Coaching
Find out more about how coaching can help you overcome your challenges and achieve your goals.
What is coaching?
Coaching is a conversation.
It’s a safe space for you to identify, explore and plan.
And, with me, you don't have to hold anything back.
Identify
- What success actually means to you
- Your drivers to push you forwards
- Skills you can draw on
- The challenges you have to overcome
Explore
- Your goals and objectives
- Possible options and solutions
- Alternative viewpoints
- Your level of commitment
Plan
- Next steps
- Further actions
- How to ensure you move forwards
I specialise in working with people in the LGBTQ+ and kink communities.
Challenges considered range from improving leadership to finding love, from pricing products to changing career; from improving marketing to developing a social media strategy; from navigating breakups to starting a business.
I've coached people from across the world. My clients have had a whole rainbow of identities and gender expressions and have worked in a wide range of professions.
Not LGBTQ+ or kinky? I'm happy to work with you too! Everyone is welcome to get high quality help with me.
Why hire a coach?
When I first heard about coaching, I thought "I can work out my own life. I don't need someone else to tell me what to do."
That's not what coaching is.
Coaching will make a difference for you if you...
Strive for success.
Want a promotion.
Need a space to think.
Procrastinate too much.
Want to become a better leader.
Want to become more successful.
Need to improve your confidence.
Need to improve your relationships.
Want to improve your work-life balance.
Find yourself going in circles with decisions.
Coaching unlocks the resources within you.
I don't give you the answers. I help you find your own answers.
Contact me today to organise a complimentary 'Experience Coaching' session and find out more about how coaching can help you.
Anyone, at any stage in their lives, can benefit from being coached.
I have found that coaching is particularly useful for people in the following categories:
- People at the start of their careers.
- People looking to move into, or who are new to, leadership or management roles.
- People who are trying to change jobs, or who have just changed role.
- People who are finding relationships with others (at home or in their job) challenging.
- People who are looking to make significant changes to their relationships.
- People who are going through significant change in their lives (eg retirement, divorce, moving).
- People who are starting a new business or want to make a change to their business.
This isn't an exhaustive list. So if you don't fit into the categories above, drop me a message and we can discuss how coaching can help you.
Why me?
Hi, I'm Matthew (he/him). I'm a kinky gay man, a fully accredited coach and hypnotherapist.
Coaching is an unregulated profession. Anyone can do a couple of hours of online training and call themselves a coach.
You know that you're in safe hands with me.
I have:
- A background in educational leadership
- Experience working in the public and private sectors
- Experience in leadership positions in companies
- Been a successful entrepreneur
- International Coach Federation PCC level coach accreditation
- Over 700 hours of experience coaching clients
- Given talks and run workshops in over 13 countries across Europe, Asia and the USA
- A BSc Physics Degree (Imperial College London), an MA in Educational Leadership (Open University) and a PGCE in Education (University of Sussex)
- Written an ebook and given many courses online and in person.
- Been interviewed for many podcasts and had articles printed in books and magazines.
I am:
- A member of the International Coach Federation working at PCC level.
- A member of the Gay Coaches Alliance
- A member of the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis
Contact me today to organise an experience coaching session to learn more about the work I do and how we could be working together to improve your life and work.
Success stories
Almost everyone can benefit from having a coach.
A coach can act as a confidential, non-judgemental critical friend; an accountability partner; devil's advocate; or a light-touch mentor.
As someone who works extensively with LGBTQ+ and kinky people, my clients often have sexuality or gender in their story. But, most of the time, that's not what we talk about. The majority of my clients just like to know that they can mention what they're doing outside work. They know that they don't have to hold back the fact that they're gay, or in a poly relationship, or need gender affirming care, or like kinky stuff at the weekend. They don't have to edit what they're saying or feel shame if they want to explore their lives fully.
Each of my clients has been different, and the way I have worked with each client has been varied according to their needs.
Here are some examples. Names and details have been changed to preserve confidentiality.
Nina is an artist working in the kink community. She needed help with organising her work, prioritising, marketing and setting a pricing structure.
Tony is a doctor and a manager of a successful medical practice. He needed help to become a better leader and manager of his team.
Alan is a CEO. He needed help to integrate the different areas of his life together and a space to consider different ideas for his company's growth and development.
Grant is a student and a teacher. He lives in a very homophobic area and needed help planning his career to allow him to move somewhere that he could live the life he needs to live. This was compounded by his previous issues with drugs and alcohol, meaning he needed me to be aware of the dangers of exposure to the potential negative sides of some gay lifestyles while trying to remain sober.
Sherry is an autistic 20-something in her first job after university. She needed help to understand how to work with her deep submissive nature and stop it from overcoming her equally important need to push forward in her career.
What can I expect from coaching?
Coaching is you talking and me asking questions to widen your awareness.
It is a confidential, safe, judgement-free space where you can talk about your challenges and have someone work with you to overcome them. What you need will depend very much on your specific situation. Some people need me just to listen while they work things out. Some people need me to ask questions, give ideas or offer reflection. Others need me to teach them basic models that they can use to learn about the world.
Every coaching session starts by considering what the client needs and how best we can work together. We then explore the challenges, considering why it's important to talk about them. Sometimes, we dig deeper, looking at the reasons that a challenge exists. We'll talk about the motivations, thoughts, behaviours and patterns. This means the client can plan and grow, finding ways to improve and move forward through the challenges. And, if they need it, I can act as an accountability partner, being the person to check in and hold them to the change they wanted.
Most of the coaching I do is online. Which means you can work with me wherever you are in the world, at a time that works for you. I also offer in-person coaching at a discretely branded location in Greater Manchester.
I specialise in giving you the space that you need to work out whatever it is that you need to work out. No judgement. No shame.
After all, I'm a gay man and a member of the kink community who makes explicit content. You know that you can say things to me that you'd struggle to say to other people.
A confidential, safe space
Many of my clients come to me because they need help, but there's part of their story that they can't tell other people.
Maybe your identity is something you hide from people. Maybe you want to speak to someone who is part of the LGBTQ+ or kink communities. Maybe you're in a complicated relationship and want to talk to someone who will understand.
Many of my clients come to me to be able to be completely open with all aspects of their lives. Whatever your identity, your relationships, your interests, your job, your location, I guarantee that you'll find me to be:
- Non-judgemental
- Shame-free
- Confidential
- Professional
- Understanding
- Accepting
(The only exception to my rule about confidentiality is if you reveal anything that could cause harm to others or is in any other way legally notifiable. But I'll tell you if we get to that point.)
I coach mainly online, but I also have a comfortable, discretely branded in-person office in Stalybridge, Greater Manchester.
The cost of coaching
Coaches across the world charge a wide variety of prices. I set my prices based on a number of factors, including the market rate for coaching. However, as I work with such a wide range of clients (from students to top level executives), I tailor my packages to the client.
Please contact me if you're interested in coaching and we can have a chat about what coaching could do to help you, and what packages or discounts I can offer you. Don't let the fear that you can't afford coaching get in the way of getting the help you need.
One final note. Not everyone wants 'English Leather Master' on their bank statements. I have various payment methods that are discreet, and even a totally safe for work branded business which means I can invoice through your company. No one in accounts will know why you chose me.