What exactly is coaching?
"Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." International Coaches Federation
Coaching is a partnership centered on a client’s journey of self-discovery, in which they learn about themselves, practice new skills to develop habits that create the right conditions to move toward and sustain what maximizes their potential and makes them most fulfilled.
How do I know if coaching is right for me?
Even the most talented and motivated people can find themselves stuck in a rut. Coaching can help people who are tired of their current situation and ready to learn about themselves and make a change.
Ask yourself if you relate to any of these issues:
- I want a thought partner, a sounding board for managing high-level responsibilities
- I feel stuck, even lost
- I have an enormous workload and I'm afraid of failing
- I have a distinct lack of clarity about something in my life or work
- I’m facing a crossroads, a life transition, or I need to make a decision, and I don’t know what to do
- I want a powerful career shift but I’m not sure what's next
- I realize I’m having trouble answering the question, "What do I really want?"
- I am having difficulty navigating a personal or work relationship
- I seek support and accountability in setting transformational goals
- I suspect life could feel more satisfying or meaningful
- I’m successful but not happy
- I lack balance in my life
- I’m not feeling motivated or passionate
If any of these statements resonate, coaching may be helpful.
What's the difference between coaching and therapy?
The same issues often surface in both coaching and therapy sessions. The main difference between the practices is the focus. Therapy is often about diagnosing dysfunction and/or processing difficult emotions that emerge from family-of-origin issues. Coaching is about putting clients on their own uniquely personal path towards fulfillment by helping them to identify their deepest values and developing practical ways to move towards them.
Coaching and therapy can be very complementary processes that, working alongside one another, help accelerate a client's progress in both personal and professional endeavors.