About Life Coaching Ireland
In Celtic mythology, our Mighty Oak trees were considered to be the “King of the Trees”. They were believed to symbolise wisdom, courage and endurance, while the Acorn represented renewal and new beginnings. I believe passionately that as human beings, we all hold within us that Acorn of renewal and new beginnings, recognising that each moment brings countless possibilities. When we tend to that Acorn within, and nurture it through self-love, self-acceptance and compassion, we allow that Acorn to grow and transform ourselves into a Mighty Oak, possessing all of the Wisdom, Courage and Endurance needed to positively change our lives. It is this core belief that forms the foundation upon which Mighty Oak Life Coaching and Training has been built.
We are all human, and yet we are all so completely different and unique. We have all had a lifetime to develop our own unique thought patterns, beliefs, core values, and lived experiences. As such, life coaching is not a one-size-fits-all solution, where every client gets the same formulated approach from coach to coach. While there are similarities, every coach has their own unique approach and style when working with a client, we are all different after all!
Here is a general idea of what you can expect when working with me:
- Get to Know Me Chat: It is so important that you feel comfortable with the person you choose to work with as your coach. Having an introductory call is our way for the two of us to figure out if I’m the right coach for you. This is your chance to get to know me a little, and for you to let me know where you are right now in life and what you want to achieve as a result of your life coaching.
- Get to know you better: Having decided that I am the right coach for you to work with, we will take a deeper look at what makes you…..YOU! We will look at your life over view, a snap shot if you like of where you are currently and we’ll discuss where you would like to be, setting the foundation for later goals to be worked on. We will look at your belief systems, your core values, even the language you use and figure out how these may be holding you back from achieving what you want and even whether what you want is actually aligned to your values. These are very interesting exercises, and my clients are always surprised by what they discover about themselves.
- Coaching Sessions: After the initial “getting to know you” sessions, each session thereafter is your time to discuss what ever is important for you on the day in a confidential, supportive, and non-judgemental, safe space. It may be something that happened that day or week and you would like to explore it further. It may be a personal goal that you would like to set, or review actions and progress of a goal already set in a previous session. Whatever it is, it is your time to use for what is important for you, and I as your Coach will not come to the session with an agenda, it is your time! Remember, you know best what is important to you in your life.
- Growth Work: Quite often you might see this referred to as Home Work by other coaches, I don’t like to use this term as it implies that you are a student, and I am a teacher. I believe that when we work together we do so in a partnership, as equals, and always from a place where you are the expert in your life. Growth work then is a commitment made by you, to complete an action between our sessions, an action which enables you to grow as a person, have a positive effect on your life and bring you closer to achieving your goals. “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong” – Unknown.
As we well know, life throws a lot at us. Having a coach in your life who wholeheartedly believes in your inner wisdom, natural creativity, and ability to achieve everything you set your mind to, can offer invaluable support and encouragement every step of the way towards happiness and fulfilment.
My 3 Big Promises To You
Care
I promise to show up, completely present for you. To listen to you with empathy and without judgement, understanding that we are all creative and resourceful human beings!.
Collaberate
Recognising that you are the expert in your life, we will work together, in partnership, to identify what it is you want in life and set you on the path to achieving it.
Create
When you set your intentions to actively changing those parts of your life that no longer work for you, you will create a happier and more fulfilling life.
Darren Fitzpatrick
Hi, my name is Darren Fitzpatrick, and I am the owner of Mighty Oak Life Coaching and Training. I am a human being first and a Life Coach and trainer second. I work in partnership with other human beings who feel lost in life and want to find their inner compass once more. I am always amazed, but never surprised, at just how resourceful and creative we are when we truly believe in ourselves, in this magic zone almost anything is possible! My promise to you is by working together we will identify your needs, wants, values and your goals.
I will be there to support you in taking the steps to achieving these, leading to a happier and more fulfilled life for you.
When we work together, my job is to provide a safe space for you, allowing you to simply think and sit with your thoughts, while gently probing in support of your moving forward. To quote the wonderful Claire Pedrick, “Coaching is a conversation between two people talking about one of us”, how lovely is that!
Before pivoting in my career and leaving my corporate work life to become a life coach, I held numerous roles over the last 30 years.
On paper, I had a great job, with a great salary and all the extras that might announce success to the world, however, what I did not have was a sense of purpose or fulfilment that only comes from living your life aligned with your core values.
For me, that was spending more time with my family, being a supportive husband and Dad, and being someone who can help make a positive difference in someone else’s life. Looking back I realised that through all my various roles it was the love of working with people that was most rewarding to me and was what I really wanted in life. With the support of my wife and kids I took the decision to change my direction in life and completed my Advanced Diploma in Life Coaching and QQIL6 Train the Trainer. It has not always been easy, and I’ve made many sacrifices along the course of my own personal journey, but waking up each morning, embracing a new day with gratitude and working with inspiring fellow human beings, makes me rich beyond material wealth.
I am married to an amazing Dutch lady, and we have 2 fabulous children. Living right on the east coast of Ireland, I enjoy fishing from the shore, from my kayak and from boats. I also enjoy beach, mountain, and forest walking, reading books that expand my learning and my weekly game of pitch and putt.
If you would like to explore how we can create a positive change in your life together, or if anything above has resonated with you and you think the two of us could do some good work together, please do reach out for an informal chat and we can figure out if I am the right coach for you.
Please be kind and gentle on yourself, you are an amazing human being!
Wishing you the happiness and fulfilment you truly deserve.
Can’t wait to meet you !
– Darren
