.png)
Coaching
When an employee is managing a chronic health condition, they often find themselves having to reassess their individual capabilities and priorities, in addition to reframing the way they view themselves and how they are perceived by others.
Issues that people living with chronically illness commonly experience in the workplace
continuing to meet the demands of the job during periods of diagnoses, treatment, and symptom exacerbation
having to manage or 'hide' symptoms due to fears of being stigmatised or penalised
negotiating whether it is safe to disclose an illness and, if so, to whom, and to what extent
being shunted through bureaucratic, medicalised systems which favour compliance over practical knowledge
having challenging conversations about reasonable adjustments, particularly in a low-flex work culture
dealing with other peoples assumptions
about competency and work ability
facing fears about losing employment,
being placed on lesser duties, or being
looked over for promotion
Coaching can be an effective tool to support chronically ill employees to work through these stressors and increase personal resources for effective self-management.
Standard Coaching Package
Cultural Value offers confidential coaching sessions which are facilitated by experienced coaches who also have lived-experience of managing chronic illness.
​
The coaching is underpinned by a strengths-based philosophy which focuses on the work individuals can do within their existing constraints, when they have the appropriate supports in place.
​
What are the aims of coaching?
The main objectives of the coaching sessions is to work with employees to build self-knowledge, develop self-management strategies, regain confidence, learn effective communication, and improve their overall work ability.
​
What happens during a session?
There is an initial assessment of the client based on a comprehensive questionnaire. Based on the initial consultation an approach is agreed for the remaining sessions which are generally held at fortnightly intervals.
​
How structured are the sessions?
This is usually dependent on the individual's preference, their current health and emotional status, and their baseline self-knowledge.
Some people will respond positively to a clear set of goals that are established from the outset while others may need a more flexible approach. We aim to meet people where they are at, rather than impose a prescriptive set of goals.
How is coaching different from therapy?
Although people often experience therapeutic benefits, coaching is a non-clinical, future-oriented intervention that is designed to assist people to better mobilise their internal resources to manage chronic illness at work.
​
Is coaching available for people leaders?
Yes. We're happy to discuss coaching packages for people leaders who are living with and/or requiring assistance managing people with chronic illness.
​
How many sessions are in the standard package?
The standard coaching package consists of 6 x 60 minute sessions which are usually delivered online.
​
How do I purchase a coaching package?
Coaching packages are usually purchased directly by the employer, or via the employer's EAP provider.
​
Coaching For Men
There is a long-standing evidence base which has shown that that men are half as likely as women to be proactive in seeking help to manage their mental and physical health. This is often attributed to prescribed gender roles which tend to portray help-seeking behaviours as being in conflict with traditional masculine norms such as strength, competency, and control. ​Although these norms are slowly changing, men still commonly downplay their health issues, which significantly impacts the likelihood that they will disclose and seek help for their chronic illness at work. ​Coaching is a form of accessible help-seeking that can be less stigmatising for men because of it's skill-building and future orientation focus. ​How is the coaching process different for men? Fundamentally the coaching process is the same for all genders. However, for men there is often more emphasis placed on decreasing the stigma around help-seeking, and reframing beliefs about masculinity that can stifle the proactive management of chronic illness. Why is gender important in coaching? Everyone is unique, with their own set of experiences and character traits that may or may not conform to gendered norms. That said, we know when we look at the gender binary at a population level, men and women often have different health outcomes and trajectories. Therefore, it's important that these factors in addition to individual characteristics are considered to get the best out of the coaching process. Do you offer a women-led coaching service? We partner with other providers who can offer women-led coaching so please reach out us and we'll pass their details onto you.