Can you guarantee that I will achieve all my goals through coaching?
How can I pay for coaching with CoachAmal?
Coaching in General:
It’s a process that helps people to work out what it is that they themselves want from their lives and how they can work towards achieving it. It helps them to articulate their dreams and aspirations, clarify their purposes and goals, and then helps them achieve new outcomes in different areas of their life: spiritual, personal, professional, relationships, health…
As coaches, we use a personalised combination of methods, tools, and techniques, some of which have been selected from management and personal development theories and others from cognitive behavioural psychology and NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), to assist clients in reaching their individual goals.
For instance, when I've coached women who want to feel more connected to the spiritual side of their lives, I've used - among other tools - visioning, to enable them to work out what exactly this connection would mean to them, and then goal planning, to help them decide upon the steps they need to take to work towards their vision. When I've worked with women who have become distanced from people they were close to, I've used tools such as strategic questioning, reframing and dialogues to assist them to understand what has happened and work out what to do next. Each person is unique, as are their situations, so the most appropriate combination of tools and techniques have to be chosen for each person.
Coaches are future-focussed sounding boards and motivators, i.e. they help their clients look forward to the future. They support their clients to identify and meet their goals. The coach’s job is to ask probing provocative questions, provide insights and motivation, really listen, give honest feedback, and then help their clients to develop strategies to achieve their goals.
Although the aim of coaching is similar to mentoring and counselling - in that it is designed to support clients to lead better lives - a coach isn’t an expert in all the fields that their clients may want to work in, as a mentor would be. Their expertise lies in the skills and techniques they use to bring out the best in their clients.
The main difference between coaching and counselling is that coaching is very future-focussed. Coaches are not therapists or consultants and they don't work on deep-rooted psychological problems with their clients. They will only look back at a client’s past briefly, if and when it interferes with their progress towards their goals. whereas counsellors tend to focus on resolving issues from the past.
The techniques, tools and exercises that I use in my coaching are based on: cognitive behavioural psychology, NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming), management and performance training, and personal development techniques and tools. One of the most well-known coaching tools is the Wheel of Life or Lifewheel. You can try this technique out for yourself - the Wheel of Life is included in my coaching self-assessment: Is Coaching for Me? (which you can request from the top right of this page).
With CoachAmal, all these coaching tools are used within an Islamic framework. Deep hypnosis, which is sometimes used alongside coaching, is not used at all during my coaching sessions, as it is seen to induce an altered state of perception during which a client is suggestible and may make decisions that they would otherwise not choose to make if they were fully aware. Islamically “the pen is lifted” from those who are not aware of what they are doing.
A lifecoach is someone who has been through an accepted training in the use of the tools, techniques and methods of lifecoaching to help healthy people improve their lives in areas such as personal relationships, spirituality, health, family life, finances, education, career or business. Coaches can also assist clients in coping with stress, time management, goal setting, and aspects of change, such as increasing self-confidence or deepening self-understanding, enabling clients to lead more balanced lives that reflect their own personal values, beliefs, and priorities.
The role of a life coach is not to tell their clients what they should do. Their role is more of a process consultant and a catalyst for change, They facilitate and support their clients to make sense of their eperiences, work out what it is about their life that they want to change, what they would like to be doing instead and how to make that transition. In other words, clients are treated as mature adults who take responsibility for their lives, but need some (usually) short-term support. The coaching relationship is an ongoing, supportive non-judgmental partnership, with the outcome depending largely on the client's commitment to action and being prepared to step out of their comfort zone to change past behaviour patterns in order to reach their goals.
The main difference is the emphasis on spirituality, which is often overlooked by secular coaches, and I work on this from a Islamic understanding of the Deen. Many of my clients come to me wanting to work on this area of their life, as they realise that I will have a better understanding of what they are talking about than a non-Muslim coach would. During coaching on any issue, we may refer to the Deen, drawing on it for inspiration, motivation and possible approaches to challenges. Some of the things that I avoid are techniques such as deep hypnosis, as Islamically we are only responsible for the things we do when we are fully aware and in control of what we are doing, and I also avoid using music and pictures of living beings in my coaching. I also only work with sisters to avoid the possibility of Fitnah.
As an Islamic coache I work with my clients with the aim of helping them to improve their lives and reach their goals, as do conventional coaches, so there are probably more similarities between Islamic and conventional coaching than differences. The general model I use is one that has been developed and used successfully by non-Muslims and I generally use a client-centred approach, with the clients making the decisions about the areas they want to work on. Most of the tools, techniques and methodologies that I use are therefore same as those used by secular coaches, but I only select those that are Islamically appropriate or adapted to meet our needs. That is why I have use many cognitive-behavioural techniques during my coaching, as that is the closest branch of psychology to Islamic psychology.
