What is life coaching?\u00a0 From the positive perspective, it is a partnership between a coach and a client wherein the client explores:<\/p>\n
what they want<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
opportunities<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
options for new possibilities<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
strategies for moving forward<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
action planning<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
a method for accountability<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
awareness for celebrating progress and success along the way<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The coach serves as a strategic partner and serves by listening, asking questions, and partnering for the accountability the client chooses.<\/p>\n
The focus of the coaching varies widely and just a few examples of niche areas include:<\/p>\n
Work \/ Life Balance<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
ADHD<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Legacy<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Relationships<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Personal Awareness<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Confidence<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Self-actualization<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Coaches often have focus areas or niches which then lend themselves to expertise in terms of approach and awareness.\u00a0 Clients enter coaching with a sense of their own reasons for engaging a life coach.\u00a0 Together, the coach and the client define the coaching relationship and the process.<\/p>\n
On the negative side, some well-intentioned individuals who lack effective training as coaches function in the role of an advisor or worse, an unlicensed counselor or therapist even though they title themselves as a coach.<\/p>\n
As a coach, ensure you have the appropriate training, the Code of Ethics (published by the International Coaching Federation<\/span><\/a>, the ICF), and that you develop the Core Competencies<\/span><\/a> (also developed by the ICF).<\/p>\n