Frequently Asked Questions
A coaching session is like a focused, honest chat with someone who asks questions or offers observations to help you explore deeper. Together we look at what's happening, what you actually want, and what might be getting in the way.
My role is to create a safe, supportive space and ask questions that open up new possibilities. I may offer observations on how your language, moods and body may be contributing to your issue.
The work, the insight, and the willingness to shift belong entirely to you.
You will leave with a clearer head, a fresh perspective, or a concrete next step you're ready to take.
Book a free 20-minute Discovery Call No obligation, just a conversation.
Anything that's weighing on your mind. Some of the things that bring people to coaching are:
- Wanting to change direction but feeling stuck
- Running on empty and not sure how to reset
- Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or worn out
- A relationship that isn't working, personal or professional
- Difficulty with a colleague, manager, or team dynamic
- Struggling to speak up, hold your ground, or say no
- Struggling to give or receive feedback constructively
- Health challenges - how to cope better or navigate the health system
Looking for something more specific? Sessions are also available for:
- CV preparation - increase your chances of getting an interview
- Job interview preparation - how you come across matters as much as what you say
- Salary negotiation - knowing your worth and finding the words, mood and posture to match
There's no issue too big or too small.
Get in touch to discuss your needs. No obligation, just a conversation.
Every person and situation is different. What you bring to coaching and how deep you want to go will shape how many sessions makes sense. Here's a general guide.
Foundation Pack - 3 sessions
Most challenges don't exist in isolation. What we're dealing with on the surface is usually connected to deeper patterns, beliefs, or habits of thinking that keep showing up in different ways. Three sessions gives us the time and space to explore what's really going on underneath, so you're not just addressing the symptom but getting to the root of it.
This is the recommended starting point for most people. You'll leave with more clarity, a different perspective, and something concrete to work with.
Foundation Packs are valid for 4 months from date of purchase.
Deep Dive Pack — 6 sessions
For more complex situations, multiple challenges, or when you're ready to make a significant and lasting shift. Six sessions offers the depth and continuity to really examine what's driving your experience, develop a new perspective, and start embedding new ways of thinking and being.
Real change takes time to become embedded. The Deep Dive gives you enough sessions to go deep, stumble, course-correct, and finish with something that actually sticks.
Deep Dive Packs are valid for 12 months from date of purchase.
Not sure which one is right for you?
Start with the Foundation Pack. If the work calls for more, individual session are available for returning clients or the Deep Dive Pack is an option.
For returning clients who have completed a pack, individual sessions are available at your standard sliding scale rate - useful for a periodic check-in or when something specific comes up.
If you're still not sure whether coaching is for you at all, get in touch before you commit to anything. A conversation costs nothing.
For 60min appointments, BOOK HERE.
If you’re not sure yet, BOOK A FREE DISCOVERY CALL.
or contact me directly via the contact form.
Coaching should be accessible to as many people as possible. That's why fees are set on a sliding scale based on your gross annual income, not a flat rate.
Examples: Gross income is $70,000 per year = session rate $130 per session. That means:
- Foundation Pack (3 sessions): $350 after 10% discount
- Deep Dive Pack (6 sessions): $660 after 15% discount
- CV and Interview Preparation Pack: $295 - Includes 2 x coaching and prep time to review your CV and role before we meet.
Gross income is $150,000 per year = session rate $178 per session. That means:
- Foundation Pack (3 sessions): $480 after 10% discount
- Deep Dive Pack (6 sessions): $905 after 15% discount
- CV and Interview Preparation Pack: $365 - Includes 2 x coaching and prep time to review your CV and role before we meet.
Not sure which band applies to you? Get in touch and we can figure it out.
Therapy and counselling are designed for people dealing with psychological conditions, trauma, crisis, or mental health diagnoses, things like depression, anxiety, or addiction. They often focus on processing the past and understanding the root of psychological difficulties.
Coaching assumes you're functioning at a generally healthy level. It's forward-focused and action-oriented, for people who want to work through a specific challenge or shift a pattern of behaviour. The past might come up in a session, but only as a way of understanding the present, not as the main focus.
Not sure which one is right for you? Book a free discovery call and we'll talk it through honestly.
Everything discussed in a session stays between you and Mary Claire in line with professional coaching ethics. The only exception would be if there were serious concerns about your safety or the safety of those around you.
Yes! There's a pack specifically designed for it.
The CV and Interview Preparation Pack is a focused 2-session pack for people who have a specific role in mind. It's suited to anyone from field staff and supervisors through to middle management and senior leaders.
Before our first session, I spend an hour reviewing your CV so our time together is spent on what actually matters.
Session 1 - Your CV. We work through how you're presenting yourself on paper, whether it reflects what you genuinely bring and what the role actually needs.
Session 2 - Your interview. We prepare for how you come across, how you handle the questions you're dreading, the impression your presence can make.
A third session can be added if you'd like more practice before the day.
To book this pack, share the job title and a brief description of the role. This allows the preparation to be genuinely useful rather than generic.
Fees are based on a sliding scale according ot income. Get in touch to discuss what applies to you.
Ontological coaching is based on ‘ontology’ which is the study of one’s ‘way of being’. When something isn't working in your life, it's rarely because you're broken or not trying hard enough. More often, it's because the way you're looking at the situation is limiting what you can see as possible. The way you look at a situation is influenced by language, emotions and body.
Language: the stories we tell ourselves, the judgements we make, the words we use. These shape how we interpret situations and what we think is possible.
Emotions and moods: not just feelings in the moment, but the underlying mood we're operating from day to day. A mood of resentment, anxiety, or resignation will produce very different actions than a mood of curiosity, trust, or quiet determination. We can learn to recognise our moods and, with practice, shift them.
Body: posture, tension, breath, and movement all reflect and influence how we're feeling. The body holds more than we often give it credit for. Sometimes the body can anchor us back in the past, while our mindset and mood have shifted, we can forget about the body. Shifting the body can open up an entirely new perspective.
You're not broken. You don't need fixing.
One of the core ideas in ontological coaching is that people aren't problems to be fixed. We do the best we know how, with what we've learned along the way. If what you know isn't working anymore, it's a signal that something new is ready to be learned.
A lot of the stress people carry comes from expecting certainty that was never really there. Ontological coaching doesn't promise to remove uncertainty, it builds your capacity to cope with it and shift into moods of curiosity, wonder and joy.
For more information on Ontological Coaching, check out the Ontological Coaching Institute
Sessions are 60 minutes held online. In-person sessions are also available as walking appointments, subject to location and availability.
Yes, Mary Claire has completed Level 1 and Level 2 of the accredited Ontological Coaching and Leadership training with the Newfield Institute which is accredited by the International Coach Federation.
She is currently undertaking Level 3 due for completion at the end of 2026. When complete, she will be accredited as a Level 2 coach training program by the International Coach Federation and will have participated in at least 55 supervised coaching conversations.
See the Fees page for current rates. A free discovery call is available with no obligation.
Book the free discovery call. It's a no-pressure conversation.