What is Life Coaching?
Life Coaching; it’s a term we hear more and more. But what does it actually mean? Well, put simply, Life Coaching is a way of helping you to reach your goals in life. Using tools and techniques which allow you to discover the answers and resources you already have inside you.
Tools and techniques…you’ve lost me
As a life coach I work using person centered methods. I will explain more about this in future blogs but it’s basically putting you in charge. Instead of me telling you what to do or how to act, we work together to get to your own solutions. The person centered approach is often referred to as a talking therapy. And that’s pretty accurate - we talk and we look to the future, instead of delving into the past.
If there is another side to my metaphorical toolbox it is NLP (neuro linguistic programming). Both NLP and person centred methods sit perfectly together to create a pretty awesome box of tools.
NLP is a fantastic way of noticing and changing how we communicate and behave, to reach our goals. It is a fascinating way of understanding your own mind and gaining control over it.
Both the person centered approach and NLP work on the principle that you have all resources you need to make positive changes in your life.
What can Life Coaching help me with?
What do you want to achieve? Life coaching can help with a huge range of goals. Everything from relationships with others to getting fitter and healthier or finding a new job. A goal could be very specific, such as training for a marathon or it could be more general, such as I want to work out where I want to be in five years time.
Often anxiety can hold us back when we want to move forward. With Life Coaching we can look at the root of the anxiety and work to ask your brain to view things in a whole new way. So the things which made you anxious actually become a positive in your life.
Perhaps you have a difficult relationship with someone and feel stuck on where to go next. Maybe it’s a better work/life balance you’re looking for. Perhaps you want to redecorate your house but don’t know where to start! Life coaching can help with all these things and many more.
What can’t life coaching help me with?
Life coaching is not counselling and I am not a qualified counsellor. Both coaching and counselling can help you in different ways. Through life coaching I can help you articulate and achieve your goals. Counsellors can help you better deal with mental health issues which may arise in your life.
Coaching is great for helping those who are stuck on a certain goal to move forward. Counselling is brilliant for those feeling overwhelmed by an issue. You may decide you want one or the other. Or you may choose to utilise both coaching and counselling.
How can I learn more about Life Coaching?
I offer free 20 minute chats to anyone thinking of having life coaching. The chat can be over a coffee, on the phone or by video chat. Whichever makes you feel most comfortable. The chat gives you a chance to ask me more questions about how life coaching can work for you and for us to explore your goal.
