Services
When work feels like it’s taking more than it gives
Qualified work and career coaches available online across the UK and in-person across England — helping you explore what’s working, what isn’t, and what a better path might look like.
NCPS Organisational Member
Professionally registered therapists
Free 15-minute consultation
★ ★ ★ ★ ★“I had been telling myself it was just a busy phase. Working with a coach helped me see what was actually happening — and what I could do about it.”
Client who worked with a work coach
5,000+
People supported
90+
Qualified therapists
5 ★
Website Testimonials
20+
Counties across England
What it involves
What is work and career coaching?
Most people spend more of their waking hours at work than doing almost anything else. When work is going well, that is a significant part of life feeling manageable. When it isn’t — when you feel stuck, unfulfilled, ground down, or unsure what to do next — that weight follows you everywhere.
Work and career coaching is a structured, confidential space to think about your professional life with more clarity and honesty than you might manage on your own. It is not advice-giving, and it is not therapy. A work coach asks the kinds of questions that help you understand your situation more clearly, identify what you actually want, and think through what a different path might look like.
Sessions are typically 50 minutes, weekly or fortnightly, online via Zoom or telephone — or face-to-face where available. The number of sessions depends on what you are exploring and what feels useful. There is no minimum commitment.
Please note: Work and career coaching is offered by qualified practitioners and is not covered by our NCPS Organisational Membership. Our NCPS Organisational Membership covers counselling and psychotherapy only. Our coaches hold appropriate separate coaching qualifications and professional memberships.
Work coaching can offer a space to explore
- Feeling stuck or unfulfilled in your current role
- Considering a career change but not sure where to start
- Managing workplace stress or approaching burnout
- Stepping into a new leadership or management role
- Returning to work after a break or redundancy
- Work–life balance and boundaries
- Confidence and self-belief at work
- Difficult relationships or dynamics with colleagues or managers
Work coaching and counselling are not the same thing. If work stress has significantly affected your mood, sleep, or mental health, counselling may be a more appropriate starting point — or the two approaches may work alongside each other. Your free consultation is the right place to explore which fits. We will not recommend a service unless we genuinely think it suits your situation.
Areas we work with
The kinds of work challenges coaching can support
Work coaching is not just for people in crisis. It is equally useful for those who are performing well but feel like something is missing, or who can see a change they need to make but are not sure how to approach it.
Career change & direction
When you are weighing up whether to stay, move, or do something entirely different — and need a clearer view of your options and what matters to you.
Burnout & work stress
When the demands of work have become relentless and you are running on empty — coaching can help you understand what’s driving that and explore what needs to change.
Leadership & management
Stepping into a new leadership role — or finding an existing one more demanding than expected — raises questions about style, authority and how you want to work with others.
Redundancy & transition
Redundancy can be unsettling even when it opens doors. Coaching can offer a space to process what has happened and think clearly about what comes next.
Returning to work
After parental leave, a career break, illness, or time out — returning to work can feel complicated. Coaching can help you think through the transition and what you want from it.
Confidence & self-belief at work
Imposter syndrome, difficulty asserting yourself, or struggling to take up space in a room — coaching can offer a structured way to explore where these patterns come from and what to do with them.
How it works
What happens in a work coaching session
Work coaching sessions are structured but not rigid. The agenda is always yours. Your coach brings questions, observations, and focus — not a prescribed plan.
The first session
Your coach will want to understand your current situation — your role, what brought you to coaching now, and what you are hoping to get from the sessions. You do not need to arrive with a clear goal already articulated. Part of the work in early sessions is often gaining clarity about what the real question actually is.
Confidentiality is discussed in this first session — what it covers and its limits. See the note below.
Ongoing sessions
From the second session onwards, you and your coach work on whatever is most pressing. Sessions typically involve honest reflection on your situation, exploration of what you want and what might be getting in the way, and practical thinking about what to do differently. Progress is reviewed regularly — you decide how long the work continues.
How long will it take?
Some people find four to six sessions gives them the clarity they need. Others work over a longer period, particularly when they are navigating significant career change or a leadership challenge that evolves over time. There is no minimum commitment and you are free to end or pause at any point.
A note on confidentiality: Coaching sessions are confidential. There are limited circumstances in which this may need to change — for example, if there is a serious risk of harm to you or others. Your coach will explain these limits clearly before you begin your work together.
