
What people have said recently about coaching with me
What I wanted from coaching, and what I am pleased that I got from you, was a space to feel heard; to be able to hear myself think with enough clarity to be able to evaluate my priorities, and to make plans, which we then reviewed and refined over time as they inevitably evolved.
What you offered in addition, and what may have been more valuable overall, was gentle challenges to some of my assumptions, and reminders of some of the things I might have otherwise neglected.
More specifically, you reminded me of the need to be kind to myself and of the value of play; these are things that I know all too well, but perhaps I sometimes only pay lip service to; hearing myself say that I needed to ‘earn’ such things still resonates for me, and so this will probably be the thing that I take with me and reflect on in the longer term.
During the time I met with Jenny my creative practice was busier than ever. I can honestly say that Jenny helped me to achieve more, whilst preserving my wellbeing under pressure and producing some really strong work.
From the outset Jenny put me at ease and immediately grasped the challenges I was facing. Her kind and compassionate approach to listening, coupled with a sharp understanding of what I was saying and also what lay beneath this, led to fruitful conversations, which yielded practical solutions and results. Jenny’s deep experience as a practising artist was of such great value to me. She was able to explore with me the elements of what goes into making my art, and helped me to clarify this and understand better how to approach my work. Jenny’s was also a holistic approach and I felt that I was moving forward and growing as a person as our conversations progressed. The final aspect of what she offered was a rigorous problem solving mind, helping me to unpick the logistics of planning projects, managing my time, and maintaining focus. I had underestimated the importance of this and Jenny helped me to see this as a vital part of the puzzle.
Jenny’s strengths are making you feel comfortable and relaxed and offering a safe place to explore your thought and feelings. Jenny is also very skilled at asking the difficult and probing questions that need to be answered to allow you to move on.
I felt supported by Jenny who was warm, respectful and intelligent in the way she worked with me.
I think the most profound thing that Jenny was able to help me with was a number of patterns of learnt behaviour and negative thoughts that I was aware of but had not been able to find a way out of. By asking questions of me and considering techniques to change certain approaches, I really feel like she has helped me to become more conscious of my behaviour, thus enabling me to address it.
Working with Jenny I learnt a lot about my own practice and processes, but also felt empowered and emboldened to move forward with renewed confidence.
I would definitely recommend Jenny. She is very good at listening to a complex tangle of words and thoughts and then being able to reframe these thoughts into a more coherent whole. She is able to mirror issues back so that they can be looked at in a more orderly and effective fashion.
Jenny offered calm, compassionate, and client centred coaching in a relaxed and comfortable environment. I always felt listened to and understood during our 10 sessions together. I would recommend Jenny Pope for anyone desiring the space and time to be heard and encouraged to process their lives and to take the next steps towards understanding themselves, their goals and how it all fits together.
I feel that working with Jenny offers the client a mental space of shelter, just out of the wind of activity that buffets our everyday existence.
I really feel that I have turned a corner and overcome any obstacles that were preventing me before. Also, that I have become responsible for dealing with them, a form of ‘ownership’, so to speak.