What is a life and career coach?

A life coach is a trained professional who aims to help and guide individuals to make, meet and exceed personal and professional goals. They support clients on a journey to rediscover their own strengths and abilities; this can include excelling in the workplace, becoming happy and fulfilled at home, exploring your potential, managing health conditions, and achieving life ambitions. 

By harnessing techniques based on core psychological principles and intuition, coaches empower clients and provide a toolkit of teachings to confidently face challenges and overcome barriers.

A coach won’t tell you what to do, instead, they will use questioning techniques to help you uncover the answers yourself. They’ll also provide an objective and empowering environment for you to explore any challenges you’re facing.

At the heart of it all lies the idea that clients must be given the power to help themselves. Offering advice, opinions and judgements would undermine some of the basic principles behind life coaching.

• Coaching vs Counseling. 

Coaching focuses more on the client in the here and now and conducts sessions with the future as the central point to encourage personal development and self-improvement. Counseling is a form of talking therapy associated with assessing the individual in the here and now but working to determine past events that have contributed to their client’s current struggles. A counsellor will help clients develop coping mechanisms and strategies to move forward with their life. 

The main difference between counseling and coaching is that counseling can investigate the underlying causes of mental health problems. Coaches are not (unless specified) qualified to diagnose or treat any health-related problems, although if the situation arises, they may suggest you see a GP. 

• What can I expect of the coaching process?

The coaching process is characterized by a few things. Coaching will provide you with a supportive and non-judgmental space for you to discuss whatever is important to you. Coaching is solution-focused which means we may spend a small amount of time trying to make sense of why things are the way that they are, we’ll also be asking ‘what can we do about it?’

You won’t be advised to act in a specific way, the choices are yours, but you will be asked questions that encourage you to think differently and to open new opportunities. I’m happy to brainstorm with you when you are stuck, and I’ll help keep you accountable for doing the things that you say you are going to do. 

Coaching is a positive, validating, supportive experience. You’ll leave feeling clearer about your direction, confident in your ability to achieve your objectives, and you’ll have a greater degree of self-awareness.

• What are your ethical standards?

I operate within the ethical standards set out by the International Coach Federation. I’m committed to providing a professional service with a guarantee of confidentiality. I provide you with a Coaching Agreement at the commencement of your coaching outlining our terms of business. 

• Who do you coach? 

I work with people motivated to meet a specific life goal, make a major change, find, and fulfill their calling, live a balanced life with more joy, ease and meaning. 

Some specific examples of categories of people I work with include: 

Mothers with young and/or school aged children 

Young people—college, gap year, and career bound People with a social conscience and/or advancing social change.

Entrepreneurs

Business professionals 

Fundraisers

Non-profit organization leadership and staff

• Do you accept insurance?

Unfortunately we cannot accept insurance, however you should inquire as to whether you can use a flex spending account (should you have one) or self-direction monies for life coaching sessions.