Find A Life Coach

Does working with a life coach help or hinder you in any way?

This is an important question so let us look at how to find a right-for-you life coach and indeed one that will not hinder or harm your process or progress in any way.

Unfortunately the life coaching industry like so many others are plagued by so-called “coaches” who advertise and market themselves as life coaches and who, without knowing it, do more harm in the long run to their clients. It may be unintentional and without any malicious intent but unfortunately momentarily ignorance does not serve a client who is in need of real professional help, young or old.

These so-called coaches often run workshops to ‘teach’ their clients how to act, behave or experience situations and worst of all, they ’share’ from a perspective of inner-wisdom and ‘intuitive knowledge’! They are free with their opinions and believe that those opinions will impact and even shape the lives of others. How arrogant!

We spoke previously about the pitfalls of opinions so let us explore that a little further and deeper.

  1. Remember, opinions are just that. They are personal views, beliefs and ultimately statements by people who believe them to be true.
  2. An opinion is an interpretation of either factual material or something lighthearted or even an observation.
  3. Giving opinions are inappropriate because they hardly ever relate to you, your experiences or your life but rather formed by the giver around his/her own life experiences.

So how can you find a life coach who won’t simply part opinions disguised as ‘help’ which can harm or hamper your efforts of challenging yourself, whilst making you believe that they are the answer or panacea to your pain?

  1. Look for a life coach with credible qualifications.
  2. Ask your life coach about their credentials and their training and follow up on those.
  3. Ask your life coach about the methodology or coaching process/es they use.
  4. Request testimonials and contact details of their previously coached (not helped) clients and follow up on those.
  5. Ask your life coach what you will gain from embarking on either individual coaching sessions or workshops/seminars with them.

Here are some pointers of what Life Coaches DO NOT do:

  1. Life coaches do not ‘help’ their clients. They facilitate their client’s transformation through professional processes and methodologies whilst demanding the most and best from their clients.
  2. A good life coach asks questions 90% of the time and gives feedback 10% of the time.
  3. A life coach will never tell you what to do.
  4. A life coach will ask permission to share an opinion and he/she will be clear that it is an opinion only.
  5. A life coach will not steal your limelight. The coaching process is about you, the client and not about your Life Coach, their knowledge wisdom or workshop.
  6. A life coach will have no agenda when coaching you, even though they may be excited and encouraging about your progress.
  7. A life coach walks his/her talk in all aspects of his/her life.
  8. A good life coach knows how to empower you without having to blow hot air about their abilities or successes.
  9. A life coach does not counsel you.  Good coaches recognise that counsellors are trained to make suggestions, help and point people in the right direction.  A really good life coach will encourage you to tap into the vast field of knowledge and wisdom you posses whilst encouraging you to find the right-for-you solutions.

It’s healthy to keep a cynical perspective of any information or opinions you receive. If they don’t apply to you, you do not have to accept them or take them on as true for you. Always ask of yourself:

Is this true or is this true because he/she says it is so?

And lastly, after doing all your homework, find a life coach who motivates you in wanting to reach higher and stretch yourself further instead of hearing how their inner wisdom or knowledge applies to your unique situation!