What is life coaching, exactly?
You’ve seen a few articles, and that person on social media who raves about their coach. You might still be wondering, What is life coaching all about?
According to the International Coaching Federation (ICF), coaching [is] partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership.
The ICF further explains, We all have goals we want to reach, challenges we’re striving to overcome and times when we feel stuck. Partnering with a coach can change your life, setting you on a path to greater personal and professional fulfillment.
Hold up. Change your life?
It’s true! Before we further discuss the benefits of having a life coach in your corner, let’s first understand a few key points about what coaching isn’t.
What coaching is not
Coaching cannot be done “to” you. As a client, you must be fully committed. Coaching is a do “with” process; not something that can be done “to” you.
It is not therapy. In psychotherapy, or traditional Western talk therapy, there’s a focus on past events for relieving emotional distress and mental health problems. With coaching, we aim our focus forward – to the future. Some participate in psychotherapy and coaching simultaneously. If you are in therapy, it’s a good idea to tell your therapist about your coaching partnership. There are times when a coach is ethically and professionally responsible for referring a client to therapy also.
Coaches are not licensed and may or may not be certified. It’s a good idea to learn about the certification(s) your coach has, although it’s not a requirement for practice. Some coaches are trained and/or certified in Neuro-linguisitc programming (NLP), hypnotherapy, emotional freedom techniques (or EFT aka tapping), imagery training, and more. Somatic techniques, breathwork, meditation, and even movement can also be a part of a coach’s training or certification.
What can coaching do for me?
The primary benefit of life coaching is the experience of greater fulfillment achieved through guidance, support, and accountability. There are life coaches who may serve people at a specific time in their life, such as during parenthood or while starting or growing a business. Other coaches focus on specific aspects of a person’s life such as health, relationships, or leadership. Coaches can even help clients with a very specific goal such as finances, starting a vacation rental, or leadership.
In my coaching practice, I provide a life coaching program that’s holistic. Together we’ll consider everything from your life stage, resources, responsibilities, plus learning and working styles, along with your goals to set you on a path to greater personal or professional fulfillment - while unlocking potential you didn’t even know existed.