Kick Start is an intensive academic support program for students at Leeds Metropolitan University that uses cognitive behavioral and solution-focused approaches. It aims to improve students' self-awareness, confidence, and motivation to enhance their academic performance. The program involves setting goals, prioritizing tasks, creating weekly plans, and addressing issues like procrastination. Feedback from students shows Kick Start helped them organize their work, feel more supported, and boost their academic confidence.

1. KICK START
for Students
Cathy Theaker
Counsellor, Coach, Supervisor, Trainer
Student Counselling Service, Leeds Metropolitan University
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2. What is Kick Start?
• Kick Start is a Task-Focused Approach that works
directly with academic performance and is
suitable for students who have exhausted the
resources available within Faculties or from
other service providers.
• It has a unique relevance to the academic
setting and is congruent with the University’s
Strategic Plan and Student Retention Objectives.

3. • Kick Start clients are likely to be students
who would benefit from more individualised,
intensive interventions at a point where they
feel they have run out of other options and
feel they do not have the personal resources
of more confident peers.
• Kick Start works to raise self awareness, self
belief, confidence, motivation, personal
responsibility, thereby improving
performance & achievement.

4. Theoretical Approaches used by
Kick Start team:
• Glasser’s Reality Therapy – ( a cognitive behavioural approach)
- focus on behaviour change & what is within our control. Uses
reinforcement, modelling, feedback, trial & error.
• CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) – a collaborative
relationship, using Socratic questioning to generate problem
solving strategies. Identifying and challenging self limiting
beliefs.
• Solution focused approach – use of miracle questions / incisive
questions. Identifying preferred scenario & actions to achieve
this.
• NLP techniques – visualising successful performance (eg. In a
presentation or exam)
• GROW model (goal, reality, options, what/who/when)

5. Stages of intervention:
• Pre- Kick Start questionnaire
• Inventory of tasks
• Prioritising & goal setting
• Explore inner game
• Weekly contract
• Self help sheets
• Final session - Post – Kick Start questionnaire
& evaluation form

6. MANAGING MY ACADEMIC WORK
PRE & POST KICK START QUESTIONNAIRE
• I am feeling stuck
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
• I am focused in my work
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
• I feel helpless about my work
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree
• My energy levels are good
Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree

7. Common themes emerging from the
initial questionnaires:
• Not achieving goals
• Considering leaving course
• Feeling de-motivated
• Feeling overwhelmed by amount of work to do
• Fear of failure
• Time management problems
• Distractions
• Procrastination

8. • Fear/threat/anxiety physically & chemically
shut down the brain’s capacity to learn,
forcing fight/flight behaviours
• Kick Start provides psychological safety mixed
with challenges to build self esteem & self
belief

9. Writing the Inventory
List all the work that needs to be done:
For Example:
• Number of Assignments?
• Type of Assignment?
• No. of words per Assignment?
• Due Date for each Assignment?
• What has been done already?

10. Prioritising
For Example:
• What is easiest?
• What is urgent?
• What is realistic?
• Is time-management an issue?

11. Establishing the Weekly Contract
List the individual tasks to be undertaken
before next meeting
Eg.
• Gather evidence for case study
• Meet my dissertation supervisor
• Write 1,000 words on my literature review
• Meet with group re: setting tasks for group
presentation

12. Time management issues?
Formulate a Timetable…
For Example:
• See the tasks as the ‘job’
• Build in regular breaks with refreshing (not
diversionary) activities
• Build in rewards at the end of each day
• Keep a work/life balance
• Explore inner game

13. Making an Ending
• affirming the successes already achieved
• emphasising the control they already have
• acknowledging the importance of their effort
• recognising the value of the relationship

14. Transcultural Scenarios
• A Chinese student, very isolated, suffering with
anxiety/depression, falling behind with her
assignments & dissertation. Confidence knocked
following critical feedback on her previous semester
assignments – feels shamed. Needs to integrate critical
evaluation into her essays.
• An Indian student in his final year, recently bereaved so
now has responsibilities as head of his family,
struggling to balance study/work/family
responsibilities. Struggling with distractions through
social networking sites etc.

