Hi there, I am Jennifer

How I came to Life Coaching

I am and have always been a keen observer of people, their behaviour and their development and growth. So in my work life I have fulfilled various roles (adviser, consultant, counsellor, mentor and a growth leader). For a long time I also wanted to be a psychologist, but somehow never took the next step.

One eventful day I stumbled across ‘Life Coaching’ and on further exploration I knew I had found my passion. I was at a point where I needed to rebuild my life and had consciously decided I wanted a quality life, the life I desired was quite clear in my mind – a life free of anger, rage, victimhood, disagreements, conflict and broken relationships. The life I desired was one of peace, joy, love, happiness, great relationships, contentment, emotional regulation and taking personal responsibility for my life.

Very soon I enrolled for the New Insights Life Coaching course and simultaneously selected a Life Coach to guide me to achieve my goals of becoming an inspiring Life Coach and living the life I desired. I believe I have achieved both goals and experienced amazing personal transformation. Friends and family have openly acknowledged this amazing change.

Apex Life Coaching

Is focussed on transformational life coaching that will enable anyone who truly desires to, achieve personal development and growth by embracing change with the support of someone drawing alongside them. I truly believe that everyone has unlimited potential, but only those who are courageous and willing to confront their fears will unlock their potential with the support of a committed  life coach who will provide a  safe, supportive, inspirational, yet at times challenging coaching environment. Why challenging you may ask? Well, sometimes the life coach has to nudge or push you out of your comfort zone to achieve your potential and sometimes you get in the way of yourself achieving what you desire. Yes, sometimes we are our biggest obstacle to achieving our dreams. So. if you want to create and sustain positive change in your life, then transformational life coaching is for you.

Who do I coach

International and local clients. I have coached people in the USA, UK and ME. I prefer to coach anyone from their late twenties and beyond. So, anyone who is at a crossroads in their life, or who wants to enhance the quality of their life and live in alignment with their unique personal values, aspirations and life purpose. The aforementioned is transformational in nature. In addition I also coach people in need of short-term coaching, i.e. a few sessions to get on track, also called transactional coaching.

How do I coach

All my coaching sessions are offered in English, although I can converse fluently in Afrikaans as well. My individual sessions are held online using Google Meet or other technology and where possible I do face-to-face meetings. Sessions are 90 minutes long. If you are a local client, I am available outside of normal business hours, after 7pm and on weekends. If you are an international client we will liaise to find a time that is suitable for both of us based on our time zones.

My Approach

With regard to Transactional Coaching in the short-term, I follow a free-form coaching approach called GROW. Usually this requires about 3-6 sessions of 90 minutes.

For Transformational Life Coaching I follow the New Insights structured approach. The full programme comprises a minimum of 15 sessions held fortnightly and is anchored in a realistic goal that is rigorously pursued, whilst proceeding with sessions that lead to personal transformation and ultimately goal achievement. The programme will require you to step outside of your comfort zone and do the required work as there is no ‘magic wand’ shortcut to achieving your goals and aspirations.

The two quotes below clearly articulate this.

“I believe that everyone has the potential to be, do or have anything want. This does mean that we have to step out of our comfort zone. We have to want it and be willing to take responsibility for doing it.” Mats Abatzidis, NI Certified Life Coach VIP.

“When we take the time to look within and understand our true selves, we lay the foundation for authentic living. This process involves peeling back the layers of our personality and beliefs, allowing us to reconnect with our core essence. By doing so, we can reveal passions, values, and talents that may have been overlooked or forgotten.

When we learn who we are, we understand our strengths and areas for improvement, and our choices and actions become more aligned. This alignment creates a harmonious flow in our daily lives, increasing our overall happiness and well-being. It allows us to find joy and satisfaction in simple moments, true connections, and a deeper sense of purpose. We start to recognize our unique gifts and how they can contribute to the world around us.” Daily OM Message (31/12/2024)

So if you are committed to reshaping your life by letting go of behavioural and thinking patterns that do not serve you, overcoming fear and self-doubt then transformational life coaching is for you. My coaching process starts with a self-evaluation of your life areas, and then setting an intention by selecting an area you want/need to work on, followed by action planning and resourcing.

