Like many before you, you’re here because you want to know “what is life coaching?”
You may be like me, where you are doing fine by yourself but you’ve noticed that maybe there’s a goal or two you’ve wanted for years and just haven’t been able to achieve on your own. You’ll find that life coaching is not about telling you what to do, but help you gain clarity and move forward in alignment. (Regardless of what they say Reddit.)
As a professional in the coaching field, I know life coaches can help you reach your goals, aspirations, and desires.
In this blog post, we’ll explore everything you need to know about life coaching – from what it is and how it differs from mental health treatment to the benefits of working with a good coach for your specific needs.
I believe this post will equip you with the knowledge to make an informed decision when selecting a coach who can help you reach your goals both personally and professionally.
Table of Contents For Life Coaching:
What is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is probably the most popular term, but it’s better to start with the fundamental term: coaching. We’ll get to the types of coaching below, but when most people things of coaching they think of life coaching.
Coaching, according to the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is defined as “…partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”
Life coaching, on the other hand, is focused on personal development and potential. In life coaching, a coach is supporting individuals in pursuit of their ambitions, forming improved habits, and creating helpful habits in their lives.
It is an invaluable help for small business owners, working professionals, or stay-at-home parents looking to get back into the workforce.
Life coaches provide guidance, support, accountability, and encouragement as they help their clients identify areas of improvement in order to achieve desired outcomes.
The benefit of life coaching is that it helps people focus on what’s important to them so they can take action toward achieving their goals. A life coach assists their clients in uncovering potential barriers that may be impeding them from attaining success or making significant progress in their lives.
Through this process, clients gain insight into themselves which allows them to move forward with clarity and confidence.
Life coaching may start with getting clarity on what a person wants in life and then take other paths, such as job guidance, health & well-being support, or stress reduction; all tailored to the specific needs of the individual.
By leveraging the power of life coaching, individuals can pursue short-term or long-term goals to make meaningful changes in their lives.
How Does Life Coaching Work?
It’s important to know there is a coach and a client in a coaching session.
A coach can assist the client in setting goals, creating plans to reach them, and obtaining the skills/resources needed for improvement in the coaching session.
The process of life coaching usually begins with gaining clarity before setting goals. Your life coach will want to make sure you understand his or her role as the coach and your role as a client. You are a partnership and the coach’s role is to help you uncover the true roadblocks holding you back and move past them.
Your coach will help you discover what’s most important to YOU, set realistic expectations, and prioritize tasks that are essential for healthy progress.
Once the goal-setting stage is complete, a great coach will help you identify ways to get into action. Life coaches use techniques such as brainstorming ideas, problem-solving strategies, role-playing scenarios, or even visualization exercises in order to move forward toward achieving your goals.
During this phase of life coaching sessions focus on identifying potential roadblocks or obstacles that may prevent you from reaching success so they can be addressed accordingly.
Your life coach will also work with you on developing the skills required for successful goal attainment – usually around personal development – by providing guidance and feedback throughout each session. This could involve teaching specific methods of how best to approach certain situations or activities which can lead to better decision-making down the line.
With the right life coach by your side, you can take steps towards making positive changes in all areas of your life (even if you just need a better work-life balance).
Benefits of Life Coaching
If you’ve read this far you have a general sense of the benefits you get from coaching. But, just in case you skipped here keep reading.
Clarity:
Life coaches help clients clarify what they want out of life by asking questions that encourage reflection and introspection. By exploring their inner self, the client can gain an awareness of what drives them and how to make use of their unique skills for achieving their long-term goals. This helps them identify which areas need attention in order to reach their goals.
Strategies:
A coach will work with individuals to develop actionable plans that lead toward success. The coach will also provide support during times of difficulty or doubt while encouraging accountability through progress-tracking methods such as goal-setting exercises and check-ins.
Working with a life coach can enable an individual to gain a heightened awareness of themselves, and may increase their self-confidence in making decisions as well as strengthen the relationships they have with others due to more self-awareness communication skills.
Well-Being:
Coaching can be beneficial for improving overall well-being by creating a balance between physical health, emotional health, mental health, spiritual health, financial health, and social connections.
Addressing all these aspects together, over time, allows people to find harmony within themselves leading to greater satisfaction in all areas of life.
The benefits of a good coach are undeniable, and it can be a great tool for those looking to make positive changes in their lives.
Types of Coaching
There are many different types of coaching available. I’ll note a few below each with its own unique focus and approach.
Career Coaching:
Career coaching aids individuals in pinpointing the ideal career trajectory, creating successful tactics to realize their objectives, and boosting self-assurance as professionals. It can also help individuals transition into new roles or industries more easily by providing advice on networking, interviewing techniques, resume writing, job search strategies, etc.
Health & Wellness Coaching:
Health and wellness coaches work with clients to create personalized plans for achieving better physical health through nutrition counseling, exercise guidance, and lifestyle modifications. They may also provide coaching and support to manage and reduce stress to promote overall well-being.
