Laurie has studied and worked in a number of fields: civil engineer, teacher, anthropologist, farmer, pastor…
For over 30 years he was National Director of Cornerstone Community, a rural, community based RTO with several centres which operated various businesses, training young people for life-long Christian mission as part of their normal life. Check out Cornerstone on their website
The role of a life coach is to help you discover what success means for you, and to help you plan and achieve your goals.
Among other things, Laurie is a qualified life coach (Certificate IV, Life Coaching Academy). He has years of experience helping people evaluate their lives and make good choices for their futures.
Life coaching involves a series of sessions in which the coach develops a deep understanding of the real person you are and then brings you to face the realities of your present life. He then enables you to clarify what you really want for your life, and to organise yourself to pursue the goals which will bring about the changes you want.
Laurie wants to be a catalyst in your life. He will ask questions that take you beyond your comfort zone. He wants you to discover and realise new possibilities that lie dormant in your present self.
On your part it requires complete honesty. There may be areas of your life you do not wish to share and Laurie honours that. On his part Laurie works under a professional code of conduct that commits him to strict confidentiality. He is a friend you can trust who will have your best interests at heart.
It also requires from you a commitment to take action. You will ring Laurie, or meet him face to face, for a weekly, one-hour session (or give him timely notice when you are unable to keep an appointment).
After each session there will be home assignments which you must commit to work on. Laurie will email you a report of each session, including the action which you have decided to take. It will require dedication from you to put these plans into action.
Each session costs $70. The first meeting or telephone interview is for assessment and is free. It is critical that a client and life coach feel that they understand each other and communicate well. If Laurie feels that he is not able to coach you he will say so, and if you feel the same about him there is no further obligation or need for communication.
Laurie recommends a minimum series of four weekly sessions at the price of $65 per session, total price $260. Payment should be made each week by bank transfer.
Longer term coaching is available after a break of at least two weeks at the rate of $250 per month.
A life coach is a professional friend. To Laurie the thought of being a ‘paid’ friend is uncomfortable. Professional fees seem to detract from the authenticity of a true friendship. If you are able to pay for life coaching, Laurie is grateful to receive payment (we all have to live). However, if you want to be coached and cannot afford to pay the full fees, Laurie is glad to offer his friendship pro bono (free). Discuss your circumstances with him and he will come to a private arrangement with you about the fees.
Spirituality and spiritual development will mean different things to different people. It is a difficult term to define, but it is usually associated with a sense of meaning and purpose. Most people at some time ask questions such as, ‘Why are we here?’, ‘What is behind it all?’, ‘What does it all mean?’, and most importantly, ‘Who am I and what am I supposed to do with my life?’ The search for answers to these questions is an expression of our spirituality. It usually involves seeing our lives in a bigger context.
In today's busy world many people feel that they have not yet found what is really important in life. They have a sense of inner emptiness even though they may be successful in many other ways.
One misconception that many people have is that spirituality involves religion. It is true that all religions have a spiritual aspect, but it is possible to be very religious and not spiritual at all. And it is also possible for a person to be deeply spiritual and not be religious. Spirituality is a deeply personal matter which develops as we become more aware of our inner self and our need for inner peace, fulfilment, and well-being.
The most powerful and transforming spiritual experience is to discover a meaning and purpose in life by relating to the bigger world that transcends our personal circumstances. Your spiritual development is uniquely your own. However, a spiritual director offers you the opportunity to develop your spirituality by helping you to explore your own spiritual experience.
Some possible outcomes of spiritual direction are:
As a spiritual director with many years of experience, Laurie is well qualified to sensitively help people clarify their own spirituality. He himself holds a Christian worldview, but is committed to helping people from within their own spirituality. As a spiritual director, Laurie will not pressure you to embrace the Christian or any other particular faith although he is able to show you good reason to take Jesus of Nazareth seriously.
Spiritual direction is similar to life coaching in that it takes place during a one hour session, which could be weekly or monthly. Laurie does not charge a fee for giving spiritual direction. In the early Christian tradition those who were helped by a spiritual director made a contribution to their teacher as they were able. Laurie is thankful to receive financial help when offered, but is quite happy to offer his help freely.
