Workshops / events

  • Do you want to kickstart your life changes?
  • Do you enjoy hands-on activities?
  • Do you like meeting other people?

As well as one-to-one coaching sessions, I offer regular group events and workshops in Bristol and further afield. These stimulating events offer you the chance to work on your personal and professional goals with a small group of like-minded people in a supportive atmosphere. And they’re fun too.

LOCATION:
Many workshops take place at the Pierian Centre in the heart of Bristol, a beautiful venue with some of the best tea and biscuits in town: “Excellent venue – light and bright, good refreshments, calm space.” For more information and a map see www.pierian-centre.com.
Other events are at my base in St Andrews, Bristol, where I also have pretty good tea and biscuits and will make you very welcome.

TO BOOK A PLACE on an event please use the form at the bottom of this page.

You can also click here to receive my monthly coaching tips newsletter and workshop news.

LET’S WALK FOR A CHANGE! Have a holiday and make life changes.
Join life coach Jan Castle and storyteller Sue Hollingsworth for a walking holiday with a difference along the rolling chalk hills of the South Downs in Sussex. Bring along a challenge, an issue or a change you want to make in your life and as we walk along we will take steps towards making your wishes a reality. Through enjoyable storytelling games and exercises, one-to-one coaching sessions and the fresh air and long distance views of the South Downs, we will gain clarity and insight and return home with renewed purpose.
We will be staying in Youth Hostel accommodation in shared group rooms with all meals provided and a fine feast on our last evening in a friendly pub near Alfriston. The pace will be leisurely to allow time for conversation, activities and relaxation but you do need to be able to walk up to 8 miles a day across mostly gentle landscape. No previous experience of either storytelling or coaching is required. There will be no need to carry all your luggage and a full list of what you need to bring will be provided on booking.
Here’s some feedback from people on the August 2009 trip:
“Absolutely brilliant! The week was thoroughly rejuvenating – physically, emotionally, and intellectually – active, fun, and personally challenging – in the hands of true professionals and genuinely lovely people.”
“The rhythm of the movement, the feel of the sun, the wind and occasional rain on the skin and the smells and sights of the environment along the way all served to enhance the experience of the coaching and storytelling sessions.”
“The coaching was excellent. I felt each session with very simple questions got to the very heart of the issues I needed to address.”
“The other activities were extremely enjoyable and exquisitely complimentary to the coaching. A beautiful organic journey.”
“Very nourishing and a real gift. Everyone should do it once a year!”
The group will be limited to 10 participants only so book early!
Cost: £485 inclusive of accommodation, coaching sessions, all meals and transport during the week.
Dates: Monday 16th — Saturday 21st August 2010.
To book: for this workshop only please e-mail Yvette: yvette@schoolofstorytelling.com

THE SATURDAY COACHING CLINIC: Life changes for busy people
This monthly drop-in session on a Saturday gives you the opportunity to make inspired changes in your personal or professional life outside the normal working week and with the additional bonus of input from of a small group of people. With up to 3 others, you will first clarify the particular dilemma or issue you want to work with; perhaps you want to make an important decision, gain some clarity, or get some new ideas. Next, you will have about 25 minutes of focused one-to-one coaching with me followed by some suggestions or reflections from the other people present. This model is often used in supervision groups and is very powerful in helping you gain insight and commit to taking new steps.
The drop-in clinic is open to everyone, whether or not you have had one-to-one coaching with me before. (If it’s your first time being coached you will need to fill out a questionnaire beforehand.)
Venue: St. Andrews, Bristol
Cost: £25 on booking your place by the Thursday before
Group Size: maximum of 4 so book early!
Next Date: September — date tbc (please get in touch)
Numbers and times: Please note that if there are fewer than 4 people, the overall time will be shortened accordingly and we will finish earlier.

VOICING YOUR PURPOSE: Expressing your deep purpose in the world
A life coaching and singing workshop with Jan Castle and Helen Chadwick.
What are you living for? What do you want to accomplish in the world?
In our busy lives we seldom stop to wonder why we do what we do. Consequently life can feel barren, lacking a clear sense of what we are living for. By contrast, when we are deeply connected to a deeper purpose even the trival stuff has meaning. As Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: “He who has a why can endure any how”. And so to help you discover the ‘why’ of your life, here’s a brand new and rather exciting workshop that I am running with my friend and colleague Helen Chadwick.
This innovative workshop will help you articulate your unique sense of life purpose through the power of the written, spoken and singing voice. Together, Helen and I will lead you through an enjoyable mix of thought-provoking and creative activities and some beautiful but simple harmony singing to help you:

  • explore what really matters to you
  • identify what you want to accomplish in life
  • express and shape your sense of life purpose.

