What is coaching?
Coaching, most generally referred to as life coaching, or life purpose coaching, centers the client as the expert in their own life, the one who will set the goals and measures of success.
The coach is the curious, non-judgmental observer, questioner, guide and fan. The coach’s value lies in their whole-hearted commitment to the client’s lead.
This paradigm of coaching is very different from athletic coaching, advising, consulting, mentoring, therapy and friendship.
When might you work with a coach?
People work with coaches when they want to do things differently and produce a different result than they have in the past.
Working with a coach has the potential to:
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Shift your perspective.
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Clear limiting beliefs, false assumptions, and faulty interpretations.
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Rewrite any powerful but irrational stories you might be telling yourself.
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Create new habits and ways of being.
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Surface and name your values.
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Give definition to your purpose.
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Increase your curiosity.
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Slow your leaps to judgment and criticism.
How are coaching and therapy different?
One way to think about the difference between therapy and coaching is that therapy works the past to resolve the present and coaching works the present to create the future.
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With the guidance of a trained, licensed therapist you are able to re-work your self-concept, beliefs, and ways of being adopted in your past that no longer serve you in the present. That work supports you in living now from a place of greater wholeness.
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Coaching is not about reworking the past; it’s about designing your future. The role of a coach is to support you in identifying and achieving your desired goals resourcefully in a manner that aligns with your values and intentions.
If you are grieving a loss, facing past trauma, or exploring essential aspects of your identity, you would likely seek a therapist. If you are changing careers or cities, working to change a pattern in your thinking or habits, or creating clarity about a specific area of your life, you might work with a coach.
How are coaching and consulting different?
Consultants or advisors provide expert advice. In some cases, in addition to hiring these professionals to tell you what to do, you might also hire them to do that work. Consultants or advisors have information, knowledge or expertise, time and perhaps other resources that you do not have yourself.
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Your coach, on the other hand, sees you as the expert and trusts that you have everything you need to take your best next step.
How is a coach different from a friend?
You and your friends have a lot at stake in your relationships. You have history. Your connections are nuanced, storied and deeply personal.
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Your coach has one job: supporting you in achieving your goals. When your coach shows up for your session they have committed to setting themselves aside to be fully present for you in service to your agenda. That's it.