I get asked a lot What’s involved in personal development coaching? And how does it actually help people?
How does coaching work?
Regardless of whether you’re talking about a relationship, your health, your money, your work, most problems can be solved and most situations can be improved (significantly enough to have you say that was worth doing!) by exploring or learning one or more of the following:
Limiting beliefs. These show up in what you tell yourself on a regular basis. They sabotage your mindset and mood which have a negative effect on your performance.
Costly habits vs. habits that support
Best practices
Tools to create a vision or set and achieve goals
Most clients benefit from looking at a combination of the above to learn what’s been getting in their way. While discovering these things, clients create a plan of action to achieve the goals they want. And apply elements from the above list that are necessary to support their success. A plan of action to achieve your goals, someone to encourage you when you need a boost. A key element of my coaching is to help clients know what’s working in their plan and modify what isn’t. Also valuable, a coach offers accountability which is vital for success. Because the great achievements are never achieved solo.
I’ve been in therapy. Why would I hire a coach?
Sometimes when you’re going through something, all you need is someone to listen with compassion, without judgment, to acknowledge your feelings and support you. Maybe to give you techniques to improve your mood or stop unhealthy behaviors. Therapy often ends with that.
Yet often that’s not enough. You’re spending time and money to figure out why you think, do and feel what you do. That’s not sufficient for change. You also need a plan of action to have your life be different. To take steps to make the meaningful changes to improve the quality of your life.
You’re a psychologist, a therapist for 25 years.
Why do you do personal development coaching and not “straight counseling or therapy” anymore?
It’s like learning what the problem is, and not proceeding to work on the solution. It wasn’t until I worked with my personal development coaches that I understood its value… it has people design and create a life of purpose and passion. Doing therapy alone feels to me now like learning what the problem is, and not proceeding to work on the solution. It would be like a thirsty person coming to me, and I offered them a small glass of water rather than a full jug.
Now, I’m able to provide all the benefits of counseling as well as the value of coaching.
What should I look for in hiring a coach?
Ask about their coaching experience. How long have they been doing it? Tell them the results you want to achieve. Be as specific as you can, and then ask them how they would go about helping you do that. That will give you a clearer sense of their ability to help you.
There are thousands of life coaches out there. Many of whom have just taken a course and received a certification. Or have received coaching around a particular issue and then start coaching other people with that same issue. I say this not to make you nervous but to encourage you to invest your time and energy wisely to find a qualified, experienced expert. The field of coaching isn’t regulated the same way other mental health professions like social work and psychology are. Where the professional has hundreds of hours of work supervised by a seasoned professional. Someone who knows what questions to ask you so you can most effectively discover the issues that have been holding you back. That skill rarely comes without extensive knowledge of human behavior and techniques to address problems.
My point is, your well-being is way too important to settle for anything less than first-class.
Is coaching for me?
Yes, if you want to have something or things, in your life be better. If you’re tired of feeling unsatisfied, or stuck, or frustrated as you don’t know how to go about getting what you want. To feel fulfilled and be excited about your life. Whether it has to do with a relationship, your health, your money, your work.
If you’re still not sure if coaching is for you or how to find the best person for you, I invite you to contact me so I can help you get started. Whether you end up working with me or someone else, I want you to get started today. Life’s too short for you to wait any longer.