Life coaching
Life coaching is a profession aimed at helping individuals achieve specific personal or professional goals, such as enhancing relationships, improving health, or advancing careers. Originating in the late 20th century, life coaching has evolved from a practice associated with wellness to a recognized profession with diverse specializations, including personal and corporate coaching. Coaches work with clients to identify their current situations and desired goals, facilitating a supportive relationship that encourages personal growth. The coaching process often begins with an initial meeting to establish rapport and mutual understanding of objectives. While coaches do not provide direct instructions, they guide clients through motivation and strategic questioning to overcome obstacles. The field is somewhat controversial, as there are no formal licensing requirements, allowing individuals to enter the profession without standardized training. However, organizations like the International Coach Federation (ICF) offer certification programs to enhance accountability and professionalism within the industry. Many life coaches report high client satisfaction, and the profession has significantly grown in popularity, particularly influenced by media figures who have brought attention to its benefits.
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Life coaching
Life coaching is a profession in which coaches help clients reach specific goals. These goals may be personal, such as finding a fulfilling relationship or losing weight, or professional, such as earning a promotion or starting a small business. Overall, most clients who use life coaches claim to be satisfied with the results and would even use a life coach again. However, potential clients should be aware of issues within this emerging industry before they hire a life coach.
Background
Life coaches are sometimes referred to as life gurus or mentors. People have sought out advice from mentors for thousands of years. Yet, life coaching did not begin to emerge as a profession until the late twentieth century. The industry has its origins in the 1970s, a time when many people began focusing on improving personal wellness.
No one is exactly sure how the sports metaphor inherent in the title of life coach came about. It may be because some of the pioneers in this field had sports backgrounds. One of these people was Tim Gallwey, a former tennis player and coach who wrote the book The Inner Game of Tennis in 1974. In this book, Gallwey discusses the anxiety and self-doubt that many players experience in their own minds. The author explains how players can let go of these stresses to help improve their game. Gallwey's principles were later applied to other fields, such as music and business.
Another pioneer in the life coaching industry was Thomas Leonard, who worked as a financial advisor during the 1980s. After realizing that many people who needed financial advice also seemed to need guidance in other areas of their lives, Leonard became a life advisor, or coach. Leonard established several coaching businesses and organizations. In 1992, he started the internet coaching company Coach U. Three years later, he helped to found the International Coach Federation (ICF), which trains and accredits both personal and professional life coaches around the world.
Leonard, who died suddenly in 2003, founded the site CoachVille and cofounded the International Association of Coaching. He also wrote several books about life coaching, including Working Wisdom (1997) and The Portable Coach (1998).
During the 1990s and early 2000s, media personalities such as Oprah Winfrey helped popularize the idea of life coaching. Personal coach Cheryl Richardson, one of Leonard's mentees, appeared on Winfrey's high-rated daytime talk show to discuss her best-selling books, including Life Makeovers, and the life coaching profession in general.
In the twenty-first century, life coaching gained recognition as a legitimate profession, as coaching organizations and companies formed in the United States and other countries. According to the 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study, there were more than seventeen thousand coach practitioners working in North America in 2015. The study also showed that there were more than fifty-three thousand coach practitioners working around the world.
Overview
There are different types of life coaches and different styles of life coaching. The two main categories of life coaches are personal and professional. However, some coaches take issue with the idea that personal and professional life coaches are separate, arguing that a good life coach will be able to help clients realize their goals in any area of their lives.
Personal coaches might include general life coaches, health coaches, relationship coaches, and personal finance coaches. These coaches might help people reach their exercise goals, assist single people looking for a partner, or provide strategies to help people buy their first house or save money for retirement.
Similarly, there are various types of professional life coaches, sometimes referred to as corporate life coaches. Some examples include executive coaches, small business coaches, and career/transition coaches. Professional/corporate coaches can help employees deal with work stress, assist owners in growing their small businesses, and provide resources to people looking to change career fields.
Whether life coaches are hired for personal or professional reasons, their tasks are the same: they must determine where clients are in their lives, learn what their ultimate goals are, and develop strategies to help their clients close the gap between the two. Usually, the process begins with a meeting. The coach and client may meet in person or via video chat. The two discuss the client's goals and try to determine if they will work together. Many coaches believe that the client-coach relationship is critical to ensuring a positive result. In some cases, a client may have to meet with a few coaches before finding the right person.
After coaches are hired, they try to determine how they can help their clients meet their goals. They often set up scheduled meetings with their clients and conduct routine check-ins via text or email to monitor their clients' progress. It is important to note that life coaches do not tell clients specifically what to do. They attempt to motivate and guide their clients in directions that will allow them to achieve their goals. They may do this by asking their clients leading questions or discussing ways clients can overcome specific fears to advance their progress.
Some life coaches work full time and have many clients. Others work part time as life coaches and have only a few clients. Part-time coaches often have other full- or part-time jobs. Some coaches charge a flat fee for their services, while others charge clients a by-the-hour rate that varies depending on location and the coach's reputation. The 2016 ICF Global Coaching Study found that the average yearly income for life coaches was around $61,000 in North America.
Life coaching is a somewhat controversial field. This is mostly because, at least in the United States, life coaches are not required to be licensed. Since there are no regulations in the industry, anyone can claim to be a life coach without receiving training and try to enlist clients. Additionally, some critics argue that life coaches are no different from counselors, who must receive proper training and accreditation before they can practice.
In an effort to combat some of these criticisms, the ICF offers several certification options for life coaches. These include associate certified coach, professional certified coach, and master certified coach. Coaches certified through the ICF need to complete a certain number of training and experience hours before they can be considered an associate, professional, or master certified coach.
Bibliography
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