• What is Life Coaching?
• What exactly does a Coach do?
• How is Coaching different to Therapy, Counselling or Consulting?
• Why do I need a Coach?
• How long must I commit?
• Does the Coach work on personal goals or business goals or both?

What is Life Coaching?

Coaching is a relatively new but rapidly growing profession. Coaching is a bridge between where you are right now and where you want to be. It is for people, who seek increased self-awareness, more balance, and are motivated to achieve specific goals. Coaching is a relationship-designed alliance based upon the client’s agenda. Through the process of coaching, clients can deepen their knowledge, enhance their quality of life, and improve all aspects in their life.

What exactly does a Coach do?

A coach is your partner in discovering what is really important to you in your life. The coach will help you create your vision, foresee challenges and design your plan of action to realize your goals. In each meeting, the client will choose what to focus on during the conversation while the coach listens on a deep level, and contributes observations and questions. This interaction will create clarity, which facilitates action for the client. Coaching accelerates the client’s progress towards what they truly desire in life.

How is Coaching different to Therapy, Counselling or Consulting?

Therapy focuses on the feelings and experiences of the past and all of the past problems are exposed and dissected in order to come to a conclusion. Coaching focuses on the present and where you want to be. Therapy is about the “why’ and coaching is about the “how”. How can you get from here to where you want to be? Coaching moves clients toward goal setting and is action oriented. Coaching is more holistic in nature.
Counselling is a relationship that is normally hierarchical. It is based on past experiences and focuses on fixing a problem. Coaching is a partnership and a coach believes that every client is already resourceful, whole and creative and helps client discover his or her own answers.
Consulting is about giving expert advice and solving a problem. In coaching by using powerful questions, the client is able to solve his/her own problems. In coaching, the client is the expert and designs his/her own solutions and assumes the responsibility.

Why do I need a Coach?

People hire Coaches:

• To become more productive
• To create more balance in personal and professional life.
• To help with transitions, life events and stresses, personal or professional.
• To have more balance in life, more clarity, to assist with change, or personal growth.
• To attain specific goals or dreams
• To improve the overall quality of life.

How long must I commit to?

Most Coaches ask for a three-month commitment after an initial getting to know you session, but you are always free to discontinue if it is not working for you. Many coaches require a 3 to 6-month written contract; some do not. Each Coach is different; however, it has been shown that you get the greatest benefit and results from the coaching process by committing to at least three months or longer.

Does the Coach work on personal goals or business goals or both?

A Coach works on both. A Coach is prepared to work on all aspects of self.

All Content provided by Austin Parry