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Coaching with ND Movement Coach

The Aim of Coaching

While I have a graduate certificate in Leadership and coaching, my passion is exercise and assisting neurodiverse individuals. Exercise is simply incredible for the body and mind. My aim is to help people move more, and use the journey to movement as a vehicle to work with their neurodiversity.

You can read my article about running and my neurodiversity for some examples of what I’ve learnt about myself through movement.

Client Limits: Due to this being a part-time gig, I only take on a limited number of clients. If you reach out and I do not have availability, you will be added to a wait list.

Who do I coach

Ultimately I seek to help adults start moving.  My passion is assisting those with neurodiversity.  I will never exclude neurotypical people, however, my service is geared towards the neurodiverse.

What to Expect

Obligation free get to know each other chat: It is important that we both feel comfortable with each other. To do this, the first step will be a free, no obligation chat. The aim of this is to have a general chat, and get to know each other. This is mainly a vibe check for both of us. If we both choose to continue, we make a mutal agreement to commence the formal coaching plan. To commence the plan, a coaching agreement and payment will be required.

Coaching contract: A coaching contract, is a formal agreement between the coach and client. It is important as it sets out the expectations on both parties. This will need to be agreed by the client before the first formal session.

First session: The first session will be about what movement will look like for you. At the end of the session we'll aim to have a plan to work towards whatever goal you've set. We'll also discuss anything that you think may limit your ability to work towards your goal.

Duration: A standard coaching engagement lasts 3 months. This includes fortnightly chats (or less frequent if that suits your schedule).

Accountability: I provide 2–3 weekly check-in messages. These are short messages offering encouragement following your planned movement sessions. If you’ve committed to something, I’ll check in to see if it happened.  I find this helps a lot to know that someone will send a quick message to check in.  You don't have to reply.  Just know that I am thinking of you.

Client commitments: The client will be responsible for any equipment or resources required to achieve their goal. If your financial means are limited, please reach.

Time zone: Sessions will be scheduled for Australian Eastern Standard Time, or daylight saving time.

How will it happen

Video conference: Due to working full time, sessions will be in the evening.  These will be held over zoom or a similar platform.  You don't have to use video if you don't want to, although it does help with engagement to see each other.

Movement

Whatever you want it to be:  Movement is what you decide it should be for you.  Your main goal could be to be healthier, gain some fitness, or use movement to manage neurodiversity symptoms better. I'll work with you to find a place to start. 

Some examples could be:

-Being more flexible, by regularly stretching.

-Joining a gym and attending group classes.

-Doing mindful yoga practice.

-Getting outside for regular walks.

-Doing your daily number steps.

-Working towards doing a given number of push ups.

It doesn't matter, what your movement goal is, I'll help you work towards it.

It is important to note that your goal doesn't need to grand. Running a marathon, while an admirable goal, might not be realistic if you don't currently run. It is certainly something we can work towards, but starting with sustained walks for an hour may be a more realistic step on that journey. Sometimes the hardest part of the journey is the first step. This is where I'm here to help.

SMART(ER) goals

As a general guide, I like to think of goals as having the following charactaristics.

S - Specific:  For example, on these specific days, I'll go for a 15 minute walk outside.

M - Measurable:  Did you walk for 15 minutes? Did it happen the number of days you planned for?   In the longer term, this may be related to increase the time spent moving, or achieving more reps of a given exercise.

A - Achievable:  Movement  It should something you can do with your life commitments. Do you have the means financial, or equipment required?

R - Realistic: You won't run a marathon tomorrow.  There is nothing worse that going straight to a PT session and hurting yourself.  Your goal need to be right for both your body and mind.

T - Time bound:  Exactly when will the movement happen? 

ER - Exciting Reward:  This is my addition to the SMART construct. A reward for reaching your goal, should be something novel and exciting. It is optional, but if it helps drive motivation, it should be considered.

Fictional coaching transcript

To give an idea of what a coaching session consists of, you can expand the section below to read a fictional transcript of a second coaching session.

View Transcript: "Navigating a Technical Glitch"

Context: A goal and plan had been established in the first session.

Coach: Hi Alex. Good to see you. Before we talk about the goal from the first session, how are you feeling in your body right now as we sit down to chat?

Client: Honestly? A bit tense. I feel like I’m back in the principal’s office because I didn’t hit the target we talked about last time.

Coach: I hear that tension. If we were to take the "principal's office" feeling off the table for a second, what did your actual experience with the movement goal?

Client: I did it on Tuesday. It felt great—I felt focused afterward. But Thursday and Saturday just… didn’t happen. I sat on the couch thinking about it for two hours, but I couldn't move.

Coach: You had a successful Tuesday and then a "stuck" Thursday. When you were on the couch on Thursday, what was the internal dialogue running through your mind?

Client: It was just: “You should get up. It’s only 15 minutes. If you can’t even do 15 minutes, you’re never going to get healthy. You’re being lazy.”

Coach: That sounds like a heavy conversation to be having with yourself. When that thought—“If I can’t do 15 minutes, I’m lazy”—hit your brain, what happened to your energy level in that moment?

Client: It plummeted. I felt heavier, actually. The more I told myself I was lazy, the more the couch felt like a magnet.

Coach: Interesting. So the thought “I am lazy” actually made the physical act of moving more difficult?

Client: (Long pause) Yeah. I guess it did. It made it feel like a huge mountain instead of just a 15 minute walk.

Coach: Let's look at that "Lazy" label through a different lens. If a friend told you they were physically unable to move because they were overwhelmed by a task, would "lazy" be the word you’d use for them?

Client: No. I’d probably say they were burnt out or stuck in "waiting mode."

Coach: So, if we replaced "I'm lazy" with "I'm experiencing a transition block," do you think that will change the way your body reacts to the idea of getting up?

Client: It feels less like a character flaw and more like... a technical glitch? Like my brain’s gears aren’t catching.

Coach: I love that imagery. If we accept that this is a "technical glitch" rather than a personality failure, what is one tiny "manual override" you could try when you feel those gears slipping next time?

Client: Maybe I could just put my shoes on? Not even leave the couch, just put them on.

Coach: And if you put those shoes on and still stayed on the couch, what would that tell us about the goal for that day?

Client: That the shoes weren't the issue, maybe the environment was.

Coach: Exactly. You're investigating your own process. Based on what we’ve uncovered about that "lazy" thought, what is the new "rule" you want to set for yourself when you miss a session?

Client: To stop the name-calling. To just ask, "Where is the gear slipping?" instead of "Why am I like this?"

Coach: How does that new approach feel in terms of your motivation for the coming week?

Client: It feels lighter. Like I’m allowed to be a work in progress.

Coach: That’s a powerful place to start. Shall we look at how we can tweak the Tuesday success to make Thursday a little more "greased" for those gears?

Fees

As a side gig passion, money is not my motivation, helping people is. However, if something is free, it has no value. To give the coaching value, the fee is a $100 for a 3 month coaching plan. This can either be a payment to me, or a donation to a charity.

If we both agree to proceed following the initial obligation free 'get to know you' session, I will need a copy of a donation receipt to a registered charity, or to confirm the funds transfer. As an added bonus, if you choose to donate to a registered charity, your donation will be tax-deductible.

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