What our clients say
People who have been where you are
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I had been in the same role for six years and knew something needed to change, but couldn’t see clearly what. The coaching sessions gave me the space to work that out. My coach asked exactly the right questions — and didn’t rush me toward answers I wasn’t ready for.
Client who came to us for career direction coaching
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I was on the verge of burnout and couldn’t see a way out of it. My coach helped me understand the patterns that had got me there, and we worked through what I actually wanted my working life to look like. Practical, honest, and no pressure.
Client who came to us for burnout and work stress coaching
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
After being made redundant I felt completely lost about what to do next. The coaching helped me think about my options without feeling overwhelmed. I felt heard — and I left each session with something concrete to think about.
Client who came to us for redundancy and career transition coaching
Client experiences are unique. Results vary between individuals.
The process
What happens when you get in touch
No obligation. No pressure. Just a conversation to find out whether coaching — or another form of support — might be useful for your situation.
1
Book your free 15-minute consultation
A brief, relaxed call with a member of our team. Tell us what’s going on at work and what you are hoping to get from coaching. Ask us anything. We will be honest about whether coaching, counselling, or a combination is most likely to be useful — and there is no pressure to proceed.
2
We match you with a coach
Based on your situation, availability, and preferences, we match you with the most suitable coach from our team. With 90+ qualified practitioners across England, we have the range to find a coach with relevant experience in your area — whether that is career transitions, leadership, burnout, or something else.
3
Your sessions begin
Sessions are online via Zoom or telephone, UK-wide, at a time that suits your schedule. Face-to-face is available in some locations if that feels important to you. Your coach works at your pace throughout, and you review progress as you go.
Most clients hear back from us the same working day, and typically begin sessions within a week of the free consultation — depending on your preferences and therapist availability.
Standards you can trust
How we match you with the right therapist experienced in work and career coaching
Choosing a therapist is a personal decision, and we take time to get the match right.
A careful match, not a long list
Therapist availability changes from week to week, so rather than asking you to choose from a directory, we take time during your free 15-minute consultation to understand what you are looking for — and then match you with a therapist suited to your needs.
During the consultation, we will ask about:
- What you would like the work to focus on, and any specific concerns you would like support with
- Whether you would prefer face-to-face counselling, online sessions, or a combination of the two
- Any preferences around therapy approach (counselling, CBT, EMDR, hypnotherapy, mindfulness, ACT, compassion focused therapy and others)
- Day and time availability that works around your life
- Any specialisms that matter to you — for example LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy, neurodiversity-affirming support, or particular life experiences
- Practical preferences — for example therapist gender, age range, or shared lived experience where that matters to you
All therapists we work with are qualified and registered with appropriate UK professional bodies, and we will confirm the most suitable options with you before any sessions begin.
Professional standards across our team
Hope Therapy & Counselling Services has been operating since 2014, and we hold Organisational Membership with the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). We work in line with the NCPS Code of Ethics and BACP Good Practice, and our wider clinical standards include:
- Qualified, professionally registered therapists across the team — registrations vary per therapist and are confirmed before matching
- Ongoing clinical supervision in line with professional body requirements
- Continuing professional development to maintain and develop practice
- Clear confidentiality standards, with limits explained before sessions begin
- Client-centred, non-judgemental and inclusive practice across all areas of identity and experience
- Founder-led clinical oversight from Ian Stockbridge — MBACP (Senior Accredited) – who continues to lead the practice and oversee its standards
Whether you choose face-to-face counselling near you or online therapy from anywhere in the UK, you can expect to be matched with a therapist who is appropriately qualified and suited to the support you are looking for.
Transparent Pricing
Session fees for work and career coaching
No hidden costs. Your therapist and fees are discussed during your free consultation.
Work Coaching
From £65
per 50-minute session
- Online via Zoom or telephone
- Face-to-face where available
- Weekly or fortnightly sessions
- No fixed minimum commitment
Career Coaching
From £85
per 50-minute session
- Career change and direction
- Leadership development
- Online or in-person
- Flexible scheduling
Looking for a more affordable option? We may be able to offer sessions at a reduced rate — just ask during your free consultation.
London clients: Location-adjusted rates may apply. Please ask during your free consultation and we will confirm the exact fee before you commit to anything.
FAQ
Common Questions
What kinds of work problems can coaching help with?
