FAQs
1. What does the coaching process entail?
You’ll probably have read somewhere by now that coaching is the way for you to realise your potential, overcome blocks and barriers that may be holding you back, and resolve disputes and agitation in your life. It’s really quite a simple process, as the most effective ones are, where I, as a coach, sit with you to explore your headspace. Typically, you pick an issue that you want to discuss, and together, we’ll try to understand the thinking, distortions, or patterns that have created this situation, and then once you’re able to get these insights, you’ll be able to come up with the solution or action plan that is most authentic and effective for you.
Don’t worry if you’re not clear as to what you are here for. That’s part of the exploration too. You may just feel like you’re not working at your highest potential and don’t quite know how to start. You may find yourself disengaged at work or unhappy with life in general, and can’t put your finger on the cause for it. You could have an aggravating situation at work or in your personal life, that’s distracting or derailing your everyday functioning. Or you could be seeking to recover from heartbreak, transition, or loss, or have just completed therapy or healing and are looking to restart, renew, or transform your life.
These are all perfectly valid to explore with your coach. If you’re willing, we go deeper beyond the insights of just the immediate situation you find yourself in and explore who you are, truly, as a person. This process is extremely powerful because once you identify what is truly important for you and what you consider your authentic priorities and obligations, you can then proceed to craft the most powerful version of your life.
2. How am I different from any other coach?
Each coach is unique. In my case, I bring a rich and varied career and life experience coupled with deep learnings in spirituality, psychology, and mindfulness into my practice. This combined with my rigorous training under the aegis of the ICF (International Coaching Federation), allows me to be fully present, listen actively, ask powerful, thought-provoking and sometimes discomfiting questions so that you can look deeper within yourself.
I am a lifelong student of science (and scientific thinking). But when I am with you, it is your journey, your path, that we will walk on together. It is your beliefs, your values and your instincts that will count.
We also create a plan together for the way forward, as well as an accountability structure. If you’re determined to make a change in your life, and if tough love is what it takes, then that’s what you’ll get from me! But we can also recruit others into this process. Growth and change happen with the little things, micro-processes, by showing up time after time, and if it takes a village, we recruit that village!
3. How many sessions will you need?
I think you already know the answer to that one: that it depends entirely on you and what the situation calls for. If you’re in a 'spot' and just need some clarity, just one or two sessions is all it takes. But if you’re looking for a change with habits, thought patterns, your life as a whole, then change does take time and commitment. You can opt for single sessions or book in blocks of 5. These work out more economical and create more meaningful engagement.
It’s behavioural psychology - we are more likely to follow through on something if we have someone who’s in the process with us. And nothing in our lives is unchangeable - even for deep-rooted habits like an unhealthy lifestyle or habitual procrastination, deep change and transformation can happen within a year.
4. How is going to a coach different from talking to a friend or counsellor?
During our coaching engagement, I am not your friend, I am not your teacher, not your guru, not your therapist. You are not engaging me to give you my opinions, learn from my experience, or to 'fix' you in any way. You are a whole, fully capable of navigating your own mind, and finding the answers that make the most sense for you, even if you don’t believe it right now. It’s just that, as Einstein said, 'We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.'
I create an environment that facilitates this process. If you’d like to know more we can have a brief chat for 15–20 minutes chat that I offer complimentary. Do keep in mind, that there may be instances where coaching is not the best solution, and you may, in fact, benefit more from a therapist. As a coach, I am trained to recognise these signs, but in my experience, I’ve found that the people I work with will often come to this realisation, very quickly, through their own process.
The mind is a powerful thing. And science still doesn’t comprehend completely, how it works, how it feels, what it is truly capable of. But we do know that a powerful intellect can guide even the most riotous of mines towards composure, equanimity, productivity and happiness.
5. Is coaching expensive?
This is the question I struggled with the most for myself. Here's what I asked myself – how do you measure the cost of something? How do you measure the value of something? Earlier, when I ate out with friends, I used to feel that I needed to consume an equal portion in order to 'justify' my bill. Today, because of my personal choices, I end up eating and drinking far more frugally, and simply, than many of the people at my table might be doing. But I’m happy to ‘pay’ for my choices because they’re taking me in the direction that I really want to go in. So that’s really the question that you could ask yourself. We spend money on ourselves, pleasure, half measures, gym memberships. We also pay a huge price through unhealthy thought patterns, anxiety and agitation, distraction, procrastination, inefficiency, poor lifestyle choices. What do you think the total bill for that is going to add up to be?
