Why You Should Consider a Life Coach

As little as a decade ago the term “life coach” had a somewhat cheesy ring to it; it was considered for many to be a little uncool. However, that’s definitely not the case today. Coaching has seen a massive uptick in popularity.

In the wake of the pandemic, it’s fair to say that the market for coaching and self-improvement has exploded, and it’s easy to see why. When there’s uncertainty in life, people will naturally look for guidance, and with the steep costs of therapy these days, many have turned to coaching as a form of self-help and support. Not to say that coaching should ever substitute, professional mental health support, but for those that feel they don’t need a therapist, but still want a supportive, professional person to help them achieve some personal goals, coaching provides a solution.

Coaching has become very much “on trend” with various high-profile people openly admitting to having a coach. Super-successful people like Oprah, Serena Williams, Leonardo Di Caprio, and even the band Metallica, tout the advantages of having a Life Coach. Oprah has been a major advocate of coaching for over 25 years and openly attributes some of her success to being coached by Martha Beck.

What I personally find inspiring is the fact that even coaches, get coached! Tony Robbins, possibly the most famous coach in the world who’s worked with everyone from Princess Diana to American presidents, has his own Life Coach. And you might be forgiven for wondering; “if these people are so successful, why do they need a coach?” The fact is that the only thing that separates celebrities and successful people from us, is their jobs. People are still people, and all humans experience challenges in life regardless of their perceived status. Whether it’s to do with health, family, finances, motivation, or meaning in their life; most people wrestle with some of these issues at some point.

What’s the Difference Between Coaching & Therapy?

• Coaching can definitely be therapeutic, but there are major differences between psychological therapy and life coaching.
• A licensed therapist will have had extensive training within the medical field of therapy that allows them to use interventions especially aimed at treating, and improving a client’s mental health. A life coach will not have had this essential training and is, therefore, not equipped or licensed to diagnose or treat any mental health issues.
• A certified Life Coach will have been trained in helpful strategies and techniques that allow them to look at your present, and help support you in creating the future you desire.
• “A therapist will often look at your past; to try and help you manage your present,” says licensed psychotherapist Tess Brigman
• While coaching is action-oriented, therapy is more insight-oriented.

What Can Coaching Help Me With?

Coaching can help with so many topics that it may be hard to list them all here, but basically, if you have something in your life that you would like to improve (as long as it doesn’t require medical intervention, which a coach is not qualified to provide), then there’s a coach out there who can help.

• Confidence: By listening empathetically, helping you feel understood, identifying goals, and supporting you to be action-focused, a coach can help you to increase your confidence massively.
• Motivation: Sometimes a stranger can see things in our own life that we cannot, and with the use of proven motivational strategies, a Life Coach can give us the edge and push us on to achieve our goals.
• Stress Management: By introducing us to beneficial exercises such as meditation and mindfulness, which have been scientifically proven to lower stress; a coach can help demonstrate how we can bring more calm and balance to our lives.
• Organization: A coach will help you to implement effective techniques that will streamline, de-clutter your life and become more productive. If organization isn’t your strong point; why not invest in the knowledge of an expert who you can learn from?
• Relationships: There are specialized coaches out there for just about every niche you can think of; and with personal relationships being one of the most important things in our lives, you’ve guessed it, there are coaches dedicated to supporting people to have better relationships.

Furthermore, the world of coaching has become so much more diversified that you can find coaching support that is highly specialized regardless of gender or sexual orientation. For example, there are coaches who specialize in relationship coaching for men, the LGBTQ+ community, coaching for women, issues facing gay men; and so much, much more.

So, if you’d like to feel like you’ve got someone on your side, who can help you to achieve your goals, increase your confidence and maybe even organize your life; why not consider hiring a professional Life Coach?

-Catherine Smith

Photo:  Drew Beamer/Unsplash