Meet the Coach: Andy Campbell
Andy Campbell is a coach in East London and online
What attracted you to become a coach?
My background is in the youth and community sector, and my own coach helped me realise that my approach to helping others was already instinctively quite ‘coach-like’ in that I tended to find ways for those I was trying to help to reflect on the wider issues and find their own solutions. He encouraged me to explore it as a professional step, and the rest is history.
Where did you train?
I trained with Animas Centre for Coaching. The pandemic has seen a lot of training go online, but I was fortunate enough to take the course while physical meeting up was still accessible.
What kind of coaching do you offer?
I have a fairly lighthearted and relaxed approach. Many of my clients are people who have responsibility to look after others in some capacity, and often struggle to remember to look after themselves, so there is often a self-care element – time or boundary management, for example.
How does your coaching help people?
I offer clients the headspace to reflect on the things that are weighing down on them – and help them see what can (and can’t) be done to change things. We identify what the next steps could be, and explore together how to take them.
What sort of coaching clients do you usually see?
Many of my clients are leaders of charities, small organisations or community groups of some sort, but I also work with students, teachers and others. It’s often people who are looking for personal or professional change in some context, or how they can support others more effectively and efficiently.
Do you ever suggest books or other materials to clients?
I’m always a little cautious to recommend specific resources until I get to know the client better — as what clicks with one person often doesn’t for another.
What do you like about being a coach?
Those moments where a client suddenly sees something in a different way. Helping clients see what is possible, when they have been distracted by their problems, is a genuine privilege.
What is less pleasant?
It can be hard to repeatedly re-visit what feels like the same thing with a client, or when you – as a coach – can see something that the client can’t and have to hold your peace.
What is one life lesson you try to live by?
There’s a crack in everything; it’s how the light gets in.
What do you wish people knew about coaching?
That a coach can help you find keys to locks you didn’t know existed.
Do you have a favourite client testimonial or particular success story?
I worked with a client who found themselves reflecting on fears holding them back from public speaking. As a result, they proactively took chances to do other things that had overwhelmed them, and started learning to swim with their children. We usually left those coaching sessions with huge smiles on our faces.
