Her Starting Point
Caroline described difficulties in friendships and at work, including feeling poorly treated by friends and colleagues. She had processed a difficult upbringing, and what she described as narcissistic abuse from a parent, in therapy. She recognised that low self-worth and confidence continued to affect how she felt about herself and the choices she made.
Her coaching goals concerned moving forward: understanding what she wanted, developing a more supportive relationship with herself and taking practical steps towards a life that felt healthier and more fulfilling.
Establishing Goals and Recognising Strengths
In our first session, we explored the pressures and obstacles Caroline was facing. She completed a Wheel of Life exercise to reflect on different areas of her life and identify priorities. Relationships and personal growth emerged as areas she wanted to focus on, beginning with developing a more positive mindset.
Across the first four sessions, we combined positive psychology and cognitive-behavioural coaching. Caroline introduced a daily gratitude practice, explored her character strengths and considered how to use those strengths more deliberately. She also practised recognising and challenging negative thinking, with the aim of developing a more optimistic and resilient response to difficulties.
Examining Relationships and Setting Boundaries
In sessions four to six, our attention turned to relationships. Caroline already suspected that some friendships were unhealthy, but wanted to understand more clearly what was happening and what she wanted to change.
Through questions that helped her examine assumptions and identify practical options, she considered the difference between how she was being treated and how she wanted to be treated. People-pleasing emerged as one pattern affecting how she responded to others.
She completed a relationship inventory to identify which connections were rewarding and which left her depleted. She decided where to limit contact or end unhealthy connections, and I supported her as she put those decisions into practice. She also clarified her standards for future relationships and the boundaries she wanted to maintain.
Developing Self-Compassion and Exploring Purpose
In sessions seven to twelve, we focused on self-esteem and a warmer, more compassionate relationship with herself. The work included mirror exercises, positive affirmations, self-compassion practices and activities informed by the PERMA model of wellbeing.
We also explored Caroline’s core values and used a Japanese model of purpose to consider her next steps in her career. This connected the work on confidence and self-understanding with the practical question of what she wanted to do next.
Changes Caroline Reported
Caroline described improvements in self-esteem, self-worth and self-compassion. She had ended some unhealthy friendships and was planning a move to another city to pursue her ambition of a career in nursing. At the point this account was written, those were plans rather than a completed move or nursing qualification.
She described finding an “inner ally”: a more encouraging way of relating to herself, including at times when support from others was unavailable. She felt proud of her progress and more resilient in responding to difficulties.