About Coaching

 Life coaching is a professional relationship that supports people in achieving extraordinary results in their lives.”
—International Coaching Federation

A few basics about life coaching . . .

Life coaching supports you in aligning your life with your highest goals and dreams. It helps you access your inner wisdom to design your life consistent with your core self.

Life coaches often say we “coach to the gap,” which refers to the gap between where you are now in your life and where you’d like to be. If you have a goal or a vision, regardless of how distinct or fuzzy, a life coach can support you in mapping out the steps to get there.

The agenda of each life-coaching session is set by the client. You come to the session with a focus and a sense of what you want to take away. We work together to be sure you get what you came for, as well as several strategies for taking your new insights for a “test drive” to see how they work in your day-to-day life.

How is life coaching different from psychotherapy?

Unlike psychotherapy, which frequently focuses on the past and on what isn’t working, life coaching focuses on what is working and how to create more of it. Life coaching harnesses your strengths, skills, values, and dreams in the service of creating your life as you want it to be.

Life coaches recognize that delving deeply into the past is sometimes a necessary step in a person’s personal-growth journey. Persistent obstacles to moving forward, such as chronic depression or deep-seated self-esteem issues, are best addressed in therapy. But if you’re feeling sparked to create new possibilities in your life, and if you’re ready to devote sustained energy in that direction, life coaching is probably right for you.

*COACHING vs. THERAPY DOWNLOAD*

How is life coaching different from consulting?

A life coach is a partner and co-collaborator—not an expert. You are the expert on your life, and you gain valuable experience in accessing your expertise during every session. A life coach contributes observations, thought-provoking questions, and a variety of tools to support you in moving forward and attaining your goals. But it’s not the job of a professionally trained life coach to offer prescriptions or advice.

In short, life coaching isn’t about fixing a problem, it’s about creating a future—the best future you dream of for your life. Many people long for a partner in that journey, someone who will walk beside them and assist them in sorting through options, strategies, and possibilities. That’s the work of a life coach.

I invite you to join me on a wonderful, life-changing adventure.