Coaching & Performance Consulting
How is Coaching different from Counseling and Psychotherapy?
Counseling and psychotherapy generally begin with a thorough history of each person's background. There are usually trouble spots that require resolution before that person can move forward with their lives, and they know this because the issue has gotten in the way of their progress over time. In other cases, the problem may come up after a traumatic event and usually requires a more intense debriefing toward solution focused thinking.
Coaching is different in that it is focused almost entirely on the present and future course of someone's life. These three questions can be used to begin the process, and even if someone is not sure of the answers, the process is clearly focused in the "here and now." There may be lessons we will use from your past, and strengths you've acquired over time to launch you toward your goal.
Questions to start our work together:
- What is it we hope to accomplish in our work together?
- How will we measure the success of our work together?
- Is what we are doing compatible with my other coaches' goals and objectives?
Acquiring Mental Conditioning Skills
There are several mental conditioning skills that can be learned to enhance our performance on many levels and with different tasks. Our job is to develop the mental skill sets that routinely enable people to take their performance to the next level. This process includes assessing the keys goal setting, motivational factors and commitment, and identifying the attitudes, people skills, strengths and weaknesses that help you or hold you back. We then evaluate the skill sets inherent in preparation for competition and those things that contribute to make us ready for our event. These include mental preparation, managing distractions, use of imagery, mental rehearsal, positive thought habits and constructive self-talk….all contributing in some way or another to our feeling confident about a competition or not. Finally, we address specific performance skills which are likely to involve managing arousal level, anxiety, emotional control before during and after your performance, focused thought habits and specific concentration ques to optimize your execution during the event.
Each person examines their skills sets and makes a judgment as to their self-efficacy in the following areas:
- Goal Setting as a process and a skill
- Preparation planning for competition
- Managing distractions
- Building confidence
- Stretching your limits
- Periodization training for specific skills acquisition
- Development of mental toughness
- Using "nervousness" to your advantage
- Controlling Arousal
- Developing Consistency in your Performance
- Having more fun in your endeavor!
This information and strategic assessment will enable us to develop the cornerstone to our work together - The Goal Summary Sheet. The initial session is an extended one likely to last upwards of 2 hours. From that point forward we work together to refine the plan and outline the steps required for success in each and every area.
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Experience a Unique Collaboration
The onus of responsibility is on me, as your coach, to provide a valuable consulting and personal coaching experience for you. I will use every means available to assure that we accomplish our goals, beginning with full access to my sport psychology website. You will be provided specific readings, articles, assessment tools, structured and unstructured learning activities (even if just for fun). All of these will be arranged to suit your needs and stated goals, even as they may vary throughout the year. Feedback from you is requested frequently so that we might monitor our progress, the quality of our communications, and lesson plans so as to make sure we keep on track. You will be asked to complete homework assignments regularly throughout the coaching period. Defining these assignments is a dynamic process we will both engage in, but you will be required to implement and practice the 'lesson plans'. Our process in working together must be a good one and we will constantly seek synergy in doing so. Feedback is a necessary communication tool for gauging that relationship so please be prepared to provide your comments concerns and reactions from each session. That feedback will help us both find that optimum balance in working together.
The Coach and Client mutually recognize that they may discuss future plans, business affairs, customer lists, financial information, job information, goals, personal information and other private concerns. The Coach will not voluntarily communicate the Client's information to a third party. In order to honor and protect the Coach's intellectual property, the Client likewise agrees not to disclose or communicate information about the Coach's practice, materials, or methods to any third parties.
It is important to understand that Coaching is a professional relationship. While it may feel at times like a close personal relationship, it is not one that can extend beyond professional boundaries, either during or after our work together. Considerable experience shows that when boundaries blur, the hard-won benefits gained from the coaching relationship can become endangered.
My Commitment is to YOU!
There may come a time when your needs may be at cross purposes with the direction people might want to direct you. My commitment is to you, your health, your happiness and overall well-being - above all else.
Young Athlete Mentoring
Young athletes who are gifted and talented can benefit from mentoring in the area of developing good attitudes, health habits, mental conditioning skills, acquiring a healthy attitude toward winning and losing, and how to effectively benefit from their relationship with coaches. Parents do their best, but oftentimes because of the parenting role find themselves at cross purposes with others who are in influential positions with their son or daughter. Dr. Walker diligently works to support the parents of these young athletes so that their child develops in a healthy and happy way.
Clinics and Workshops
Dr. Walker frequently does workshops and clinics and has been called upon to
provide programs designed to help the audience improve
their performance in one or more areas. Longer term consulting
projects are available by arrangement and usually involve
the monitoring of measurable outcomes like sales numbers
or performance objectives. His programs on the 'Mental
Conditioning of Champions' and 'The Principles of Peak
Performance' are among the most popular of his presentations.
See more in Clinics and Workshops.
He is best known for his "Conscious Golf Clinics"
which include introductory, advanced and on-course programs.
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Dr. Stephen Walker
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Boulder County Office:
5829 Niwot Road
Niwot, CO 80503
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Cherry Creek Office:
201 Columbine Street, Suite 150
Denver, CO 80206
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Phone: 303-530-4439
Fax: 303-530-4643
Email
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© 2006 by Stephen E. Walker. All Rights Reserved.
Website Design by Annie Hughes for Earthshine Design.
Photos by Louise Hamelin, Charles Pfeil, Delly Carr, Paul Towlen, and Donna Walker, used by permission.
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