
Frequently Asked Questions
What is life coaching?
How does life coaching work?
Life coaching is not about the life coach telling the client what to do. The life coach has many skills that ensure that they will ask the right questions of the client to expand their awareness. This means that the client has more clarity on the right choices for them. The relationship between life coach and client is one of partnership. No one party has more power than the other. The client brings the answers (even if they don’t know what they are at the beginning of the relationship) and the coach brings the skills necessary to uncover the answers.
Why does life coaching work?
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A safe and confidential space in which to explore your goals
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A minimum period for the relationship (this ensures that the coach has space to build momentum for the client)
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An agreement that outlines the expectations of both client and coach
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To be fully heard in each session
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Challenge through artful questioning techniques that encourage you to dig deeper, and examine your values and beliefs
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Exploration of a number of opportunities to reach your goals
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Accountability for agreed actions
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Celebration of your successes
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RESULTS!
What's the difference between life coaching and therapy?
Who uses a life coach?
Anyone who is willing to partner in the relationship can use a life coach, and we are seeing the engagement of life coaches continue to grow as the profession becomes more and more established. Life coaching is almost 50 years old now, and more and more people are becoming less skeptical than in the early days. Not everyone is coachable though. What makes life coaching so powerful is the relationship between coach and client. For that to work, both parties must enter into coaching relationship prepared to work. It is not the coach’s job to give advice and tell the client what to do, just as it is not the client’s job to expect it. The partnership between coach and client is vital for success which is why clients should always interview their prospective coaches, just as those coaches will be interviewing the client to ensure the most successful relationship.
What kinds of things do people go to life coaches for?
Clients engage the services of life coaches for all sorts of personal and professional goals. They might hire a life coach to help them to lose weight, be a better parent, get a promotion, improve their relationships, start a business etc Life coaches are well equipped to assist their clients to navigate change in any area of their life and so they are approached for all manner of challenges and engagements.
How long do clients work with life coaches?
Clients usually work with a life coach for an initial period of three to six months before reviewing. Often when a client begins working with a coach they have a particular goal in mind, and during the course of the relationship, they discover other aspects that they would like to work on too. Life coaching relationships can last for years, however the coach should be checking in regularly to ensure that the coaching is not becoming a crutch for the client. Clients should not be tied into long coaching contracts if it does not serve them.
What's the difference between a life coach and an executive coach?
Executive coaches perform a very similar function to life coaches. The main difference is that they are working with executives and have likely been hired by the executive’s organisation rather than the client themselves. Executives deal with stressful situations and are often in a lonely position so their coach will help them to respond to these situations as well as giving them a space to explore and work things through. This is very similar to what life coaches do for their clients.
Can I become a coach?
With the right training and support it is possible for many people to be a successful life coach. Usually people who want to become life coaches have a desire to help others and can demonstrate empathy with their clients. They are often the friend that is called upon for advice – although life coaches do not give advice. If you are considering becoming a coach, there are helpful articles on the blog, or you can talk to someone by booking a no-obligation information call here.