More and more we are hearing the term Life Coach. When we hear the term Life Coach we tend to think of sports and the role Coaches play with athletes. They push, prod, hold high expectations and see the potential of the athlete to go farther, dig deeper, fly higher, to be the best they can be, even when the athlete can’t picture themselves doing everything their coach thinks they can do. A Life Coach holds a similar role as they help you meet your expectations in life, reach out and push for your personal and professional best, and assist you by helping you to determine what you want your life to be like, and help you assess what is most important to you.
They will assist you with goal setting, prioritizing, recognizing the obstacles that keep you stuck, and identify techniques and strategies to help you meet your goals. One primary similarity between Therapy and Life Coaching is that each specialty assists you in setting goals, incorporating strategies, and setting up benchmarks on your journey. Whereas a therapist will help you with the clinical issues in life, such as anxiety and depression, and a coach will embrace the belief that everyone can benefit from someone who is trying to get to a destination, not just eradicating pain and pushing for healing.
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."
— Mae West
Some people refuse to go to a Therapist due to the stigma but will accept and seek out a Coach who can help them go from zero to 10 in domains of life satisfaction, whether it is a career change or developmental transitions, dealing with life changes and expectations. Some of the areas a coach will assist in include but are not limited to the following:
- Managing stress in family/work life
- Positive Parenting
- Balancing Life Changes and Roles
- Time Management
- Creating Changes in Your Life
- Overcoming Challenges and Daily Struggles
- Time-Management
- Communication
- Career Assessment and Transition
- Handling Conflict
- Getting Along Better with Others
- Improving Self-Esteem and Conquering Self-Doubt
Coaches are experienced, educated, and very vested in your success. Therapists are also very educated, experienced, and well-trained. Be mindful that in a lot of states, Coaches are not necessarily regulated or licensed. Therapists are required to pass Board exams and undergo Clinical Intern/Residency hours before they are allowed to practice without supervision. At the Center for Family Counseling, we offer both, and those that do offer Coaching consultations are often Psychotherapists as well!