Your Questions, Answered

Professional coaching is a structured, confidential partnership between a trained coach and a client that focuses on helping the client achieve specific personal or professional goals. Unlike therapy, coaching is forward-focused — it starts from where you are now and helps you get to where you want to be.

At Ascent, our coaching is grounded in established psychological models including GROW, CBT principles, positive psychology, and appreciative enquiry. Sessions are tailored entirely to your needs, goals, and pace.

Coaching and mentoring are related but distinct. Coaching tends to be a structured, time-limited intervention focused on developing specific skills, behaviours, or mindsets. Coaches are trained to ask powerful questions and unlock the client's own thinking — they don't necessarily have sector-specific experience.

Mentoring is typically a longer-term relationship in which an experienced senior professional (the mentor) shares their knowledge, experience, and networks with a less experienced professional (the mentee). Mentors do offer advice and direction, drawing on their own professional journey. Many clients benefit from both — and Ascent offers both individually and in combination.

This depends on the programme you choose and your individual needs. For coaching, sessions are typically fortnightly — frequent enough to maintain momentum, but allowing time between sessions for reflection and action. Some clients prefer weekly sessions during intensive phases.

For mentoring programmes, most mentoring pairs meet monthly. Some pairs choose to meet more frequently early in the programme when goals and working patterns are being established. Our programme team will support you and your mentor in agreeing a cadence that works for both parties.

Absolutely. The majority of our clients now use a blend of in-person and online sessions. We use secure, encrypted video conferencing (Zoom or Microsoft Teams) for virtual sessions, and our coaches are trained in delivering effective coaching and mentoring in an online environment.

Research shows that online coaching is equally effective as in-person coaching for most clients and goals. If you have a preference, please let us know at the point of booking and we'll accommodate it.

Ascent holds accreditation from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) at Gold level, the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), and the British Psychological Society (BPS). These are the most respected accrediting bodies in the UK coaching and mentoring profession.

Every Ascent coach holds a minimum of an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential, with many holding Professional Certified Coach (PCC) or Master Certified Coach (MCC) status. Our mentors hold a minimum EMCC Practitioner credential.

Our coaching programmes range from £895 for our Starter Foundation Programme (3 sessions over 6 weeks) to £3,200 for our Executive Programme (12 sessions over 6 months). Full programme details and pricing are available on our Coaching page.

Corporate rates are available for organisations booking multiple coaching engagements. We also offer a small number of subsidised places each year for professionals from under-represented backgrounds — please contact us to discuss eligibility. All programmes include a complimentary initial discovery session.

Yes — completely. Everything discussed in your coaching or mentoring sessions is strictly confidential. We adhere to the ICF's and EMCC's rigorous codes of ethics, which set clear standards around confidentiality. Your coach will never share the content of your sessions with anyone — including your employer, if they are funding the programme.

The only exceptions to confidentiality are those required by law — for example, if there is a serious risk of harm to you or others. Your coach will discuss this with you at the start of your programme. We take the sanctity of the coaching space very seriously.

Choosing the right coach is important — and we make this process as straightforward as possible. When you contact us, we'll have an initial conversation to understand your goals, sector, and preferences. Based on this, we'll recommend two or three coaches from our team whose expertise and style best match your needs.

You'll then have a complimentary 30-minute discovery call with each recommended coach before committing to any programme. This gives you a genuine sense of fit and rapport. If at any point during your programme you feel the match isn't right, we'll facilitate a change — at no extra cost.

Yes. We work with organisations of all sizes, from SMEs to FTSE 100 companies, delivering coaching and mentoring programmes at scale. Corporate packages can include individual coaching for multiple employees, team coaching, leadership development programmes, bespoke workshops, and mentoring cohorts.

We're experienced in working with procurement teams and L&D departments, and can provide full programme reporting (anonymised and in aggregate) on engagement and outcomes. Please contact us to discuss your specific requirements and we'll put together a tailored proposal.

The evidence base for coaching ROI is strong. Studies consistently show that professional coaching delivers returns of 5–7x the cost of the programme when measured in terms of productivity improvement, reduced staff turnover, faster career progression, and improved leadership effectiveness.

96% of our clients report being satisfied or very satisfied with their programme. 88% report achieving or exceeding the goals they set at the start of coaching. We measure outcomes at the end of every programme, and we're happy to share our aggregate data with organisations considering investing in their people.

We ask for a minimum of 48 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule a session. Sessions cancelled with less than 48 hours' notice (except in genuine emergency situations) will be counted as a session used. We appreciate that life is unpredictable — if something unavoidable arises, please contact your coach directly and we'll always try to find a pragmatic solution.

If you need to pause your programme for any reason — for example, due to a family emergency or change in circumstances — we can place your programme on hold for up to 12 weeks with no penalty. Please just speak to your coach or our programme team.

Getting started is simple. Complete our contact form, call us on +44 (0)20 7123 4567, or email hello@radiancearcportal.com. A member of our team will respond within one business day to arrange an initial conversation.

There's absolutely no obligation at this stage — the initial call is simply an opportunity to discuss what you're looking for, answer any questions you have, and explore whether Ascent is the right fit for you. We look forward to hearing from you.