What is life coaching?
If you've landed here wondering whether life coaching is something that could genuinely help you — or unsure what it even is — you're in exactly the right place. This page exists to give you a clear, jargon-free answer before you decide anything.
The honest, jargon-free answer
Life coaching is a structured, forward-focused partnership between a trained coach and a client, designed to help the client move from where they are to where they want to be. It combines self-reflection, goal-setting, accountability, and evidence-based psychological tools to support meaningful, sustainable personal change. It is not therapy — it doesn't treat clinical conditions or focus primarily on the past. It's future-focused, practical, and grounded in the client's own goals and values.
Who coaching is for — and who it works best for
Life coaching tends to be most useful for people who are:
Functioning in their lives but feeling stuck, unfulfilled, or uncertain about direction
Going through a transition — career change, relationship shift, becoming a parent, loss of identity — and wanting support navigating it with intention
Aware that they repeat certain patterns in their relationships, work, or habits — and ready to understand and break them
Struggling with confidence, self-doubt, or perfectionism in ways that affect their daily decisions
People who have read the books and know the theory — but find that knowing something and doing it are very different things
You don't need to be in crisis to benefit from coaching. Many of the people I work with are capable, thoughtful adults who simply want more clarity, more intention, and more genuine satisfaction from the life they're already living.
And you don't need to arrive with everything figured out. Quite the opposite — not knowing is often the most honest and useful starting point.
What Soulful Strides coaching looks like in practice
Soulful Strides is a Palmerston North-based coaching practice offering sessions in-person and online. Here's what distinguishes the work here from generic coaching:
It's grounded in psychology. I completed a Master's in Psychology before training as a coach — which means sessions are built on real research about how people change, not motivation culture or generic personal development frameworks. I understand why patterns form, why they persist, and what actually shifts them.
It's tailored to you. There are no scripted programmes or fixed curricula. Every coaching relationship is built around your specific situation, goals, and the patterns that are most relevant to your growth.
It's honest. I'll challenge you when something you're saying isn't adding up, point out patterns I notice, and tell you when I think a different approach is worth trying. Good coaching is warm and supportive — it's also clear and direct.
Academic background
Five years of study in psychology, focusing on cultural nuances and how our social and economic backgrounds impact our mental well-being.
Location
Palmerston North, New Zealand — in-person and online via Google Meet (easier to use for most people) across NZ and internationally
Professional Qualification
Graduated a Master’s degree in Science (Psychology) with first class honours. My research was on resilience and mentoring.
Approach
Psychology-informed, evidence-based, forward-focused. Warm, direct, and without jargon. I believe while I’m the expert in personal development, you’re the expert of your life. Together, we’re a team.
About Elise O'Shea
I grew up in Ireland and moved to New Zealand in 2011, completing my postgraduate study at Massey University before founding Soulful Strides. I started coaching because I saw how many capable, thoughtful people were stuck — not because they lacked effort or intelligence, but because they'd never been given proper tools for understanding how they worked.
The work I do is shaped by what I've personally needed and worked through — the overthinking, the self-doubt, the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. That's not a liability in coaching. It's exactly what makes the work real.
You can read the full version of how I came to this work — including the period I describe as going from "an overthinking mess to a calm, confident coach" — in my origin story post.
Ready to find out if coaching is right for you?
The best way to know if life coaching — and specifically working with me — is the right fit is to experience it. The introductory session is free, takes around 15 minutes, and involves no obligation to continue. We'll talk about what's going on for you, what you're hoping changes, and whether this feels like the right kind of support.
If it isn't, I'll tell you that honestly — and do my best to point you somewhere more useful.
Book your free introductory session →
Or explore the full range of ways to work together →