Student Story: Louise
Louise Sheppard wanted to build on her 15 years of coaching experience and get real insight into her own practice. She says working with i-coach has developed her confidence as a coach and helped her move from working on a freelance basis to running her own coaching and supervision business.
High calibre thought leaders
“What i-coach does is very high calibre – I don’t think you are exposed to such gurus in the field on other courses. Ernesto Spinelli, Bruce Peltier and Anton Obholzer in particular were fantastic, bright thought leaders, and it is stimulating to study with them.
“What also stood out was the way i-coach provided supervision, which I think is absolutely essential. Some courses just leave it up to the individual, but I think it is vital to experience good quality supervision.”
Flexible learning to match your lifestyle
“I liked the way the course wasn’t focused on just one model. Instead it allowed me to reflect on what I was doing. I’d already been coaching for 15 years, so it gave me the opportunity to build on what I had learnt to date, question it, understand what my theoretical underpinnings were and to develop a more robust framework.
I LIKED THE WAY THE COURSE WASN’T FOCUSED ON JUST ONE MODEL. INSTEAD IT ALLOWED ME TO REFLECT ON WHAT I WAS DOING
“There’s no doubt that it’s a big commitment of time. It’s not just the module days; you need a lot of time for practice, reading, assimilating and reflection. You need a willingness to learn outside the course – you need that curiosity and openness to challenging the fundamental beliefs you have about yourself. But what also appealed to me about i-coach was the flexibility of the timescales. You can take time out between the different programmes. I did because I was working full time and had to consider my family’s needs too.”
Academically challenging and respected in industry
“What really surprised me was how enjoyable it was to do the MA. I thought it could have been a bit of a grind. While the programme is academic and challenging, it is also practical and fun. Doing the research for my MA enabled me to spend time on a topic that interested me¬ – coaching women – and to publish an article and speak at conferences. My MA gave me an area of expertise in the coaching field which I can build upon.
“I’ve noticed that the i-coach framework and approach is recognised by key organsiations, such as Smithkline Beecham, Standard Bank and the NHS. Some organisations have drawn upon the i-coach approach in their own coach assessment processes. Having been through i-coach’s rigorous assessment process, I notice that I am not phased by employer’s assessment processes. i-coach gave me an excellent grounding in preparing and surviving coach assessment. I’m very grateful to i-coach for that.”