No one is an island and everyone from time to time needs a companion or a guide to share the load of life. The coaching relationship is an important one, particularly for those looking for a safe, open, approachable space to connect and receive focus about important life matters.
A coach can support you as you hold onto your values while you clarify your goals and navigate important decisions. Sessions are designed to provide a clear, supportive sounding board for people going through a transition, looking for clarity, and/or wanting to carve out a new path. Whether it’s personal or professional, a short-term coaching connection might be the answer.
A coaching relationship is designed to support a person by listening closely, asking thoughtful questions, and providing an environment where insight, clarity and confidence can be found. This is different than counseling and consulting and is a powerful tool to unlock solutions where you seem to be stuck.
Christa Hesselink has been a supportive guide, mentor, and coach for her entire twenty-year career as she worked in education, not-for-profit, and church ministry. Christa is a certified coach, certified yoga instructor, and certified spiritual director with the Haden Institute.
She is also a certified enneagram coach with the premiere program of the Narrative Tradition.
She holds a Master’s of Leadership, and a Master’s of Theology degree, and is a well-respected speaker, workshop, facilitator, and retreat leader.
Connection Agreement
1. Coaching is not therapy, counseling, mental health care, or treatment for substance abuse. The coach is not functioning as a licensed mental health professional and coaching is not intended as a replacement for counseling, psychiatric interventions, treatment for mental illness, recovery from past abuse, professional medical advice, financial assistance, legal counsel, or other professional services.
2. Coaching is for people who are basically well adjusted, emotionally healthy, functioning effectively.
3. Coaching can be a one-time connection, occasional, or ongoing, and will be determined in conversation with the coach and “coachee”. Either person can bring the relationship to an end at any time.
4. Coaching can and may involve periods of silence, and inner listening, values clarification, identifying plans of action, accountability, examining lifestyle, and questioning currently held beliefs.
5. Coaching is most effective when both parties are honest and straight-forward in their communication.
6. Coaching is a confidential relationship and the director agrees to keep all information strictly confidential, except in those situations in which such confidentiality would violate the law or could jeopardize the safety of the client or others. Christa is required to report suspected cases of child or elder abuse. Also, professional ethics regarding confidentiality require spiritual directors to report imminent self-endangerment (suicide) or harm to others.
7. Each meeting will last approximately 60 minutes unless otherwise noted. All efforts will be made to accommodate each other’s schedules. Each person agrees to inform the other of the need to cancel an appointment. Except in unusual circumstances, this cancellation will be given no less than 48 hours prior to the scheduled appointment.
8. The session fee is payable in advance of each session by e-transfer, cheque, or credit card (for people living outside of Canada)
What to expect in a typical session:
The client will be prepared to share what they want to bring to the session - it may be a thought, a question, a concern, a pain point, in their personal and professional life.
Christa will be attentive, listen deeply, mirror & echo back to the client, ask questions, and provide support in service to the person’s soul journey.
Christa will often provide a resource that can be used after or in between sessions.
