I know - “coaching” sounds a bit Tony-Robbins-y and preachy and a bit spiritual. That’s what I thought too, before I actually had my own coach, then delved into this world. Coaching, in a nutshell, is a partnership between you (client) and me (coach). We’ll create a safe, thought-provoking and creative process that inspires you to maximize your personal and professional potential. Our coaching will be a series of discussions where you tell me what’s going on, I’ll ask you questions, and together, we move you forward. Don’t worry, I’m not going to yell at you from a stage and make you roar.

Great question. In my own words, coaching is about looking forward and setting goals. Therapy is about looking into the past and healing/fixing things.

From the International Coach Federation website:

Professional coaching focuses on setting goals, creating outcomes and managing personal change. Sometimes it’s helpful to understand coaching by distinguishing it from other personal or organizational support professions.

Therapy: Therapy deals with healing pain, dysfunction and conflict within an individual or in relationships. The focus is often on resolving difficulties arising from the past that hamper an individual’s emotional functioning in the present, improving overall psychological functioning, and dealing with the present in more emotionally healthy ways. Coaching, on the other hand, supports personal and professional growth based on self-initiated change in pursuit of specific actionable outcomes. These outcomes are linked to personal or professional success. Coaching is future focused. While positive feelings/emotions may be a natural outcome of coaching, the primary focus is on creating actionable strategies for achieving specific goals in one’s work or personal life. The emphases in a coaching relationship are on action, accountability, and follow through.

Consulting: Individuals or organizations retain consultants for their expertise. While consulting approaches vary widely, the assumption is the consultant will diagnose problems and prescribe and, sometimes, implement solutions. With coaching, the assumption is that individuals or teams are capable of generating their own solutions, with the coach supplying supportive, discovery-based approaches and frameworks.

Mentoring: A mentor is an expert who provides wisdom and guidance based on his or her own experience. Mentoring may include advising, counseling and coaching. The coaching process does not include advising or counseling, and focuses instead on individuals or groups setting and reaching their own objectives.

I am a life and leadership coach, and my mission is to listen, ask questions, and help you move forward. As a Co-Active coach, I believe you are naturally creative, resourceful and whole. You’re not broken. You don’t need fixing. Unlike therapy, coaching isn’t about fixing or healing you; it’s about helping you move forward.

I hear you.

Have you, in the last few days/weeks/months/years, asked or said to yourself:

• I don’t like my job but I don’t know what else to do either.

• What am I doing with my life?

• What is my purpose in life?

• I want to do x but honestly, I’m lazy.

• I have imposter syndrome and it’s holding me back.

• I want to do x but I just don’t know where or how to start.

• I’m not feeling inspired.

• I want to feel fulfilled in what I do, or just in life in general.

• I need to make a decision but I don’t know what’s better.

• I’m struggling with x and don’t know what to do. Or, I know I’m struggling, but I don’t know with what!

Yes? If so, you are not alone. 100%. And I’m confident that we can create a safe space together to have some coaching conversations and find you clarity and directions.

You actually have the answers to these questions (it sounds hoaky, but I shit you not), but sometimes you just need someone to ask you some powerful questions and help you move forward.

Together, we can do this. We can evoke transformation within you. 

Whether you already have a topic in mind, or have no idea what you’d like to talk about but know you want to be coached on something, we can can have a meaningful conversation.

Mix-cultured, on purpose, is a loosely defined term. When I mean mix-cultured, I’m thinking of people who could be:

• BIPOC

• Minority

• Expat

• Immigrant

• Refugee

• Third culture kid

• Child of immigrants

• In a mixed relationship

Never! I know, sometimes it feels like it would be so much easier if someone just waved a magic wand, told us what to do, and made it better for us. But you actually can figure out what to do - with me supporting you along the way. I’ll never tell you what to do or criticize you for what you’ve done/what you haven’t done.

As you probably guessed, I often work with people of colour or mix-cultured folks. But not all have been! Amongst them, I’ve coached people such as:

• Working professionals

• Working professionals with an MBA (because of my background in MBA schools, I’ve coached many people who have an MBA/are thinking of pursuing their MBA)

• Stay-at-home parents

• University students

• MBA students

• Fresh-out-of school young adults either working or pursuing further education

• Non-working people

• People in-between jobs

The best way to find out is to have a complimentary, 30-minute chemistry session with me. There are no strings attached.

Your first official coaching session with me will be a 90-min Discovery Session where we’ll design our alliance together, and explore some key things, like:

• Your wheel of life (look at your life holistically with areas such as career, personal development, health, etc…)

• Your career

• Your life purpose

• Your values

• Your leader within vs your saboteurs

Then, from your second session on, we’ll dive into your desired topics.

Yup, I’m the same way. Check out the testimonials page.

Absolutely. Email me at hello@reinashishikura.com.