Life Coaching is not therapy. Therapy often addresses dysfunction, whereas coaching enables a functional person to move forward and achieve greater success. However, there are similarities between coaching and therapy. Firstly, both disciplines help us to recognise the limiting nature of some of our internal beliefs and feelings. Secondly, both enable us to understand that by altering our self-limiting beliefs we can achieve more positive behavioural outcomes.
Here, it is the responsibility of a coach to identify the extent to which an individual’s self-limiting belief is problematic. For example, if a client’s belief is rigidly held and destructive then the coach should refer the client to seek therapy. Alternatively, if a coach has the necessary skills and qualifications in psychotherapy or counselling then the coach could address the client’s problem.
Life Coaching is a mutual alliance, in which the client holds the power to set the agenda and the coach acts as a catalyst to enable an individual to find his or her own solutions to problems. In this way, a client takes responsibility and ‘ownership’ of actions that lead to the results the client wants.
Coaching involves a focused discussion, in which goals are developed, clarified and prioritised so that clients can take the necessary steps to increase their performance and achieve their objectives.
Life Coaching is about getting results. The process of coaching involves goal setting and as a consequence clients become accountable to the coach and to themselves in planning and implementing courses of action that lead to the achievement of their desired outcomes.
Nicky Michelmore
BSc Hons (Psychology), LCH Dip, NLP Dip.
http://www.naturalbloom.com/articles/life-coaching-72/