We then explore what is holding you back – your mindset, beliefs, motivation, values, responsibility and behavioural patterns – and I help you to reset your thinking to achieve freedom, confidence and growth leading to substantive personal change. The process culminates in identifying your life purpose and the setting of some mega-goals

Generally speaking, there are 9 key areas that I cover, although you may decide on a different life area for coaching. Briefly, they are:

1. Physical Health and Wellbeing
This can be described as the body’s ability to function effectively in daily life without illness or discomfort and well-being refers to your overall wellbeing which can include self-care. My aim is to help you to create a balanced, healthy lifestyle that supports both your body’s functioning and your overall sense of wellness.

2. Partner Relationships
This refers to the dynamic interaction between two people in a committed relationship, characterised by emotional, physical and intellectual connection. I aim to help you to foster deeper connections and communication and explore your role in the relationship.

3. Career/Vocation
This refers to your profession or job, or a business owner, and/or your volunteer work. I aim to empower you to build a career and/or pursue a vocation that resonates with your internal sense of purpose.

4. Money/Financial Fitness
In my coaching I integrate the two concepts of money and financial management to achieve financial fitness whereby I assist you to develop a healthy, balanced approach to managing your finances optimally. This requires the building of financial literacy, achieving financial stability and aligning financial decisions with your life goals and values. Your personal relationship with money is also explored, e.g. an abundance vs. scarcity approach.

5. Personal Development and Growth
This can best be described as the process of improving your self-awareness, building new knowledge and skills, and creating habits that lead to a more fulfilling and purposeful life. Growth occurs when you step outside of your comfort zone. I aim to help you to increase your self-confidence, your decision-making and problem-solving skills, your resilience and ability to manage stress, and improve relationships through enhanced communication.

6. Family & Social Relationships
This refers to a broad scope. Firstly, family relationships encompass the bonds and interactions between members of a family (parents, children, siblings and extended family) and are usually foundational to a person’s emotional well-being.

Whereas, social relationships refer to your friendships, community connections and broader interpersonal interactions that contribute to your social support system. These relationships are key to fostering healthy, meaningful and supportive connections. By improving your communications and understanding, strengthening bonds with family and friends, and resolving conflicts constructively and setting appropriate boundaries.

7. Fun & Adventure (Recreation/leisure)
Fun refers to those activities/moments that bring joy, laughter and relaxation. It’s about enjoying life’s lighter side and reconnecting with what makes you happy.
Adventure is about embracing new experiences and exploring the unknown. It often involves stepping out of your comfort zones to grow and discover new aspects of yourself.
By integrating the two concepts I aim to enhance your overall happiness to bring about a more balanced lifestyle, a better work-life balance thereby reducing stress and building resilience.

8. Spirituality
Straight off the bat, this does not necessarily refer to religion, but can do. It is focussed on your deeper sense of purpose and connection to something greater than yourself or you may not believe in anything at all. The focus here centres on personal beliefs, values and practices that inspire fulfilment and inner peace. I strive to help you get clarity on your life purpose and direction, to increase your sense of peace, gratitude and acceptance, to enhance your resilience in the face of challenges, and to build stronger connections with yourself, others and the world

9. Other – Emotional Intelligence
This aspect is foundational to coaching and is in essence covered by the life areas above. I, however like to highlight it more explicitly.. It refers to your capacity to be aware of, control and express emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically. I focus primarily on enhancing your self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills.

So, from my perspective and personal experience life coaching is an essential investment in your life, and can never ever be viewed as a cost. I wish I had discovered life coaching years ago! How different my behaviours and decisions would have been. The benefits of the Transformational Life Coaching Programme are huge and will support you to live an optimal life. I look forward to walking alongside you by providing a safe, trusting, inspirational and sometimes challenging environment.

Request Me as Your Coach

To request me as your life coach, please navigate to the the Request a Coach page. Then enter your details on the contact form and make sure you choose my name, Jennifer Raath from the dropdown list of coaches.