WHAT IS LIFE COACHING
WHAT IS LIFE COACHING
In its simplest form, life coaching is a relationship between two people, the coach and the client. But as a coach, you may also work with a group of people, as in the case of corporate coaching.
“Life coaching focuses on what's happening right now, what a person wants next, and how that gap can be bridged.”
Coaching is about helping people to identify the obstacles that keep getting in their way, assisting them with finding motivation, and pinpointing any resistance to change. A life coach is a broad term. You can also find business coaches, executive coaches, leadership coaches, and health coaches, but a life coach is typically most helpful when you’re thinking about your overall future.
“My work is really centred on four things.”
- “Helping someone expand an idea;
- Helping someone understand what their present experience is with mindfulness, exploring mindsets to help someone ‘see’ options differently,
- Helping someone understand personal value and belief systems.
- And how these show up in all areas of our lives.”
It's not a life coach's role to provide advice
A common misconception is that life coaches provide advice. “It’s not a coach’s role to impart wisdom, but rather to facilitate the client's own process of connecting to their inner wisdom, and making choices about their actions and next steps from that place of connection.” In a sense, a coach is an unbiased brainstorming partner—you’re still the one doing the heavy lifting.
Life coaching sessions tend to be more direct
You’re also not going to go to a life coach and get a diagnosis. “A licensed therapist is someone who has been trained, gained clinical hours that were supervised by professionals, and have been vetted by a board of clinical psychologists. They diagnose disorders, have the skills and tools to work with traumas, and work with short-term behavioural modifications.”
That’s not to say life coaches don’t have tools and skills for specific aspects of life—but there’s no diagnosis given. “The challenge is that there are no regulations or standard of care for life coaches. Anyone can hang a shingle and call themselves a coach.” “That doesn’t mean that life coaching can’t be effective; it just means that a person must do their due diligence in vetting a life coach.” Look for ones who have past experiences and references.