Hellbender Coach — 20-Minute Session Guide

1. Consent and Container (1–2 minutes)

Before we start, I want to level-set that this is a focused, client-led coaching conversation.
It is not therapy or medical care.
You can pause or stop at any time.
Are you okay if I record this session for credentialing purposes?
Does 20–25 minutes still work for you today?

2. Arrival and Grounding (optional)

If it helps, let’s do some breathwork to ground.
What’s been most present for you lately?

3. Focus the Session

What’s one situation that feels most important to focus on today?
If this conversation were useful, what would be different by the end?

4. FAST Snapshot (Pattern)

What are you noticing in your body when this happens?
What do you find yourself doing or avoiding?
What are you picturing happening?
What are you telling yourself in that moment?
What happened right before that?

5. Source (Where it’s coming from)

What’s happening in your body as this starts?
What’s different about this situation?
Who do you believe you are in that moment?
What rule are you following here?

6. Depth (How strong is the pattern)

What feels right versus wrong here?
Where does that expectation come from?

7. Create Movement

What part of this might not be fully accurate?
What else could be true here?
What becomes possible if that loosens, even slightly?

8. Set Conditions for Action

What is one thing you can control right now?
What is one small step you’re willing to take?
When will you do it?
How will you know you did it?
What might get in the way?
What will you do if that happens?

9. Define Success

Success this week is starting, not completing.
If this goes well, not perfectly, what would that look like?

10. Close the Session

What are you taking from this conversation?

Between Sessions (Client Reflection)

My one focus:
My one action:
When I will do it:

Did I start?
What helped me start?
What got in the way?
What will I adjust next time?

Next Session Opening

What happened after our last conversation?
What did you notice?
What got in the way?
What does that tell you about what you need?

Core Model

You are helping the client:
See what is happening
Choose what they can control
Learn from what they do

Core Principles

Stuck isn’t broken. It’s a signal.
We do not create motivation. We adjust conditions.
Action means starting.
Follow-through provides data for learning.
The client owns the outcome.