What is Life Coaching?

When most of us hear the word coach, we think of sports.  A coach is someone who instructs, or trains and has a sense of the overall strategy of the game.  So what is life coaching?
                                         
The earliest forms of coaching began to appear in the corporate world.  Since the 1970s, coaching has developed into a more independent discipline.  It is now recognized by many professionals engaged in human development.  Although there currently is no licensing requirement to be a life coach, there are many programs available which provide certification in a set of training standards.

The International Coaching Federation describes coaching this way:
“Coaching is an on-going partnership that helps clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life. Beginning with the clients’ desires, coaching uses reporting, exploring, and a consistent commitment to move the client forward. Coaching accelerates the clients’ progress by providing greater focus and awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where clients are today and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be tomorrow.”

Coaching may address different areas such as career and vocational, relationships, money and finance, health and fitness, sports, etc.  It is forward looking when compared with counseling which often looks at the past to understand the present.  If a coach recognizes a need to work on past issues, they will refer their client to a therapist.  For some, after working on issues in therapy, coaching becomes a good transition for how to move forward with their new tools. 

One of the most unique features of coaching is that it is most commonly done by phone.  Generally sessions last from 45 minutes to an hour and are committed to in groups of sessions.  A coaching session may result in some action steps for the client to work on between sessions. 
 
Life coaching that is faith-based uses a Biblical approach that acknowledges God as our creator. A client may be seeking the best way to use his unique gifts or what direction God would have him pursue. 

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Kay Levan and Dr. Larry Ousley

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