What Is Professional Life Coaching?

What is professional life coaching?

What comes to mind when you hear the word "coach?"  Perhaps you visualize the kindly parent coach who hustled you around the bases and gave you encouraging swats in your little league baseball days.  Or maybe you think of one of those personal fitness coaches at the gym who helps you find all those muscles you didn't think you had.

These days when the term "professional coaching" is used it refers to a unique collaborative partnership between the coach and client.  Together they develop strategies  for making significant observable progress in the client's life goals.  Together they are paving the way for the client to create a more satisfying and fulfilling life.

Imagine for a moment that you are the client.  One of the roles of the coach is to help you identify what you really want in your life.  This can relate to personal or professional goals. It can mean working through life transitions, expected or unexpected. The key is to first find clarity about what you're aiming for.  You'll be encouraged to give voice to your hopes and dreams without the dampening voice of "reality" dousing your aspirations.   You'll undertake a freedom of exploration you may never have experienced.  Your coach is there to provide a safe place for you with complete confidentiality. He or she is not there to evaluate or judge you, but rather values the strengths and creativity you bring to the process.

Another role of your coach is to listen to you deeply.  How often do you have a conversation when are able to express yourself without intrusion or fear of judgment?   When you can have the freedom to be the entire focus of the conversation? When someone makes the effort to be sure they understand you?  Amazing insights happen when one feels truly understood.  Your coach is there to give you that opportunity!

Remember that we said this is a collaborative relationship?  Together with your coach you will decide your own best way of reaching your goals.  Your coach is there to help clarify those steps, motivate and hold you accountable to stay focused. You choose the steps, how you want to pursue them and how you want to be held accountable. 

The website for the International Coach Federation, a professional organization committed to preserving the integrity of coaching around the globe, further clarifies the unique contribution of coaching as compared to that of therapeutic counseling:

Coaching is designed to help clients improve their learning and performance and enhance their quality of life.  Coaching does not focus directly on relieving psychological pain or treating cognitive or emotional disorders.  Coaching concentrates primarily on the present and future (www.coachfederation.org).

One of the best ways to understand professional coaching is to experience it.  It's important you feel comfortable with your coach and understand the process before you make a commitment.  Why not take us up on having a free complimentary session?

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