Mindfulness Coaching:
Mindfulness coaching involves aiding individuals to become cognizant of their ideas and sentiments, so as to make deliberate choices about how they wish to lead their lives. Through mindfulness practices, such as meditation, these coaches guide clients toward greater self-awareness which leads to improved mental clarity and peace of mind.
Business Coaching:
Business coaching focuses on helping entrepreneurs and small business owners develop leadership skills or develop a business focus for success. These coaches ask powerful questions so that business owners have all the tools necessary for success at every stage of development.
Relationship Coaching:
Relationship coaching assists couples or individuals who are experiencing difficulties within their relationship whether it be communication issues or trust issues among other things. The goal is not only to improve communication between partners, but also to increase understanding between both parties involved so that resolutions may be found when conflict arises.
Executive Coaches:
Executive coaches work closely with executives on leadership, team and time management, and workplace culture. This type of coaching helps executives maintain a healthy work-life balance while still achieving high professional performance.
Life Vision Coach:
A life vision coach works collaboratively with clients to reveal what truly brings them joy – from setting up a family, beginning an exciting venture, or honing the skill of financial management. This type of coaching provides direction based on one’s values while encouraging exploration into uncharted waters where the opportunity lies in wait.
Spiritual Coaches:
Spiritual coaches focus on helping clients uncover spiritual truths within themselves through guided conversations around topics such as faith direction, inner peace, and forgiveness. This type of coaching encourages individuals to explore parts of themselves they may have been unaware existed priorly while offering insight into difficult questions one may have regarding spirituality.
Considering the various coaching options, it is worth exploring if life coaches require any official credentials.
Do Life Coaches Need to Be Certified?
Short answer, no.
Although many people seek out life coaches for help with goal setting, overcoming obstacles, and achieving success. No governing body oversees the life coaching industry, yet there are various certifications that can show a coach’s knowledge and proficiency.
Having a certification does not guarantee the quality of a coach’s work. But it does show potential clients that they have taken steps to learn more about the field and gain skills related to life coaching.
For example, if someone has obtained a coaching credential then this shows they may have completed training in areas such as ethics, client-coach relationship dynamics, communication techniques, and professional standards of practice.
Some certification programs require additional hours of study beyond those required for certification. These courses provide more advanced learning opportunities related to various aspects of coaching including assessment tools, psychological principles, and strategies for working with different types of clients or situations.
This type of program may provide even greater assurance that a coach has comprehensive knowledge and experience in the area they are working in.
Having a certified life coach can help to ensure that you are receiving the best advice and guidance for your needs. But don’t use it as your only criteria of selecting a coach.
Life Coach vs Therapist, What’s The Difference?
Life coaching and therapy are two different practices, but they both strive to help people improve their lives.
Life coaches focus on helping individuals be forward-focused, reach specific goals, and make changes in their lives. They provide support, guidance, accountability, and encouragement to help clients achieve success.
Therapists are licensed and provide mental health treatment for psychological issues, such as anxiety or depression, by delving into past experiences that could be causing current distress.
Life coaches typically work with clients who are generally emotionally healthy but want assistance in reaching a goal or making a change in their lives. Clients may come to a life coach with an objective in mind, whether it be launching a venture or enhancing their relationships at home and/or work.
On the other hand, therapists typically treat those suffering from mental health issues, which requires more intensive treatment than life coaching can offer.
Life coaching and therapy both their distinct advantages, yet it is essential to grasp the distinctions between them to pick the right one for your personal growth and requirements.
How to find a life coach
Here is a guide to finding an appropriate life coach. There are many different types of coaches available, so it’s important to find one who will meet your needs.
1. Before embarking on your search for a life coach:
Take the time to consider what you want. Do you need help setting goals or something else? Spend some time thinking about what you want before you start your search.
2. Research Different Coaches:
Once you know what type of support you want, research different coaches who specialize in those areas. Look into their online presence and see if they have information on how they help. In this way, it can make you more aware of their vibe and coaching knowledge.
3. Ask Questions:
Don’t be afraid to ask potential coaches questions about their experience and approach before making a commitment. Find out how long they have been practicing, if they offer group sessions or individual coaching sessions. Maybe even ask how much they charge per session (or package).
4. Schedule A Discovery Session:
Most coaches are interested in meeting you as much as you might be to meet them. We prefer to do a 20-minute discovery session to answer questions and get a feel for one another. While some coaches like to do a one hour discovery sessions.
What is Life Coaching Next Steps
Life coaching can be an incredibly useful resource for entrepreneurs and career-minded people who are striving to better their lives. Through life coaching, individuals can gain insight into themselves, develop strategies for achieving goals, and create a more balanced lifestyle.
If you’re interested in our coaching services for yourself or your organization reach to us on our coaching page.