Noreen Coomey

06/11/2025

23/10/2025

Step 7 in Solution-Focused Coaching – Discovering Strengths & Resources
Solution-Focused Coaching (SFC) is a forward-thinking, strengths-based approach that empowers individuals to achieve their goals by leveraging their existing resources and capabilities. Instead of dwelling on problems, I use SFC to help clients recognize their strengths and past successes. We use these discoveries to create positive change and develop practical solutions.
Strengths in SFC include personal qualities such as resilience, adaptability, creativity and determination. I work with clients to identify times when they have successfully overcome challenges, to reinforce confidence and self-efficacy. Recognizing these strengths enables individuals to approach their goals with a proactive and empowered mindset.
Resources in SFC extend beyond personal traits to external support systems, such as mentors, colleagues, family and professional networks. Additionally, past experiences, acquired skills and even small wins serve as valuable resources for future success. My job is to guide clients in finding and using these resources effectively.
By focusing on what is already working and building on strengths, Solution-Focused Coaching fosters motivation, confidence and sustainable personal or professional growth.
Through this approach, clients shift their mindset from obstacles to opportunities, looking at the donut not the hole, leading to meaningful and lasting change.

20/10/2025

17/09/2025

In conjunction with the Open Streets event on Sunday 21st next from 2:00 to 4pm,
I am offering free (15 min) drop-in coaching discovery sessions.
Find me at the Therapy Rooms, Exchange House, Main Street, next door to Boots Pharmacy.
P-31 VHS 51 noreencoomey.com

15/09/2025

Step 6 in Solution-Focused Coaching – Exceptions – Times when Problem is not Present
In solution-focused coaching, when we identify exceptions—times when the problem does not occur— we have a powerful technique to help clients recognise their strengths and discover potential solutions.
Exceptions provide evidence that challenges are not constant and that change is already happening, even if it is subtle.
In my work I guide clients to explore past situations where they successfully managed or avoided the problem. By asking questions such as, “Can you think of a time when this issue was less intense or didn’t happen at all?” or “What was different about that situation?”, I help clients uncover useful strategies they may have overlooked.
These moments reveal skills, resources, and behaviours that contributed to success, which can then be intentionally replicated.
For example, a client struggling with procrastination might recall a time when they were highly productive. Analysing the circumstances—such as a structured routine, motivation, or accountability—can offer clues to creating sustainable change.

Recognising exceptions helps shift focus from problems to solutions, fostering self-confidence and empowerment.
By amplifying these positive moments, I use solution-focused coaching to enable clients build on their successes and move toward their desired future. This further reinforces the belief that progress is possible.

03/09/2025

Every time you move, whether it’s walking, dancing, or vacuuming, you flood your brain with dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. Experts call it a “neurochemical bubble bath,” a natural mood-lifter that eases stress within minutes.

But the benefits go beyond the moment. Regular movement helps your hippocampus grow new cells and strengthens your prefrontal cortex, sharpening memory, focus, and decision-making while protecting the brain from age-related decline.

The best part is you don’t need marathons, just joyful activity. Dance in your living room, garden in the sun, or walk with friends. Small, consistent movements build lasting brain health.
Source/Credit: Neuroscience research on exercise and brain plasticity

27/08/2025

Step 5 in Solution-Focused Coaching – “Compliments” – Genuine Authentic Acknowledgement

Compliments, when given from a solution-focused perspective, can become powerful tools for motivation, growth, and positive reinforcement – a type of realistic feedback loop.
Instead of simply praising someone, solution-focused compliments highlight strengths, progress, and the qualities that contribute to success. I make use of them to acknowledge what is working well for the client and to encourage continued improvement. A well-placed compliment can inspire, encourage, and remind people of their worth and highlight a person’s character and energy.
For example, rather than saying, “You’re a great leader,” a solution-focused compliment might be, “I really admire the way you navigate challenges with a calm and strategic mindset. Your ability to bring people together is making a real difference.”
Doing this not only recognizes leadership but also reinforces behaviours that lead to success.
Effective compliments focus on strengths, resilience, and the steps the client has taken towards their desired goal. By acknowledging problem-solving skills, adaptability, or perseverance, we help individuals see their own progress and build confidence in their abilities.
Statements like, “I can see how much effort you put into refining this project—it’s clear that your attention to detail is paying off,” emphasize growth and encourage further development.
When compliments are specific, sincere, intentional, and tied to meaningful actions, they become more than just kind words—they become a source of encouragement, reinforcing what’s working and inspiring continued success for the client.