For one-to-one coaching, I call my clients at the time we have agreed upon for the appointment. If they have internet access, a microphone, and can use Skype[i], I call them through Skype, otherwise I call them on their landline. In addition to their computer or phone, all they usually need during the call is a pen and paper.
The call usually lasts either 45 or 75 minutes (based on the programme the client has registered for according to their needs) and it is a dynamic, intensive session. During the call I support my clients in making the changes they want in their lives. This means that, rather than telling them what to do - other than the exercises I suggest that we do - I help them to work out what they want to change in their lives and how they can make those changes through the use of various coaching tools and methods.
Sessions include elements of goal setting (SMART goals), accountability, motivation, support, challenges, brainstorming, acknowledgement, validation, focussed questioning, and they are a sounding board for client's hopes, dreams, and aspirations. At the end of each session, clients go away with goals to be working towards over the next couple of weeks or until our next session.
It is often thought that face-to-face contact is needed for the best communication, but as you know, if you really listen carefully to someone talking on the phone, you can even hear a smile! So active listening, by either phone or Skype, is a really powerful way of getting to the heart of what of client is really wanting to talk about. Apart from the obvious benefits of being able to work with you wherever you are in the world, the time that is saved from not having to travel to come for a coaching session and you being able to relax at home in familiar surroundings, there are also many advantages in it for the actual process of coaching.
As you aren't distracted by seeing your coach you can focus more on yourself and your needs. You don't have to feel self-consious about your posture, the environment or your clothing...and no need for Hijab! The sense of anonymity that the phone affords reduces feelings of self-consciousness and enables you to talk freely, so you can relax and concetrate on what matters to you; making big changes in your life.
The advantages for me as your coach is that I will be able to really focus on the words you are using, and the intonations and emphases. My senses are heightened to hear the meaning behind what you are saying, so I can really help you get to the bottom of your issues.
The length of the coaching contract varies according to the needs and resources of the client and what would benefit them most, with the aim of the coaching always being for the client to eventually be able to coach themeselves and not be dependent upon their coach.
A Harvard research has shown that behavioural changes are more sustainable if coaching continues for at least six sessions with some follow up sessions (see the middle dotted line in the diagram to the left). So the standard programme I offer most clients who have longer-term issues to work on, is for at least six sessions, usually on a two-weekly basis. This enables them to learn new skills and tools through coaching, be comfortable using them and also to be able to apply them to new situations that they come across later.
I can’t guarantee that you’ll achieve all the goals that you would like to, as that depends on how much effort you yourself make towards achieving those goals, how honest you are with yourself (and me) and finally, what Allah has decreed for you.
However, if you come to coaching committed to making sustainable changes in your life, with a willingness to step out of your comfort zone and you’re ready to make an effort to reach your goals, I guarantee that you will see significant changes in your life; many of which may be unexpected!
You can go to this page and request a Free Consulation to see if coaching can meet your needs and if you feel comfortable working with me. Once you book your appointment, I'll call you for a short consultation call. Alternatively, you contact me through the Contact Us page if you have any initial questions.
If we're both comfortable with the idea of working together, you can register for one of the coaching programmes. I usually recommed an initial three-month period, but it would be possible to register for a shorter period if that is what we agree. Once you have finished the initial coaching contract, you may then choose to have follow-up sessions, either once or twice a month or on an intermittent on-demand basis, depending on your needs. If you don't want to make a commitment to regular sessions at that stage, you still have the possibility to request one-off sessions, should you feel the need for further support in achieving your life goals.
If you would like to commit yourself to a period of coaching longer than just one month and you're able to pay in advance, a discounted rate is offered.
If you live in the UK, you can pay by BACS. If you're outside the UK, you can pay by Paypal, but if you're in a country where Paypal isn’t available[ii], you can register for coaching through Moneybookers instead. These are the preferred methods of payment. If none of these methods are possible for you, please contact me to discuss it.
If you want to change the service that you are receiving, please discuss your proposed changes with CoachAmal first. But, yes, it is possible to change your service within the terms of your agreement.
Any woman is welcome if she would like to have coaching through the service.
CoachAmal only offers same-gender coaching and only has facilities to offer women-to-women coaching at present. If you're a man who would like coaching, please contact us and I’ll try to put you in touch with someone who may be able to offer you same-gender coaching, if that is what you are looking for.
My coaching hours are by appointment only on Sunday: 11.00am – 8.00pm and Monday to Thursday: 3.00pm – 9.00pm GMT. However, as I work with people around the globe, I can be a little flexible with this where necessary.
If you still can’t find the answer to your question, please contact us.
[i] If you don’t have Skype already, you can download it from here
[ii] Check here to see if your country is covered by Paypal.
~Sister~ If you're ready to make important changes in your life, ask for a phone / Skype coaching consultation to discuss how we could work together on this
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