your destiny is incredibly transformational!
Thank you Chloe for sharing your inspirational coaching journey with us!
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