Work coaching can offer a space to explore a wide range of professional concerns — including feeling stuck in your current role, considering a career change, managing stress or approaching burnout, stepping into a leadership position, returning to work after a break, navigating redundancy, or simply feeling unfulfilled without being able to identify why. If what you are facing is primarily about your working life and your relationship with it, coaching is likely a relevant starting point. If work stress has significantly affected your mental health, counselling or therapy may also be appropriate — and the two can work alongside each other.
Is work coaching available online?
Yes. All our coaches offer sessions online via Zoom or telephone, UK-wide. Face-to-face sessions are available in some locations across England — ask during your free consultation if in-person sessions are important to you.
Is work coaching confidential?
Yes. Coaching sessions are confidential. There are limited circumstances in which this may need to change — for example, if there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, or where there is a legal obligation to disclose. Your coach will explain these limits clearly at the outset of your work together. Please note that coaching is not regulated in the same way as counselling, and the confidentiality framework may differ from a clinical service — your coach will discuss this in your first session.
How many sessions will I need?
There is no set number. Some people find that four to six sessions provides the clarity and focus they were looking for. Others benefit from working over a longer period, particularly when the questions they are sitting with involve significant change or transition. You and your coach will review progress as you go, and you are free to end or pause sessions at any point.
What is the difference between work coaching and counselling for work stress?
Work coaching tends to be forward-focused — exploring where you are professionally, where you want to be, and what is getting in the way. It works well when the challenge is primarily about direction, decisions, or professional development. Counselling for work stress tends to be more suitable when work has significantly affected your mental health, emotional wellbeing, or when there are deeper psychological patterns involved. Some people find it helpful to work with both a coach and a counsellor at different points, or to begin with counselling and move to coaching as things stabilise. Your free consultation is the right place to explore which approach suits your situation.
How much does work coaching cost?
Work and career coaching sessions start from £65 per session. All fees are discussed clearly during your free 15-minute consultation before you commit to anything.
Still have questions? The free consultation is the easiest way to ask them — no pressure to book sessions.
Related Support
Other services that may be relevant
Coaching works alongside many of the therapeutic services we offer. These pages may also be useful.
Conditions coaching can support alongside
Related therapy approaches
From our Blog
Further reading
Articles on work, stress, and what support can look like.
Mental Health in the Workplace: A Guide to Emotional Hygiene for Overthinkers
Mental Health in the Workplace: There’s a specific kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from doing too much,…
Have You Heard of “Body Doubling”? The Productivity Trend Supporting Remote Workers’ Mental Wellbeing
At Hope Therapy & Counselling Services, we’ve long recognised the unique mental health challenges that come with remote…
Workplace Stress and Burnout: How Counselling in London Can Help
Discover how counselling in London can help manage workplace stress and burnout for better mental health and improved…
Meet Our Founder
Built by someone who saw the need from the inside
★
SCoPEd Band C
MBACP & SNCPS Senior Accredited
“Having worked for more than 25 years in senior management, I saw the same thing repeatedly — people struggling with mental health and relationship challenges, and so often struggling to access the right support when it was needed. It was out of this recognition of human need that Hope was born.”
Ian Stockbridge founded Hope Therapy after 25+ years leading large commercial teams – watching colleagues carry stress, anxiety, and personal difficulty with nowhere to turn. He retrained rigorously, now holding Senior Accredited status with both the BACP and NCPS, alongside SCoPEd Band C — the highest independent competence verification in the UK counselling profession.
He remains a practising therapist, clinical supervisor, published author of PMDD Uncovered, and co-presenter of The Talk Room Podcast. Hope Therapy was built on the things he saw were most broken – and designed, from the ground up, to do better.
MBACP (Senior Accredited)
SNCPS (Acc)
SCoPEd Band C
BSc (Hons) CBT
PGCert Supervision L7
Quality Award 2024 — 95%+
You do not have to keep running on fumes at work
A free, no-obligation 15-minute conversation. No pressure, no script — just a chance to be heard, ask questions, and see whether we feel like the right fit.
Get in Touch
Start your enquiry
Not sure where to start? Send us a message and a member of our team will get back to you. All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“From the very first phone call, I felt heard. They didn’t rush me — they helped me work out what I needed.”
Hope Therapy enquiry feedback
NCPS Organisational Member
Est 2014
90+ Qualified Therapists
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
Individual registrations vary per therapist. Last reviewed: May 2026.