What is a Life Coach?
Life coaching requires a certain period of training, usually up to a year, depending on the school, and what you put into it i.e. how many practice hours you are willing to achieve, how closely and for how long you work with a mentor coach, and how consistently you work with one or many learning partners.
A Life Coach is not a therapist or meant to take the place of a therapist. Most people become certified in Life Coaching, because in some way, shape or form, they are already good at it. On top of this, many have professional degrees at the Masters level or above, and bring much colorful background and varied unique talents to the mix. Coaches bring to their practices who they are, what their life experience has been, and what they are capable of, and that is usually reflected in their practice.
A coach partners with a client to reach goals, sort things out, see clearly all options, asks pointed questions, brainstorms, thinks out of the box, has wonderful creativity, and only sometimes gives advice. A coach is extremely supportive and encouraging on a consistent basis with the focus always on you and what you want to achieve. A coach will give you assignments from one week to the next, if you agree, to help you stay accountable to your goals. All of these skills are learned in training, but as mentioned before, a lot depends on what you bring with you.
If you are in a lot of emotional pain, and are not seeing a therapist, a coach is not your first stop. During coach training, a coach is trained to understand what requires a therapist, and what does not. And a professional coach will let a client know that ASAP. On the other hand, coaching can be an adjunct to therapy, to help someone move forward and set goals in addition to therapy.
Depending on the clients needs as well, the option could be in-person, or by phone.
May the Ribbono Shel Olam send each of us the proper shliach for all of our needs.