Have you ever considered working with a Life Coach? I just completed a nine-month program, Wayfinder Life Coach Training, led by the inspiring Martha Beck. (You may know her as Oprah’s O Magazine expert life coach.) I’m not certified yet, so I’m not ready to hang out my professional shingle. But when I tell friends what I’ve been studying all year, I’m often met with a blank stare. What the heck is life coaching anyway? Here are three things you should know.
The client is A-OK . Life coaching is not intended to “fix” an individual. Life coaches aren’t therapists (unless they have training in both fields). They don’t diagnose clients with mental health conditions or examine their childhood for past trauma. The coach’s assumption is the client is a fully functioning, healthy person. In my program, the premise is every person has their own “North Star” and deep down knows where they want to go. When a person has challenges or opportunities to work through, a life coach can support them through that process in a goal-oriented way.
Life coaches don’t give advice. This is a hard one for me, because I love to give advice. But in life coaching, the client is considered the expert in their own life. Life coaches use powerful tools and techniques to help clients come to terms with life changes, clarify what they truly want, and develop plans and action steps to reach their goals. But they won’t (or shouldn’t) tell you what to do!
Anyone can benefit from life coaching. Life Coaching is really helpful when people are going through change—whether that change is major or minor, positive or negative, self-initiated or imposed upon them. These days, the world is moving so quickly in so many unexpected ways, almost all of us are in a state of flux. So whether you’re going through a job change, leaving a relationship, getting married, moving to a different state, becoming an empty nester or embarking on a new adventure, a life coach can help you navigate the rocky waters of transformation in a positive way.
Life coaching is very tangible and practical. You might see a coach for a couple sessions to deal with something specific (like planning a wedding), or develop an ongoing relationship. I have a wonderful life coach, Stacia, who helped me deal with the aftermath of my Dad’s death two years ago. I feel like we came to closure on that issue after a couple months, but I still meet with her every four weeks because she adds so much support and inspiration to my life.
Do you have other questions about Life Coaching? Drop them in the comments here and I’ll make sure to answer them!
Fully Fabulous 