Hi,

I strongly persuade all the members to attend this Sunday's meeting
which is very interesting. First we have a student researcher from the
York University who is working on shyness and will talk to the group a
little about her work. We can help her in her research by filling out
her questionnaires. She will stay after the meeting to talk to the
group members. Also we have a life coach, Maryam Yassini attending our
meeting. Maryam is a personal coach in Toronto. She has kindly
accepted an invitation to attend our meeting and discuss different
aspects of coaching, which can be helpful in reducing phobias also.
Attached you will find a short introduction to the coaching style she
uses.

See you all,

Rama

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WHAT IS COACHING
by Maryam Yassini

What is coaching: Coaching is partnering with clients in a
thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize
their personal and professional potential. Professional coaches
provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce
fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches
help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of
their lives. Professional coaching is an interactive process that
helps individuals improve their lives and achieve extraordinary
results. Professional coaches work with clients in all areas
including business, career, finances, health and relationships. As a
result of professional coaching, clients set goals, take action, make
decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths.

Coaching is an ongoing relationship, which focuses on clients taking
action toward the realization of their visions, goals or desires.
Coaching uses a process of inquiry and personal discovery to build the
client's level of awareness and responsibility and provides the client
with structure, support and feedback. The coaching process helps
clients both define and achieve professional and personal goals faster
and with more ease than would be possible otherwise.

Since 1992, Co-Active Coaching™ has impacted the lives and careers of
thousands of managers, leaders and individuals around the world. It
has led to the first ICF (International Coach Federation) accredited
coach-training program. Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and
to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to
elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the
client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to
provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that
the client already has.

Your relationship with your coach is the most important element of
coaching. The CTI (Coaching Training Institute) model for the
coach/client relationship is one of designed alliance. Both
individuals work together to design a relationship that will best
support and empower your client. The point of interest in coaching is
the belief that clients are creative, resourceful and whole. In other
words, they are not broken and don't need fixing. What is required is
focus on their part and championing on the part of the coach. At times
coaches are referred to as a personal motivational speaker for the
client, however the agenda always comes from the client. Needless to
say confidentially is always honored in the coaching relationship.

Therapy and Coaching: The boundary between counseling and coaching is
not defined by a set of absolute rules and terms. Coaching and
therapy often overlap especially with some contemporary therapy
models. What is clear is that in general, therapists are trained to
diagnose emotional problems and works with client to heal the
emotional wounds while in coaching clients make courageous choices in
their lives. They often experience a sense of healing, of breaking old
patterns and old bonds; of stepping out of a confining box and into a
new strength. In coaching we believe that emotions are part of the
human experience.

What can you expect: Individuals who engage in a professional coaching
relationship will experience fresh perspectives on personal challenges
and opportunities, enhanced decision-making skills, greater
interpersonal effectiveness, and increased confidence in carrying out
their chosen work and life roles. Consistent with a commitment to
enhancing their personal effectiveness, they can also expect to see
appreciable results in the areas of productivity, personal
satisfaction with life and work, and the achievement of personally
relevant goals.