What is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is a rewarding and life-changing process that will enhance, inspire and motivate you to take your life to the next level.
In its simplest form, a life coach is trained to ask you the right questions at the right time to unlock your full potential and gain clarity, focus and motivation to achieve your desired outcome, personal goals and/or life transitions successfully and quickly.
Your coach will provide support and accountability throughout your coaching to aid your development and provide you with the tools and motivation you need to get your goals actualised.
Your coach doesn’t need to be an ‘expert’ in what you do, who you are or where you want to go because coaching is a tool to bring the expert out in you.
So, What Does A Life Coach Do?
A life coach will:
Ask deep insightful questions that will challenge and uncover your beliefs, thoughts and feelings enabling you to gain clarity with your decision-making, life direction.
Support you in creating tangible and achievable steps to achieve your goals.
Explore your needs, values, motivations, skills, personality and thought processes to help facilitate lasting change.
Help to break down fear barriers and boundaries that have kept you stuck by exploring your beliefs, triggers and behaviour.
Have an observational awareness of your body language, vocal intonation and behaviour that will aid your growth and learning.
Have excellent listening skills to understand what it is like to be you - without judgement.
Have an exemplary level of emotional intelligence to pick up subtle cues and nuisances, and relay those back to you.
Encourage a deeper understanding of who you are, what you feel, and why you think the way you do.
Unearth habits and traits that will elevate and/or hinder your success.
Hold you in the highest regard and positively want you to succeed.
Create a framework of support that you can rely on and also grow from without unhealthy dependencies forming.
Refer you to a suitable professional if you are more suited to another service such as mentoring, therapy and/or counselling.
Create a safe and confidential space for you to express yourself authentically to aid your personal growth and success.
Have sufficient training and adhere to a code of ethics and standards with a reputable accreditation body. For instance, I am registered with the International Authority For Professional Coaching and Mentoring.
What A life coach doesn’t cover?
A life coach doesn’t:
Tell you what to do, give you unsolicited advice and/or favour an approach that doesn’t meet your needs.
Give mental health advice or diagnose and/or label you as having a mental illness, disorder or issue.
Speak about your session with anyone (unless supervised and/or need to ask for supervision regarding your session. In these cases, your anonymity is kept).
Take over the session with their own ‘personal opinion or life experience’.
Have an agenda for the session - allowing what you want to work on to be the primary goal.
Teach you a syllabus of learning and/or structure your session with their own learning objectives.
How do I find a life coach?
There are many ways you can find a life coach.
You can:
search google for life coaches in your local area
ask for recommendations from friends and family who have used a life coach before
using an online directory such as The Life Coach Directory
search a coaching accreditation database for suitable coaches.
Whichever route you choose make sure that your coach has had training with an accredited coaching body.
You see, life coaching as a profession isn’t regulated by a government body therefore anyone can call themselves a coach without any training or experience within the coaching field.
Annoying I know and I really wish it was different. but, don’t lose hope! There are professional bodies and accreditations to look out for when choosing your coach that offer brilliant training programs and accreditations as well as ethics codes and standards to adhere to.
These include:
International Authority of Professional Coaching and Mentoring
International Coaching Authority
European Mentoring and Coaching Council
Therefore, always check with your coach that they have the up-to-date accreditations, qualifications and insurances to coach you.
How to know if a life coach is the right fit for me?
Coaching is a very experiential process and it is advised to have an introductory session with your coach (or a few coaches) before proceeding to buy any further coaching packages.
This introductory session will ensure that you:
feel comfortable talking to your coach,
can ask any questions about coaching, accreditation/qualifications
can explore how you will both work together on your life goals and how you can move forward.
ask about pricing structures that suit you
ask about other clients they have worked with and the transformation they have achieved with them
I will be adding to this series in the weeks to come so stay tuned,
Michelle
Do you want to work with me?
My coaching books are open for new clients right now. I am an accredited coach with over 300 hours of coaching experience under my belt. My prices start at £1,595.
If you would like a no-obligation free introductory session with me click the link below and let’s get going…
