Coaching – making work “work” for you…

Photo by Eileen Pan on Unsplash

Working with you is like having a magic fairy mirror from a fairy tale, where you ask it a question, and it can only tell you the truth.

Coaching client, 2026

I recently surveyed past coaching clients to understand what genuinely helped them move forward. What came through was very clear. People wanted clarity. They wanted truth. Again and again, people described my approach as “gentle but incisive guidance back to true values” that helped them “cut away a lot of the chaff” and make their goals “more realistically clear and attainable.” It sounds straightforward. It is. But it’s also rare.

 Clients described beginning to see patterns, pressures, and expectations more clearly. They talked about “seeing the big picture,” deciding “what to leave behind,” and finding the confidence to act on what they already knew but hadn’t yet trusted themselves to do. One person said our work together helped them “stay steady at a very challenging time and not jump ship.” Another described it as “a reality check… no nonsense support and advice — you kept it real and talked numbers, fees to actually live on.” Because clarity isn’t abstract. It affects how you plan, what you accept, what you refuse, and whether your work is sustainable.

And here’s the part that sounds small but isn’t. Being properly listened to is catalytic. When someone can think out loud without being interrupted, managed, or handed pre-packaged wisdom, they tend to find their own authority again.  

There’s also something quietly radical about being given space to talk without being fixed, rescued, or handed a laminated five-step life plan. People repeatedly say they felt able to think more clearly, trust themselves more deeply, and act more bravely as a result – becoming “more courageous,” learning to “stand my ground,” and feeling “unapologetic” about who they are and the path they’re on.

Sometimes the impact is strategic — “envisage, create and develop my own plan.” Sometimes it’s deeply human — “often felt like a warm hug of validation.” Usually it’s both.

Which, when you think about it, is slightly miraculous. Two people sit down and talk honestly for an hour or so, and somehow someone leaves feeling more themselves, more capable, and less alone. If you’re reading this and thinking, yes, I could do with some of that, then you’re probably exactly the kind of person this work is for.

How clients have described my approach

“The balance of gentleness with no bullshit.”

“Felt grounded in care but also felt practical and tangible.”

“A gentle but consistent push.”

“Very knowledgeable… just the right level of support, nurturing, guidance and hard truths.”

“I like the directness and also that you have practical experience.”

“I felt at ease and comfortable to be totally open.”

“It doesn’t come from a place of judgement or babying… it genuinely feels like you want people to grow where they’re at.”

“I always felt challenged, but at the same time, I also felt understood.”

“The bluntness and directness, not in a bad way… it felt intuitive.”

“It was real and honest.”

“You are lovely and warm but direct and purposeful.”

“Direct and no nonsense… practical – that is what you do well and not fluffy.”

“I felt you genuinely care about me and celebrate me.”

“The empathy and the human connection that you establish.”

“Your pragmatic and honest approach.”

“You’re frank but not blunt… supported but challenged enough.”

“The sessions gave me the space I needed to imagine and envisage the possible.”

“Working with Helga completely transformed my development and helped me make sense of my vision, think through the necessary steps to realise them in a practical and meaningful way.”

Adam Carver aka Fatt Butcher – of ITV’s The Voice 2023/24