What Exactly is Life Coaching?

How can Life Coaching help me?

A number of benefits are available from participating in Life Coaching. Coaches can provide support, problem-solving skills, and enhanced coping strategies for areas such as stress, work-life balance, relationship development and improvement, parents in need of strategies for kids and teens, college student challenges, stress management, time management, communication improvement, transitions in life, conflict resolution, and creative blocks. Many people also find that Life Coaches can be a tremendous asset to managing personal growth, interpersonal relationships, family education, relational challenges, and the hassles of daily life. Life Coaches also can provide a fresh perspective on a difficult problem or point you in the direction of a solution. The benefits obtained from coaching depend on how well you use the process and put into practice what you learn. Some of the benefits available from Life and Executive Coaching include:

Attaining a better understanding of yourself, your goals and values
Developing skills for improving your relationships
Finding resolution to the issues or concerns that led you to seek coaching
Learning new ways to cope with stress
Managing communication in the work place setting, social relationships, family situations
Improving communications and listening skills
Changing old behavior patterns and developing new ones
Discovering new ways improve family or marriage
Improving your self-esteem and boosting self-confidence
Gain skills in conflict resolution

Do I really need to seek Life or Executive Coaching? I can usually work through life challenges.

Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support and learn new skills when you need it. In fact, coaching is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need to learn new ways of thinking, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you're at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking new skills by working with a life coach. Life Coaching provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to create the life you seek.

Why do people seek Life Coaches and Consultants and how do I know if it is right for me?

People have many different motivations for coming to seek coaching. Some may be going through a major life transition (unemployment, divorce, new job, etc.), or are not handling stressful circumstances well. Some people need assistance managing a range of other issues such as low self-esteem, seeking life design, seeking ways to find new paths for new life chapters, or creative blocks. A Life Coach can help provide some much needed encouragement and help with skills to get them through these challenges. Others may be at a point where they are ready to learn more about themselves or want to be more effective with their goals in life. In short, people who seek coaching are ready to meet the challenges in their lives and ready to make needed changes in their lives.

What is a Life Coaching session like?

Because each person has different issues and goals for their life coaching, each individual will be different depending on the individual. In general, you can expect to discuss the current situations impacting your life, provide a brief personal history relevant to your issue, and report progress (or any new insights gained) from the previous life coaching session. Depending on your specific needs, life coaching can be short-term, for a specific issue, or longer-term, to deal with more in depth goals setting and achievement. The main goal is for you to have the desire for improved personal development. Either way, it is most common to schedule regular sessions with your coach (usually weekly) or every two weeks, depending upon your agreed pre-planned package.

It is important to understand that you will get more results from your chosen coaching sessions if you actively participate in the process. The ultimate purpose of Life Coaching is to help you bring what you learn in session back into your life. Therefore, beyond the work you do in Life Coaching sessions, your Life Coach will suggest some things you can do outside of sessions to support your process - such as reading a pertinent book, journaling on specific topics, noting particular behaviors or taking action on your goals through targeted activities. People seeking Life and Executive Coaching are ready to make positive changes in their lives, are open to new perspectives and take responsibility for their lives.

What about mental health issues in Coaching?

Life and Executive Coaches do not include in coaching sessions that include mental health disorders or issues. If there is a concern for mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, etc. then the coach will direct the client to see separate services from the mental health clinician of their choosing. Due to the Ethics and Standards of coaching, a coach does not include any type of therapy or treatment in work with a life coaching client. The Life Coach may have a clinical license in mental health yet they keep the services separate. A life coach does not provide also mental health services to the same client.

How Do I Pay for Life and Executive Coaching Sessions?

Life and Executive Coaching sessions are private pay. These services are not covered by any insurance plan or EAP (Employee Assistance Plan). Sessions are purchased by pre-payment, as a package, for a pre-determined number of hours for the plan of coaching with the client.

Confidentiality is one of the most important components between a client and life coach. Successful life coaching requires a high degree of trust that is usually not discussed anywhere but in the coaching session. Every Life Coach should provide a written copy of their confidential disclosure agreement, and you can expect that what you discuss in session will not be shared with anyone. This is called “Informed Consent”. Sometimes, however, you may want your life coach to share information but by law your coach cannot release this information without obtaining your written permission.

Life Coaching Ethics and Standards require coaches to maintain confidentiality. Coaches do not have licenses as mental health clinicians in the state. Yet most coaches have passed extensive training, taken Board Examinations, and have passed the requirements to be a Board Certified Coach through an internationally recognized organization. Kathy L. Fortner, has Boards in Life and Executive Coaching, and has been continually Board Certified since 2012. She also is a member of the International Coaching Federation where there continues to be on-going education and training in her field. She also is a Board Certified Clinical Counselor yet only sees EAP clients in the part-time virtual practice.

What about your considering Life Coaching sessions? Coaching is a great way to work through this year planning and creating new goals, a new vision, or plan.