Is Having a Life Coach Right for You?
For my part, the simple and quick answer to this question is…..yes.
Having been a Life Coach NYC & Mindset Coach for around 20 years now and having had lots of types of coaching for myself, I can tell you that it has been vital for my learning and growth, both personally and professionally.
These days, more and more people are learning or know more about coaching and coaches of all kinds: life coach, mindset coach, personal development coach, dating coach, confidence coach and these types of coaching get even more specific.
Quite often, people will ask me the differences between coaching and therapy, so, in this week’s blog post, I’ll explain the differences……and also add consulting to the mix.
DIFFERENCES: COACHING, THERAPY, CONSULTING:
-THERAPY: is also called counseling or psychotherapy and is a long-term process in which a client/patient works with the therapist to diagnose and resolve problematic beliefs, behaviors, feelings, relationship issues and more. It asks the WHY questions and focuses on your past, and on introspection and analysis, with the hope of resolving past issues and creating a happier, healthier and more stable future. It works on relating your past to your present thinking, behaviors, attitudes, thoughts, etc. The idea is to focus on past issues and trauma and to change self-destructive habits, and work through painful feelings. Therapy, whether it be psychoanalytic, CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) or any other type or combination of these, can be extremely helpful and sometimes, quite necessary, to allow you to learn about yourself, to change and to grow, into a more authentic and healthier version of yourself.
It can be vital for those of us who have a history of trauma, whether it be Large T trauma or Small T trauma (refer to previous blog posts). Our trauma may have caused us to forget much of what we experienced and it’s important to, at least, have the awareness of trauma.
A goal of therapy is the client’s overall mental health. So, therapy can be helpful for issues like depression, anxiety, trauma.
For coaching, therapy and consulting, it’s important to have AWARENESS, particularly self-awareness. You must be able to look inside and do whatever ‘inner work’ needs to be done……
As Carl G. Jung said, “Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
-CONSULTING: is done when you’re an expert in your field. For example: if a dentist comes to me and asks for suggestions about how to run a dental practice in NYC, I could consult with them. (I used to be a dentist and practiced in NYC). In this case,I am an expert who knows their stuff and is sharing it and/or giving advice to my consulting clients.
Consulting is focused on a business or company and its main goal is to work out a strategy or strategies, to achieve the desired results. A client works with a consultant to build business processes and to achieve the business or company goals.
-COACHING: mostly takes you from your present to your future ands asks the What, Who, Where, When and How questions. It’s action and results-oriented. The coach does not need to be an expert in your particular field (ie: career); they have to know how to question you and what questions to ask. They have to do deep listening, which also involves hearing between the words; being aware of your words, your body language, your tone, your energy and more.
A life coach helps to get you from where you are now to where you want to be! The coach takes your current starting point as an acceptable neutral ground (starting where you are now) and is more action-based from that point onward. A life coach (different kinds) works with you to clarify your goals and to identify obstacles and problematic behaviors that hold you back. Then, you create an action plan to achieve your desired results.
The life coach is not necessarily a healthcare professional. Sometimes, they are…………….(I was a dentist).
A life coach enables their client to take control of their life and take action toward their goals and intentions.
DIFFERENCES & APPROACHES:
-So, therapists analyze their patient’s past as a tool for understanding present behaviors and actions; again, it’s the WHY certain patterns occur. Therapy focuses on your thoughts and feelings and how your past informs them.
Though coaching may touch on these ideas while you figure out your limiting beliefs and blocks, its ultimate focus is on the present and the future.
- Coaches work on HOW to work toward a goal.
The goal of coaching is to help you to get ‘unstuck,’ personally and/or professionally. It’s about action and results and life coaches measure their client’s success with performance indicators and specific behavioral outcomes. They’ll help you to set S.M.A.R.T. goals, will support and encourage you and will provide accountability. They will celebrate your wins and cheer you on, on your path to attaining your goals and achieving your dreams.
Coaching sessions are usually more structured than therapy sessions and are focused on strategies, taking action and visible, measured growth. A coach does not diagnose you, while a therapist does.
-One of the big differences between a life coach and a therapist is that a life coach gives clients the tools, process and skills they need, so that they can eventually coach themselves.
The length of time of coaching depends on the specific type of coaching and what the client wants to accomplish (ie: goals).
Both coaching and therapy work with both the conscious and unconscious mind, depending on the type of coaching. With my work as a Mindset Coach, I work with both.
-A therapist can identify the patient’s problem, analyze it and after a certain time, find its solution. A coach helps the client to formulate the task; to help the client find confidence and self-sufficiency. The coach works to achieve the client’s goals within a limited time frame, depending on the type of coaching and the needs and desires of the client.
-For example, as a Mindset Coach, I tend to work with clients over, at least, 3 months. They need this time to change mental habits (of mind and brain) and to develop new and better ones, for their lives. For real and lasting inner state change, more time is needed.
-A therapist determines a patient’s problem and helps solve it through psychological analysis of the past.
-A coach works with the past, present and future and helps to change the client’s current resourceful state, what physical and mental strength and energy are present and to solve the tasks. She also helps to define goals and the client’s true desires and needs for further actions and achievements. Perhaps the client couldn’t achieve something in their past because they didn’t have any important skill in that area. These skills can be developed now, in the present moment and the client learns how to develop these new resourceful states, to achieve their goal and to learn for the future.
My friends, it’s your turn and your time to make the changes you need, to change your thoughts and to change your life. No more excuses. No more waiting for the perfect, right time (this doesn’t exist). No more holding yourself back from the success and joy you’re meant to have. It’s time to change and to take your life to the next level. Go for it!
With smiles and love,
Dr. Gigi
PS: Please join me on my newly updated website @www.gigiarnaud.com
Please tell me what you think and sign up for your Free Clarity Call!
Change your Thoughts, Change your Life, Change your World