What is a life coach?
A life coach is a wellness professional who helps people make progress in their lives to gain greater life happiness and fulfilment. They will help clients explore ways to improve relationships, careers or just day-to-day life.
A life coach will use core psychological processes and intuition elements to help motivate and empower clients with the techniques they need to overcome any hurdles or challenges they face to achieve life goals they have confidently.
A life coach will help you map out your goals, identify what is stopping you and then work out the best strategy for you moving forward to overcome each obstacle. A life coach will have the skill set needed to understand your unique personality and drive, to then create the correct strategy that will be most successful for you as a person. Once this is mapped out, your life coach will motivate and support you in the entire journey to reach your goal.
Who should work with a life coach?
People will invest in a life coach for several different intentions or reasons, as it is an area which can help different elements of your life to improve the mindset and confidence you have. Often individuals who have experienced a significant life change, like taking on a new career, relocating or a change in significant relationships.
On the other hand, others will start life coaching just to help build a happier and more meaningful life. Starting life coaching is often something which is decided by yourself, if you feel like you want to improve and grow in areas of your life, then having a life coach will work for you.
Different types of life coaches
When life coaches train, they can sometimes specialise in particular areas to work more closely on particular goals depending on the client. Ultimately you can decide to go for a life coach which looks at life coaching as a whole or you could take the route of somebody who is specialised in one particular area.
- Health and wellness coaching
- Career coaching
- Family coaching
- Financial coaching
- Life skills coaching
- Mental health coaching
- Sports coaching
- Relationship coaching
- Personal development coaching
You may be somebody who is unsure what they are looking to achieve and what area they fall into, which makes picking a specialised coach more difficult. This is where a general life coach can be more beneficial, as they look at areas of your life as a whole. The coaching process for each style can be different which is why there are different types of life coaches.
Difference between a life coach & therapist
The difference between a Life Coach and a Therapist can be confusing as there tend to be overlaps in both roles as the benefits can be similar in what you’re wanting to achieve. The key difference between the two roles is that a therapist is trained to treat mental health conditions and help those who work through trauma. Whilst a life coach may work with these types of people, they are unable to treat mood disorders, anxiety disorders, addiction or any other mental health condition.
Therapists will have a degree and are licensed as mental health professionals. They follow ethical codes and regulations around confidentiality and ongoing education. A life coach should never be considered a substitute for the mental health professional.
What can a life coach do for you?
Life coaching sessions can be really valuable to those wanting to focus on goals and improve in aspects of their life, this could be your professional life, personal life or just genuinely improving your mindset in life. One of the main benefits a life coach can provide is a fresh perspective on potential problems you face in life, offering you a new insight into the way you think about particular situations or approaches.
Often the reason behind people investing in life coaching is to work out a long term plan in getting from your current circumstances to then having the life you want to lead. This could be anything from, better work/life balance, financial security, improved communication skills or stronger relationships with friends and family.
Understand what to expect from a life coach
A long-term fix
When you work with a life coach you will create a strategy and plan to address problems and work in the best way to achieve your goals, but when doing this it is key to remember that results take time. If you are somebody who wants to start seeing results, discuss this with your life coach, you can then work on some short-term goals as well as long-term goals which you can work towards.
Life coaches can’t help mental health issues
If you are currently experiencing any form of mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, you should seek medical advice from a doctor or therapist who will be able to support the correct treatment options for this. Life coaches are not qualified as mental health professionals and can therefore not provide this support.
Find the right coach for you
As previously mentioned, there are different types of life coaches, some who work across the board to support several different areas and others who work in a needs specific way. If you are solely looking for a life coach to help support your mindset in relationships, you would benefit from a relationship life coach. On the other hand, if you aren’t 100% sure about what area you want to work on, a general life coach would work better for you.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a life coach is somebody who provides support, guidance and motivation for clients to help them achieve their goals and ambitions in life. People decide to undertake life coaching for several different reasons and finding the right life coach for you is key.