That said, my pricing is on the lower range of what most coaches charge. For myself, I have evaluated my needs, and have balanced that out with the strong sense of purpose that I have, of service that I want to offer. The more people I can reach, make this accessible to, the greater my mission will be fulfilled. I do make special considerations, I do offer my time pro bono when I can create impact with larger groups and with people in need, and who simply may not be able to afford this. But if you can, then I will request that you just pay the price and you will receive far more back in return if you do the work.
If you or I feel that coaching is really not helping you, then we can terminate the engagement at any time and I will be happy to return paid-up amounts too, on a pro-rata basis. If for any reason, you are unhappy with my service, I will return your money as well. Above all else, I want this to be a meaningful partnership, and for you to truly benefit.
I will add that you will also value service and greater commitment for yourself when you pay for it.
6. You may have tried so many things, and for whatever reason, nothing seems to work; what makes coaching any different?
I’ve personally not been a fan of transformation programmes that are templatized, each individual is different, has different needs, a different starting point, motivation, goals, and abilities. It’s what makes us, uniquely, us! How can one size fit all? With the coach you’re not just looking for your own answers…you’re creating action plans and creating accountability too. Unless you’re very, very, determined not to change, it’s going to be really hard for you to get away from the answerability you have created for yourself. Again there’s no hocus-pocus or intrigue to this: the clearer your priorities and thinking, the more coherent and straightforward your solutions. And we work with small, attainable goals, and it’s these done consistencies, that add up to big change.
And I’m here to help make sure that your goals are attainable. I personally have found the coaching process to help me break barriers and thought patterns that I’d held for 40 years! I’d also always wanted to be able to wake up at 5 am, and admire people who seemed self-driven, wrote books, completed courses, worked out diligently, and ate healthily. Never in my wildest dreams did I believe I could be one of those? And in so short a span of time. And if you read the stories of some of my coachees, you’ll see how once new thought patterns take effect, the change will continue to happen for you; you won’t even need me as a coach. I do not wish to create any kind of dependence. The sooner you get your insights, you make the change, the more powerful, the freer you become.
7. How do you start?
Great question! Reach out to me on this form or drop me an email. We can chat and figure out how best to do this. We can work together in person – I have a comfortable home office, in Bandra (W), Mumbai, or we can work together online, but face to face, over a video call. I prefer not to coach over a phone conversation, but if it is unavoidable, then we can make that work as well. Besides the actual conversations, and depending on your needs and choices, we will be in touch with each other at other times as well during our coaching engagement. We can mutually decide the mode of communication that works, for this.
I’m happy to coach you at a location of your choice as well, but the rates for that could vary.
I’ll just end by saying, don’t think too much, if you tried quick fixes before, or things that just don’t work, just jump in. Coaching is not easy, but it is the simplest, and often, the most effective way of getting lasting personal growth. And it can be a lot of fun too!
8. What about speaking engagements and workshops?
I’m happy to discuss these as per your needs and for the impact that it can create.
9. Do I do group coaching?
Yes, I do. Group coaching is not the same as a workshop or a talk. It is still the coaching process where we, as a group, decide on what our objective for each session is going to be, how we work towards it, and how we come up with our own, unique answers. It’s fun to do and can create great cohesiveness, understanding, and even eureka moments within teams and groups.
10. Why mindfulness, productivity, wellness? Do I write health plans or teach meditation?
Above all else, I do not believe that one solution or a template works for everyone. So in our coaching sessions, the short answer is no. The sessions are for you to find out what you need in order to bring yourself fully to the present (mindfulness), design your best life – through work-life balance, mind-body health, and fulfilling life. You’ll be surprised to find that what you may think of as ‘meditation’ may not be what’s best for you. Or that what you define as fitness or wellness may break down under your own thinking.
I do help people, and guide them, based on the practice that they choose and if it’s in the domain of my expertise, learning or practice. But that is outside the realm of coaching. That’s teaching/guiding.
11. How can you follow me?
I do put out videos and conduct events online and in the real world. You can follow me here or sign up for my newsletter to know more.
Any other questions? Just ask. I’m here to answer them.