You’ll also have a lot of fun, meet some like-minded people, play, think deeply and return home inspired and clearer about your way forwards. This is the first collaboration of its kind, bringing together the empowering and enriching practices of singing and coaching. We are very excited about it. And you don’t need to be able to sing, honestly! It’s for everyone, even if you don’t think you can make a sound – no prior experience of life coaching or singing is necessary. Limited to 16 places.
Helen Chadwick is a singer and composer. She has led empowering singing workshops in many parts of the world. For more about Helen see: www.helenchadwick.com
Venue: Gasworks Studio, St Werburghs, Bristol BS2 9XB
Cost: £70 / £55 benefits, payable in full on booking your place
Next date: Friday 15th (7:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.) to Saturday 16th October (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).

SO YOU WANT TO BE A LIFE COACH? Information Evening
Are you one of the increasing number of people attracted to Life Coaching as a fulfilling career? Are you confused about what path to take and how much money to spend? And wondering whether you can make a living from it?
I’m now offering an informal information evening to help would-be coaches decide on their next step. I’ll be talking about the qualities needed to be a coach, about trainings, qualifications, accreditations and professional bodies, and about how to build a coaching practice. There will be information to take away and a question and answer session for your burning issues. But as this is about coaching don’t expect to just sit back! I’ll also be asking you some searching questions to help you get clear about what you want and how to get there.
“I found the evening immensely informative and of great help in clarifying the challenges and opportunities of life coaching as a career. Jan was insightful, responsive, and generous with her time. I would warmly recommend the evening to anyone interested in finding out more about life coaching.” – Jay Woolrich
“You covered a wide range of subjects all supported by excellent handouts. I particulary appreciated your willingness to share your own experience.” – Katrin Hochberg
Venue: St. Andrews, Bristol
Cost: £20 on booking your place
Next Date: Autumn 2010, date tbc

NICE WORK! Career Change Workshop
This inspiring and practical one-day workshop is for anyone wanting to change career or seeking their first work. During the day you’ll experience a mix of creative activities and practical techniques to help you gain clarity about what work you want and how to get it. You’ll start to develop a ‘blueprint’ for your future worklife and look at what you need to get there. Some action planning will clear the next steps towards your new career and there will be a wealth of practical advice and information to help you on your way.
Here’s some feedback from the workshop:
“Extremely useful and enjoyable day”… “Very friendly and professional facilitation”… “People were enabled to feel relaxed and open at an early point” … “Clear structure” … “I am leaving with an immediate action plan, a new job suggestion and practical ideas for finding out what’s ‘out there’”… “Excellent, well worth the time.” … “I would recommend it to anyone thinking of making a career change.”
Venue: Pierian Centre, Bristol
Cost: £60 / £50 benefits (Earlybird £50 / £45 if booked and paid by 10th May). Deposit of £20 to secure your place.
Date: Saturday 13th November, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

MAKE IT A GREAT YEAR! Workshop and follow-up evenings
This inspiring and practical New Year workshop will help you clarify your goals for 2011 while the two follow-up evenings ensure you stay on track and take the steps needed to make your dreams a reality. You will experience a mix of practical exercises and thought-provoking activities to help you gain a vision for the year, think through what you need to do to get there, and plan doable steps to go away and take. An added bonus is the support and input of a group of people who share your commitment to making it a truly great year.
Feedback from participants on past workshops:
“A really enjoyable and surprising experience.” … “Very good, helped me to answer my No. 1 question.” … “Warm and welcoming facilitation.”… “A fun and easy paced day that really helped me to clarify important steps I will take in this next year.” … “A great balance between being practical and pragmatic yet also allowing room for more heartfelt and intuitive feelings and thoughts.” … “I would definitely recommend it to others.”
Venue: Pierian Centre, Bristol
Cost: Workshop and two follow-up evenings £90 / £75 benefits (Earlybird price £80/£70). Workshop only: £65 / £50 benefits. Deposit of £20 to secure your place.
Dates: One-day workshop on Saturday 5th February 2011, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., two follow-up evenings on Wednesdays 2nd March and 6th April, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

FIRST THINGS FIRST Life Coaching Taster Evening
Are you interested in having some life coaching but not sure about taking the plunge? If so, this is the perfect way to find out more without committing yourself or costing the earth. You’ll spend this enjoyable evening in a small group where you can ask your questions and find out how coaching can help you achieve your goals in life. You can even have a taste of being coached.
Venue: St Andrews, Bristol
Cost: £10 payable on booking your place
Date: please get in touch to find out the next date.

If you would like to know more about any of these events, please get in touch and I will be delighted to talk to you.

HOW TO BOOK A PLACE ON A WORKSHOP
in three easy steps:
1. Fill out the form below and click send.
2. Wait to hear whether there is space on the workshop.
3. Send me your deposit cheque (or full payment as required) made payable to J. Castle to secure your place. I will e-mail you the address.

Please note that I will hold your deposit cheque until the workshop date and will refund it in full if for any reason the event does not run. However, if you are unable to attend, your deposit will be forfeit as I need a minimum number of bookings to make an event viable.