A life coach is a sort of teammate that partners with the client in order to help him/her reach a certain goal or goals. A life coach is not a therapist and does not give advice. Instead, a life coach assists the client in rediscovering the strengths and abilities that are inherently within them so that they can move forward into the life that they desire.

While there is some overlap between life coaching and counseling, the goals and methodologies of the two are significantly different.

Counseling is conducted by a licensed therapist, and it often centers on causation. Counseling strives to work toward resolution of past traumas and/or other experiences that contribute current thoughts/behaviors. Counseling is also focused on understanding the factors that impact mental health conditions and developing skills to manage them.

Life Coaching, on the other hand, is conducted by a certified coach (or at least they should be certified) and is generally focused on the future. One of the core tenets of coaching is assessing where the client is versus where they want to be. Instead of exhuming the past, coaching looks to identify future goals and develop the means by which to achieve them.

Another big distinction is that life coaches do not give advice. They probe, ask questions and challenge clients, but they do not themselves provide any kind of input. Instead, they employ a variety of techniques to help the client discover the answers that are present within themselves.

By doing this, the relationship is able to remain completely client focused. It is the client, not the coach, that identifies the goal(s). And it is the client that creates the steps that need to be taken to accomplish the goal(s). The coach merely aids in the process of self-discovery.

The answer to this is different and unique to each individual. And, while there is no real easy answer to this, there are questions that can help determine whether life coaching is worth looking into.

Some of those questions are:

• Do you feel stuck?
• Do you have goals but don’t know how to reach them?
• Is stress or anxiety keeping you from the life that you want?
• Are you facing adverse circumstances but struggling to cope?
• Are you feeling overwhelmed?
• Do you doubt yourself and/or your abilities?
• Do you feel like you have little to no control over your life?

If you’re unsure, chewing on and answering these questions is a great place to start. Another option is to try one a complimentary coaching session. It’s a great opportunity to experience the coaching dynamic, ask questions and get a good feel for whether life coaching would be right for you ... and it's FREE!    

If this is something that you’re interested in, you can click HERE to schedule your complimentary coaching session today.

The simple answer is that the relationship ends when the client wants it to. When and what that looks like is different from person to person. The basic premise, however, is to arrive at a place where the client has achieved their goal and has developed the skills and resiliencies to identify and reach future goals without the need for support.

There are numerous conversations that will lead up to this point, though, in order to ensure that the client and coach both feel that the termination is appropriate. The relationship does not end until the client is ready to do so.

The typical coaching session lasts between 45-60 minutes.

After the initial consultation, sessions generally revolve around reviewing the identified goal and action steps, as well as addressing any barriers that are present. The life coach will utilize a variety of techniques to achieve this end, but will always remain passive, which allows the client to discover for themselves the path forward. At the end of each session, there will also be a small goal/challenge that the client will be asked to work on for the following week.

The sessions are somewhat fluid, however, and can address issues that may present themselves from week to week. The overall structure, though, generally follows the process outlined above.