Life Coach or Life Coaching still seems somewhat of a mystery on the Internet. There are many schools offering training, but unlike my training as a Social Worker and Counselor, a Life Coach is not supervised by an experienced Life Coach while practicing in the field. Field experience under the guidance and support of a Life Coach Supervisor is essential for anyone to perform excellent Mental Health or Personal Training services. Essential.
What Is A Life Coach?
I have spent a significant amount of time reading articles, blogs, and ebooks online, seeking helpful, unbiased definitions of what a Life Coach is and does, and what Life Coaching isn’t. Rather than trying to define something with incredibly broad limits, I will share what it means to me.
I am trained as a Social Worker and Counselor, specifically in Holistic Counseling with youth, adults, couples, and families who have landed somewhere different from where they planned to be. I have worked in various capacities since 1993, serving those who want, need, or are forced to seek outside support and guidance.
I can support your innate need to be who you sense you are meant to be and hold your hand as you take the steps to become that person. I can help you discern who you are if that is a question you are struggling with. I can look you in the eye and tell you what you need to hear if that is what you need to get motivated to make the necessary shifts in your life or environment to begin to show the potential you know you have. Most of all, I will let you know when you are full of “it” and when you are speaking Truth. I will not let your ego run your life during our time together. I won’t stand for it. Hopefully, you won’t either when offered the choice. When not monitored, the ego can be insidious in its need for power and control.
“Michael has the ability to strip through layers of confusion and distortion to see into the heart and core of almost any matter. I don’t know many people who are able to be so gently respectful, playful, and fierce all at once. He holds these elements in balance while standing firmly and unshakably in his own truth, and he inspires the same in others.” E
What’s The Difference Between A Life Coach, Counselor, or Therapist?
To make matters easier for you, I will place Counselors and Therapists together for this discussion, although there are definitely distinctions between them. When I think of a Counselor, I picture someone who is focused on supporting you through your life experiences, family, and cultural and social programming toward a brighter future. Counselors and Therapists often work with clients experiencing a continuum of Mental Health issues, ranging from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to addiction to Schizophrenia to relationships and dating. The extensive training and education that most Counselors receive have prepared them to support your need for good health and care, and the direction to get there. My sense of Counseling and Therapy is wider than what most Life Coaches offer. I think a few Life Coaches are trained, experienced, and ready to work with you on serious trauma, mental health issues, and crisis intervention; there are exceptions, but that is my sense.
When I think about Life Coaching or Life Coaches, my sense of Life Coaching is geared toward working from this moment forward, which may or may not include working through childhood, traumatic, or life-changing experiences that led you to today. Again, this is a broad generalization, and realize that many Life Coaches are well-trained and experienced in working with these kinds of personal obstacles to well-being. Life Coaches typically work with you for a somewhat brief period to meet your goals and intentions or seek support and guidance from a professional.
The confusion seems to stem from the perception that Therapists and Counselors can’t do what Life Coaches do, and that Life Coaches can’t do what Therapists and Counselors can. I think there would be more overlap than expected if we could create a Venn Diagram of where they intersect.
Why Do Counselors, Therapists, and Life Coaches Disagree?
Most trained professionals are taught that what they do is specialized, unique, and exclusive. It is a self-serving approach that feeds its own belief systems. A doctor trained that the only treatment for cancer is chemotherapy and radiation will cling tightly to that premise; otherwise, it would challenge their past and present failures. A police officer that believes that all ________ are criminals (fill in the blank yourself) will rarely see them as innocent. You get the idea, you’re smart and know exactly what I mean.
Other Definitions & Benefits of Life Coaching
“Benefits of life coaching for teenagers can include an increase in self-esteem and confidence. Teens with a direction for their future that they are excited about are also less likely to want to stray from it by becoming involved in negative behaviors that may ruin their chances of getting the life they want. Life coaches typically help clients realize their life purpose and values, and discovering these may provide teenagers with a clear sense of self-awareness. Learning effective goal-setting strategies during life coaching for teenagers is likely to benefit adolescents for their whole lives.”[/quote_slide]
[quote_slide byline=”WebMD”]”Just about everyone has a vision of his or her ideal life. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of becoming a successful writer, musician, or corporate executive. Yet your vision hasn’t quite made the leap from your mind to reality. That’s where a life coach steps in. Life coaches provide the incentive and direction their clients need to improve their careers, relationships, and lives. They help clients to hone in on their skills and ambitions, refocus their life’s goals, and overcome obstacles that stand in the way of achieving goals.” Wise Geek
“The definition of a life coach is an individual who provides counseling and encouragement to help clients with career and personal matters to maximize their potential and to live their life in the way they desire.
A person you hire for advice and encouragement on maximizing your career and personal life is an example of a life coach. A life coach is a person who works with you to develop strategies to achieve your life goals. LoveToKnow Corp
Providence Holistic Counselor, Coach & Reiki Location and Rates
My office is in North Kingstown, RI. I do not accept insurance. I offer a sliding scale fee ($95-$175) based on your own discernment of need. I accept cash, checks, Venmo, and PayPal.
I invite you to contact me to see if we are a good fit to work together.