Frequently Asked Questions
What is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is a professional service that aims to help individuals achieve their personal and professional goals, improve their overall satisfaction with life, and address specific challenges or obstacles they may be facing. Life coaches work with clients to identify their values, strengths, and aspirations, providing support and guidance to help them make positive changes and navigate through life transitions.
What is the difference between Life Coaching and Counseling?
Life coaching and therapy serve different purposes in supporting individuals. Life coaching is future-focused, helping people set and achieve goals, enhance satisfaction with life, and overcome obstacles, while therapists delve into the past to understand and address mental health concerns. Life coaches, often without formal mental health training, come from diverse backgrounds, emphasizing present actions and results. In contrast, therapists, with advanced degrees in psychology or related fields, are trained to diagnose and treat mental health conditions, employing a solutions-focused approach that may involve exploring the past for emotional healing. While both can be valuable, therapy is typically more specialized in addressing mental health issues, whereas life coaching covers a broader spectrum of personal and professional development.
What does a coach help with?
A life coach serves as a supportive guide, assisting individuals in various facets of their personal and professional lives. They facilitate goal setting, working collaboratively with clients to define and clarify aspirations across areas such as career, relationships, and personal development. Coaches help individuals create strategic action plans, breaking down larger objectives into manageable steps, and provide accountability to ensure progress. Beyond goal achievement, life coaching involves a process of self-discovery, helping clients gain a deeper understanding of their values and sources of fulfillment. Coaches address challenges by assisting in problem-solving, decision-making, and building confidence while addressing self-doubt and limiting beliefs. The coaching relationship extends to time management, communication skills, career development, relationship improvement, stress management, and even health and well-being.
What are the qualifications?
No certification is necessary to become a life coach. Qualifications for life coaching vary and the industry lacks strict universal standards, but several common considerations exist for those pursuing a career in this field. Many life coaches complete accredited coach training programs and attain certifications from recognized institutions, contributing to their professional credibility. Specialized coaching credentials in areas like executive coaching or health coaching can further enhance a coach's expertise. Relevant experience in coaching, counseling, psychology, or related fields is often beneficial.
What are the different styles of coaching?
Life coaching encompasses various styles and approaches tailored to individual needs and preferences. One prevalent style is transformational coaching, focusing on personal growth and self-discovery. Strategic or goal-oriented coaching emphasizes setting and achieving specific objectives, fostering action and accountability. Behavioral coaching targets habits and actions, aiming to instill positive changes. Holistic coaching considers the interconnectedness of different life areas, addressing well-being on multiple levels. Intuitive coaching relies on the coach's intuition and empathetic connection with the client. Cognitive-behavioral coaching targets thought patterns and behaviors to overcome challenges. Positive psychology coaching accentuates strengths, resilience, and cultivating a positive mindset. Lifestyle coaching concentrates on health, fitness, and overall lifestyle improvements. Each style offers a unique approach, allowing individuals to choose a coaching method aligned with their goals and preferences, promoting personal development and achieving desired outcomes.
What is the History of Life Coaching?
Life coaching originated in the latter part of the 20th century, drawing inspiration from diverse fields like psychology, philosophy, and sports coaching. The early influences of human potential and self-actualization by figures such as Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow set the stage for the structured approach to coaching. A significant development occurred in 1974 with Timothy Gallwey's book "The Inner Game," which extended coaching principles beyond sports, highlighting the importance of overcoming mental barriers. Thomas Leonard, often regarded as the "Father of Coaching," formalized the profession by founding Coach University in the 1980s. The establishment of the International Coach Federation (ICF) in 1995 played a crucial role in defining standards and ethics for coaching. In the 2000s, coaching gained mainstream recognition, especially in the corporate sector, where executive coaching became prevalent. Today, life coaching is a well-established profession with diverse specialties, including executive coaching, career coaching, and health coaching. The field continues to evolve, reflecting the ongoing contribution of coaches to personal and professional development.
What is Energy Work/Healing?
Energy healing is a holistic practice where healers channel universal life force (or healing energy) into a patient to help balance, heal and remove blockages from the body. Flow, balance, harmony and vitality within the body can be restored and maintained during a treatment.
What is Channeling?
Channeling is a spectrum. On the subtler side, people experience clairempathy, claircognizance, lucid dreaming, and telepathy. Toward the middle are precognition and mediumship. And at the far end of the spectrum are rarer experiences like trance channeling, geomancy, psychic healing, pyrokinesis, and levitation.
What is spirituality?
A broad and varied construct that involves personal acknowledgement of the spirit and something greater than the self. It is a more individualized practice than one imposed by outside guidance such as religion. It evolves over time as the individual learns experiences, and explores.
What is a Life Coaching session like?
A life coaching session is a collaborative and goal-oriented conversation between a life coach and a client. The session typically follows a structured format but is tailored to the individual's needs and goals. My coaching sessions are typically an hour long each and take place online via video call with the option for in-person sessions if needed.