15. Transcultural considerations:
• Ethnocentric bias of psychotherapeutic
frameworks that are adapted for coaching –
emphasis on individualism & independence
• Power dynamics – role power, personal power,
cultural power (Ryde, 2011)
• Preference for more directive style among some
Asian, Japanese & Black students (need to clarify
roles & expectations)
• Non-assertion, avoidance, saving face to avoid
bringing shame on self and family among some
Chinese students (Ridley, 1995)

16. Acculturation process into HE:
• Bicultural competence – students facing conflicting values &
demands of 2 worlds (own communities & dominant white
society)
• Afrocentric – present focus…………Eurocentric – future focus
(Ridley, 1995:116; Stevenson & Alidu)
• Autonomous/independence...............................Collectivist/
interdependence
• Self directed learner.......................Teacher as ‘expert’ -
student uncomfortable with critical evaluation
• Responses to feedback - criticism perceived personally
(shame)
• Lack of admission of feelings & problems –’everything’s OK’,
even when it isn’t (Stevenson & Alidu)
• Reliance on self – not asking for help (Stevenson & Alidu)

17. Transcultural coaching:
• Awareness of our own and the student’s cultural values /
assumptions / perspectives / attitudes to learning and how these
may hold us back.
Be alert to any mismatch and explore in supervision - and with the
student if relevant to their learning experience.
• Be aware that our own cultural values, assumptions, background
may potentially inhibit our effectiveness with a coachee (Rosinski &
Abbott, 2006)
• We need to adapt our approach to fit the learner culturally. We
need to question our own assumptions – guard against our culture
blindness, prejudices (Flaherty, 1999)
• Be aware of cultural transference (what the coachee transfers on to
the coach, based on their experiences with other members of the
racial group) (Ridley, 1995)
• Be aware of cultural countertransference (the emotional reactions
of the coach when working with the coachee) & take to supervision
(Ridley, 1995)

18. 2011/12
• 170 Kick Start sessions provided (30-50mins, weekly or fortnightly depending on
need)
• 24 students were seen:
14 were final year, 5 were second year, 3 were first year, 2 were on MA
courses.
• 10 female, 14 male
• 22 home students- mixed ethnicity
• 2 international students
• 4 students with a disability
• 23 full time students, 1 part time
In most of these cases therapeutic counselling also took place, either before Kick Start
began or alongside Kick Start sessions.

19. Student feedback:
• “Can’t thank you enough for your help and support over the
last few weeks. I think our sessions were really helpful.
Thanks again, I’m really glad I used the service.”
• “Was helpful in self-disciplining and target/goal setting.”
• “Really glad I attended, the sessions have really boosted
myself and academic confidence, wish I’d come 3 years’ ago.
Thank you.”
• “I think that this is a really good service. It’s nice to talk to
someone who can look at your work from a different angle.”

20. • “I feel that the written contract is really helpful, as I am
able to achieve my goals each week.”
• “The experience and understanding of the facilitator – very
approachable and lots of helpful and practical tips.”
• “Writing a list of things to do helped organise and prioritise
my studying and time better.”
• “Very friendly, caring and approachable facilitator and my
‘rock’ of support academically and mentally.”
• “Thank you for producing the Kick Start programmes. It
has helped me immensely and Janie has got me through
my first year in a demanding degree.”

21. References:
• Flaherty, J. 1999 cited in Passmore, J. (Ed) Excellence in
Coaching. Association for Coaching, 2006.
• Ridley, C. R. 1995 Overcoming unintentional racism in
counselling & therapy.
• Rosinski, P & Abbott, G – Intercultural Coaching. In
Passmore, J. (Ed) Excellence in Coaching. Association
for Coaching, 2006.
• Ryde, J. 2011 Culturally sensitive supervision. In Lago,
C. 2011 The Handbook of Transcultural Counselling &
Psychotherapy.
• Stevenson, J. & Alidu, S. Improving Ethnic Minority
Degree Attainment