If you’ve thought about improving your life — and who hasn’t? — you might have some life coaching questions.
If so, you’re in good company. Life and professional coaching are on the rise around the world, as people look for mentoring and feedback to handle challenges and transitions.
In a worldwide study of life and professional coaches, the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study found that “75 percent of coach practitioners with active clients said they expect their number of coaching clients to increase over the next 12 months.”
If so many people are turning to coaches to help, it might be a good idea for you.
Not sure? Here are the answers to some life coaching questions you may have.
1. What Is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is a mentoring relationship you establish with a person trained in listening and giving you feedback to help you reach your goals.
Life coaching is not for people with serious mental illnesses. I can work in cooperation with mental health care providers, but a life coach and mental health therapist have different approaches.
One of my clients, Liz Vachon, wrote, “Unlike therapy, there were few opportunities for long drawn out pity parties on how unfair life had been to me. Coaching, as I came to find out, was centered and focused on solutions. Judith listened, asked questions, then we went to work on what solutions were possible for my so called problems.”
Life coaching is a forward-looking process for people who want to make improvements in their lives, such as:
- Building confidence
- Accomplishing a goal
- Handling difficult situations
- Making decisions
- Navigating life changes.
“Coaching focuses on shaping the future,” writes Ashley Stahl in Busting The Top 5 Myths About The Coaching Industry, at Forbes.com
2. What Does a Life Coach Do?
Mostly, a life coach listens, asking questions that help you understand and embrace your goals. We give feedback and the benefit of our experience to help you make decisions. And then, if you’re willing, we’ll hold you accountable to following through on the decisions you’ve made.
“Coaches are great in identifying when you are lying to yourself and pointing out any limiting beliefs that may be keeping you back from achieving what you want,” writes Sophia Fromell in The Rising Popularity of Life Coaching at Entrepreneur.com.
I have a general plan that I follow with my coaching clients. It begins with examining your core values, which helps both of us know what’s important to you.
I offer a 12-Week Program to Change that gives my clients long-lasting success.
How does life coaching work? Life coaching gives you the space to explore what’s bothering you and what would make it better. It’s not a life coach’s job to tell you what to do. We may offer our experience as a set of options to explore, but it all comes down to what you decide.
If you say you’d like to develop more self-confidence, we can talk about different ways of going about that. You make a plan and carry it out. On your next visit, we talk about how the effort went and whether you want to go forward with that plan or change it in some way. I like to say that my office is a judgment-free zone, and that gives you the freedom to explore what you really want from life and how to get it.
3. What Can a Life Coach Do for Me?
“Coaching can help you achieve clarity and empowerment,” Ashley Stahl writes.
Here are some common life coaching benefits that people report:
- A clear understanding of what you want and how to achieve it
- Accountability — someone to listen to you and ask if you’re following through
- Feedback from someone who supports you without judging
- A space to figure out where you are and where you want to go
- A chance to make the changes you want in your life
What you gain by life coaching depends on what you’re trying to achieve. One of my clients, Clara, wrote, “I recommend coaching with Judith because it is done in a comfortable setting (your home over the phone) and thru consistency (once a week) and with her many years of knowledge and skill, all make for an excellent way to change old habits that, for many of us, are hard to break.”
Nationwide, “Businesses that offer life coaching services to their employees have been shown to regain a 300% return on investment,” says The Growing Profession of Life Coaching: A Statistical Overview at DISC Insights.
4. Where Can I Find a Life Coach?
There are life coaches around the world — and in your neighborhood.
You want someone trained and experienced. And you want to have a conversation with that person to know if you’re a good match in personality and approach.
If you’re looking for a Southwest Portland life coach or a Beaverton life coach, you’ll find my office easy to get to.
Another option, whether you’re nearby or across the globe, is long-distance coaching, by phone or by Skype. It gives the same coaching experience without the travel that can be difficult or impossible for some people.
Take the first step. Call me or schedule your free half-hour discovery session today.
Jaque Christo says
Thank you for the post on life coaching questions and how to change your life. I definitely like the idea of having a someone who acts as a coach to help guide you through life’s ups and downs. They seem different to me than a therapist as it almost seems like a life coach is more about being a guiding friend than a doctor.
Judith Auslander says
Thank you Jaque for your comment. Yes, coaching is different than a therapist and more like, you stated, a friend – but a friend who doesn’t say, “This is what you shoulddo.” Rather coaching is more about listening to the client and picking up on what the client isn’t saying. It is suggesting alternatives. It is very action oriented and solution focused. IOW, let’s get this life back on track and heading the direction the client wants it to go.
John says
That’s good to know life coaches work with you and give yo feedback. That sounds useful for attaining goals. Na man’s an island, after all.
Judith Auslander says
Hi John, Coaching is a wonderful way to get feedback on thoughts that might be holding you back. Coaches are trained to really listen for key words that we might not even notice we use. Have you ever had coaching? Is it something that interests you? Warmly, Judith