20/08/2025

Step 4 in Solution-Focused Coaching – Scaling 1-10 – Measure of Progress
In Solution-focused coaching I often uses a simple 1 to 10 scale to help a client measure their progress. This tool is easy to understand and helps both of us see where the client is right now and where they intend to be.

For example, I might ask the client, “On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 means things are at their worst and 10 means things are exactly how you want them, where are you today?” This number becomes a starting point for the conversation.
The client then describes what a higher number would look like – maybe moving from a 5 to a 6.
This helps the client highlight small, practical steps they can take to improve their situation. It shows the client that they have the resources to solve their problems.
It also focuses on what’s working well, rather than just on what’s wrong.
We use the scale over time to track progress, showing how far the client has come and what still needs work. This keeps things realistic and action focused.

Overall, the 1 to 10 scale is a simple, flexible tool to measure progress, help clients stay motivated and clearly see their own growth during coaching sessions.

13/08/2025

Step 3 in Solution-Focused Coaching – Identify and Clarify Goals

Solution-focused coaching helps my client move forward by focusing on what they want to achieve, rather than spending too much time on their problems.

One of the most important steps in this type of coaching is to identify and clarify the desired outcome – asking the person what they want to achieve, not just what they want to avoid.

I set out to help the client describe their goal in detail, to make sure it is SMART:
specific, simple, measurable and meaningful, achievable, realistic and responsible, and timed towards what they want.

Instead of vague wishes like "I want to feel better at work," I can guide the client toward something more focused, such as "I want to feel confident giving presentations to my team."

By clarifying what success looks like, we can then explore the steps needed to get there.
This process helps the client become more clear, motivated, and in control. It also ensures that coaching sessions stay practical and useful, always moving closer to the client’s desired future.

Clear goals give both myself and the client a direction to work towards. Identifying a list of necessary resources – physical, emotional, financial and personal, along with the first step to take, is vital.
In short, identifying and clarifying goals is the foundation for effective solution-focused coaching.

30/07/2025

Step 2 in Solution-Focused Coaching - Reframe

A solution-focused mindset encourages action, resilience, and positive change—helping shift from problem to progress, efficiently and effectively.
The first task is reframing the problem into a goal. Rather than asking, “Why is this happening?” I’d ask the client “What would things look like if this were better?”
This simple shift creates a vision of success and makes solutions easier to see. Instead of looking at problems as roadblocks, they are viewed as stepping-stones – opportunities for change. The key is to shift from “What’s wrong?” to “What’s possible?”
By focusing on strengths, past successes, and small steps forward, challenges become more manageable. This helps create a clear vision for progress towards possible, realistic and credible solutions.

Next, identify what’s already working. Even in difficult situations, there are usually moments when things go well. I always explore what helped in those moments? What skills or resources made a difference? Identifying the client’s strengths, resources, and past successes can lead to a way forward.

Small actions lead to big results. Instead of waiting for a perfect solution, take one small step in the right direction. Even minor improvements create momentum and boost confidence to move things in the right direction. By focusing on progress rather than perfection, motivation stays high.

Finally, solutions should be practical and adaptable. Brainstorming multiple ideas before narrowing them down also leads to better results. If one approach doesn’t work, another can be tried. Reframing is the key to staying focused on possibilities, not on limitations.

26/07/2025

Taking advice from something that can't differentiate truth from fiction and tells you what you want to hear isn't the wisest choice, writes Barry O’Sullivan