Life Coaching is a unique profession which is very different from other professions such as: consulting, mentoring, advice, therapy, or counseling. Coaching is a process that addresses a variety of different situations from setting specific goals, to working on professional projects, moving toward business successes, general conditions, or life transitions. The philosophy of life coaching is very similar to Strength Based Therapy where the life coach is focusing on what is going on right now in the client’s life; identifying what barriers, obstacles, or challenges there may be, and then developing a step-by-step plan to move forward. Life coaching by design is an alliance between the coach and the client where the focus is always to give the power back to the client. Life coaches believe that their clients already know the answers, but may not be able to recognize them right away. The client is viewed as the expert of their own lives who truly know who they are, and what they need. The life coach sees themselves as the expert of coaching and a resource for their client’s to assist them in finding and further developing themselves. Life coaches want to help clients learn how to make choices that create an effective, balanced, and fulfilling life. This is generally seen as a short or medium term process depending on the number of goals the client may find that come forward.
Reasons to Hire a Life Coach:
Transitions are a normal part of life and involve change (purposeful or not) and transformation (sometimes against our will) which is a process that can be very unsettling at times. As you are considering hiring a Life Coach can mean that you are already in a transitional process. There are a variety of different types of transitions which people go through which other people have found having a Life Coach helpful in having:
I’m in a time of transition and I need to focus on what’s next.
I need to learn to deal with money.
I want to be more effective in my job.
I’m 40 (30 or 50) and still don’t know what I want to do.
I want to improve my communication.
I need to take better care of myself.
I want to attract a lasting relationship and/or enhance my relationships.
I want to be more assertive.
I’m frustrated trying to blend the life I want with the career I’m in.
I want to learn more about me.
I want to improve my health.
I’m stuck in many areas of my life.
I want to stop pulling the rug out from under myself whenever I get close to success.
I want to learn how to focus on my goals and clarify what I want.
I want to move away from concentrating on my problems.
I want to discover my spirituality.
I have been too preoccupied with my work and want to find a way to be more balanced so I can discover the rest of my life.
It seems like everyone else does “OK” and can be satisfied to go along with things the way they are: Why can’t I?
I feel as through something vital is missing from my life.
I want to put my dreams into action.
Sessions:
Life coaching generally consists of 6 to 12 sixty minute weekly sessions conducted either in person or via the telephone as deemed most useful. This type of pacing allows you the time to assimilate the growth and maintain motivation. As the video below shows, once we start, we will be doing deep and focused work. To help sustain the quality of the work, it is important to keep the schedule we establish.
Session Structure:
Each week I may assign you a personal growth exercise to do in between session. As sessions are designed to be focused and productive, the exercises are meant to assist in your new growth continuing to solidify in between sessions. Sessions are set up under the format of: open-ended check-in time, review of assigned exercise, a guided exercise, discussion and growth facilitation.
Sequencing of Sessions:
Life Coaching looks at seven areas within life: emotions, relationships sexuality, bod, money, work, and spirituality. Each session builds upon what was learned in the previous sessions.
Long Term Coaching:
The idea of Life coaching is to provide you with empowering tools to assist you in manifesting and continuing on the growth you have achieved through the sessions. At the end of the sessions, if you would like on-going support in manifesting the goals and dreams you have established through coaching, then I would be happy to continue as your coach. At that time, you can determine how you may wish to use me.
