RiverTree Coaching

Life can be so busy that we rarely stop to think whether all of that activity enables us to fulfil our potential and make our unique contribution, or not! Coaching is an opportunity to pause, reflect and be empowered to be more like the person we were created to become!

In every field of our lives – our relationships or our work – coaching enables us to discover new things about ourselves, find insights about the obstacles we face, and take actions that transform our lives around what we are learning.

Coaching is about you – your goals, your learning, and your growth. The skill of the coach is to ask good questions, listen well, encourage a lot, challenge a bit, and support you on the journey of discovery. It isn’t the same as mentoring (when someone passes on their expertise) because you are the expert on your life, not the coach! It also isn’t like training, because you are the one who sets the agenda.

Coaching is about the future – it isn’t therapy, which focuses on the past. There are some similarities to the techniques used but the focus is on moving forward not on healing psychological or emotional issues. In coaching, as you gain greater awareness of who you are, it’s all about you being empowered to choose what action you will take, and about you reaping the rewards of the insights you’ve gathered.

Here is an inexhaustive list of possible reasons to find a coach:

• To encourage and support you to explore making a significant change in life or work,
• To enable you to better deal with a season of uncertainty or transition,
• To empower you to make better decisions,
• To accompany you as you set yourself better goals,
• To help you identify ways to reach goals faster,
• To be a companion in a journey of spiritual insight and growth,
• To discover actions that will help you become more financially stable,
• To encourage your discernment of how to make a bigger impact on the world,
• To gain the insights that will help you to be a better leader and/or team player,
• To help you find ways to simplify or destress your life.

As you’ve read this list, have you got a ‘good idea’ of what you might be able to accomplish with the help of a coach? If so, click on the button below, and tell us about it.  

When I first began the coaching journey, I didn’t quite know what to expect, as this was my first time ever doing coaching sessions. The space Simon offered was, from the outset, a much-needed gift. It wasn’t a space for answers to be handed down, but for questions to be opened up in order so that I can think more about certain areas I needed help with. Looking back, I can say without hesitation that this coaching process has been a pivotal part of my journey, both personally and pastorally.

Each session felt like entering a safe space where I could discuss everything. Simon didn’t rush to fill the silence, nor did he come with pre-packaged advice. Instead, he listened, asked thoughtful questions, and gently challenged me to look again at things I thought I had already figured out, or even things I was avoiding. The tone of the conversations was always warm, grounded, and rooted in his own life of prayer and ministry. I always had the sense that I was being listened to not just with professional curiosity, but with pastoral concern and spiritual depth.

Practically, the coaching helped me especially navigate a season of transition with far greater clarity and peace than I think I would have managed otherwise. I was carrying the weight of a significant move that included relocating my family to a new city, beginning a new role in ministry, and stepping into a different kind of leadership context. Simon never told me what to do. Instead, he helped me listen: to myself, to my family, and most importantly, to God. By helping me with the right questions and bringing clarity to my thoughts, he walked alongside me as I discerned the next step. I can now say that I’m entering this new season with not only a clearer vision, but also a deeper rootedness in my own calling.

If I were to sum up the impact of Simon’s coaching in a sentence or two, I would say this: ‘Working with Simon helped me slow down, listen deeply, and discern clearly. Through his wise and prayerful guidance, I rediscovered my sense of vocation, clarified my next steps, and found fresh courage to move forward in ministry.’

I recommend Simon as a coach to anyone in need of coaching in any area of their lives, whether facing change, searching for clarity, or simply longing to reflect more intentionally on one’s own vocation. Simon, thank you again for your time, presence, and care. This season of coaching has been a real gift; one I’ll carry forward with gratitude into whatever comes next.

Robert, a Baptist minister, one of our coaching clients