Sponsor Article

What is a Life Coach? By Holly Winters

As a certified life coach, I’m occasionally asked what it is exactly that I do for people. With more and more people realizing that they need a mentor to help create change while maintaining balance and focus in their lives, life coaches are in greater demand than ever. It’s important for people to understand how this type of service can be of benefit, so below I’ve laid out some helpful frequently asked questions.

What is a life coach?
A life coach is a professional who is committed to another’s full potential. I think of a coach as an ideal life mentor. One who listens without judgment or a hidden agenda, for the brilliance, desires, and potential in another human being.

How is a life coach different than a therapist?
A therapist deals with a client’s past and looks at how it impacts a person from living a full life. A coach looks at the present, assists the client to see the successes and strengths available, and together with the client, co-designs the future based on one’s values, desires, and potential. In other words, a coach assists people to go from where they are to where they want to be.

What desired outcomes are brought to a coach?
Each client is unique, and so are the desired outcomes. Clients come to coaching with the desire or need to make a change. Life style changes need support and an unbiased mentor to assist all the way through the steps of change, and the tools to help them sustain it. The coach poses powerful questions to help the client see action plans that can jumpstart a new habit, and actions for sustaining the new life style. The coach does not bring an agenda to the relationship, and does not ask questions with an answer in mind. Habits are interrelated into all parts of a life; the coach helps foster support systems to bring about and maintain a balanced life.

What is the process?
A coach/client relationship is custom designed to fit the needs and wants of the client. Most often, the coach and client communicate by phone. An initial intake session generally lasts 90 minutes while other weekly calls are an hour. The hour is divided into celebrations, stumbling blocks, current issues, and queries for the upcoming week.

How would I pick a coach for myself?
Every certified coach comes with tools and strategies gathered from the professional school attended, and from continuing education interactions with fellow coaches. A serious coach has at least one personal coach and support groups for continued assurance that his or her own agendas are separate from those of the clients. Look for a coach who graduated from a certified coaching school, who is coached on an ongoing basis, and who is actively involved in continuing education. Interview a coach to see if you feel a natural connection with that person. Does the coach have experience and success with being a catalyst for sustainable change? Ask for examples.

How much does it cost to have a coach?
Coach fees vary one from another, so confidently ask and know what your budget will allow. Time, length between sessions, contacts between sessions, and the background of the coach can determine the client cost. Coaches are compassionate people who are generally connected with a large group of peers. They can help you find a coach who is just right for your budget and your desired outcomes.

For more information about life coaching, please call Holly Winters at (928) 474-3472 or email her at coppercutup@msn.com.