“I have been working with Joanna for almost a year. I approached Joanna during a period of uncertainty, where I was unsure of myself and what I truly wanted for myself and those people in my life. I hadn’t considered life coaching before, but having tried everything else I figured I had nothing to lose. It was to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
The first thing I noticed about working with Joanna was the time she spent getting to know me. She worked hard to understand what I wanted, not what I said I wanted. That meant she had to dig, and sometimes challenge me. To force me to say what I wanted, and to tell me when I was unrealistic. She did this in a way that was never judgemental. She never judges, she only empathises. Even when I was stubborn (which I tended to be), she worked with me to help me understand my own blockers and how to get past them.
The second aspect of working with Joanna that I became aware of was her focus on the future, not the past. Once she helped me understand myself, I could better articulate my real needs and wants. We then focused on my true goals and how to achieve them. We started with the small ones that were very specific to my situation (how I approached others, for example) and moved on to larger goals. Every conversation was how I moved from a current state to a future state in small or large steps, not conversations about how my past was stopping me. Each goal was fair (even if I didn’t feel it at the time) and designed to take me forward just a bit.
Finally, Joanna developed a holistic view of my life. She spent time figuring out each component of my life and how much weight it carried. She introduced me to other people who could help me further my goals, in life and in work, as well as those who could help me with my mental health. This commitment to the totality of my life is the facet of the life coaching that I found most impressive.
During the entire process, she never made me feel anything less than her most important client. She has helped me to grow as a person, to be less closed off and judgemental. She has helped me to think differently about how I describe myself and my situation. She was stern when she needed to be, gentle when I needed it, and always goal-focused. I am a better person today than I was a year ago, more sociable, and more confident because of her”.
– Anon
