WHAT IS LIFE COACHING?

Life Coaching

Life coach is a trained wellness professional who assists people to identify their goals, recognize barriers holding them back, and then come up with strategies to help overcome those barriers. Grant & Greene, (2001) describes life coaching as a collaborative relationship – which is formed between the client and the coach for the purpose of achieving personal development outcomes. The description of personal goals is set to the extent of an individual’s current capacities. Life coaching is dialogue-based but action-oriented. That is, it involves both talking and doing. – the coach plays the role of the facilitator and helps the client develop and implement solutions to the ongoing challenges faced during goal striving. The life coach works with the client by developing solutions to the issues and promoting optimal functioning.

Life coach can be described in three important words i.e.

Guidance – The life coach is like an advisor people can trust or a supportive friend, who provides guidance in navigating a significant life change, such as taking on a new career. In most cases they help individuals in building a happier and meaningful life.

Empowerment – The coach facilitates the discussions with the individuals that help them realize their potential, self-worth, and beliefs. The coach encourages the individuals throughout their journey to become a better version of themselves.

Improvement – The coach uses talk therapy which enables individuals to focus on their personal goals and aspirations. The individuals improve the quality of their well-being and become more goal directed.

What to Expect

The first step is that the life coach will look to gain an overall perspective of individuals lives, before identifying which area they seek to improve or are currently struggling with.

Next, the life coach and client will create and agree upon goals that will further be broken down into more achievable objectives.

Finally, the individual works on the techniques learned during the session that may help them to deal with certain unresolved issues and make them feel empowered and uplifted.

Approach - Cognitive-behavioral, solution-focused coaching

According to this approach, the goal can be achieved by understanding the relationships that exist between thoughts, feelings, behavior, and the environment, and structuring these in ways that best support goal attainment. The inclusion of solution focused techniques into this cognitive-behavioral framework help orientate coaching toward assisting clients to tap into their personal strengths and resources. Grant and Greene (2001) as cited in (Spence, & Grant, 2007) developed this approach, he explains, this approach assists individuals to enhance goal striving by (1) developing a future vision, (2) identifying desired outcomes, (3) establishing specific personal goals, (4) enhancing motivation by identifying strengths and building self-efficacy, (5) identifying resources and formulating action plans, (6) regularly monitoring and evaluating progress, and (7) the modification of action plans (based on the evaluation of progress). The life coach helps individuals move through this self-regulatory cycle, by monitoring and evaluating their goal progression each week, and developing action plans for each coming week.

Reference

Spence, G. B., & Grant, A. M. (2007). Professional and peer life coaching and the

enhancement of goal striving and well-being: An exploratory study. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2(3), 185-194.

For more information on Life coaching or if you would like to book an appointment with one of our therapists that specializes in coaching please give us a call 647-267-9853 or email us info@vaughanpsychotherapist.com