Life Coaching, what it is-What it isn’t
Submitted by Elisabeth_Davies on
Life Coaching is a fairly new industry, developed in 1990. It’s roots can be traced to Benjamin Karter, a college football coach, turned motivational speaker in the late 1970′s early 1980′s.
Today Life Coaching is recognized by many career industries as its own distinct profession. Life Coaching is defined as a future-focused practice that helps clients specify and achieve their personal goals. 1
A Life Coach is not a psychotherapist. Psychological intervention is outside of the scope of a Life Coach. The State legislature of Colorado held a hearing on this matter in 1994 and concluded that , “Coaching is unlike therapy because it does not focus on examining nor diagnosing the past. Instead coaching focuses on effecting change in a client’s current and future behavior.” 2 A psychotherapist specializes in the treatment and diagnosis of mental illness or dysfunction. They are required to have a minimum of a masters degree in the related field of psychology and be licensed in their state of practice. Psychotherapists are state and government regulated.
Government agencies have not found it necessary to provide a regulatory standard for Life Coaches. There is no specific education or training requirement to become a Life Coach. Life Coach training-schools and programs are available to persons wanting to become a Life Coach. Erickson Life Coach School (www.erickson.edu/life-coach-school.com) and Express Coaching (www.expresscoaching.net) are two of many schools that are available. Typically it takes approximately 6 months to complete a Life Coach training program. A Life Coach can become certified or credentialed. The specific techniques that many Life Coaches draw upon are developed from management consulting and leadership training, which are rooted in executive coaching. Many Life Coaches draw on their style of practice from disciplines such as mentoring, counseling, sociology, personal development, and psychology. A Life Coach may use techniques such as; goal setting, mentoring, values assessment, role modeling and behavior modification in helping their clients. A Life Coach should ask their client powerful questions that help the client focus on what is most important now and for their future. A client will want to seek out the services of a Life Coach for solutions to matters such as; financial freedom, career direction, better interpersonal relationships, achieving specific personal goals, being your best authentic self and reaching your full potential as a person. If you are looking to hire a professional Life Coach, The Coach Exchange (www.thecoachexchange.com) is one of many places to find a qualified Life Coach. Life Coaching is not covered by any Insurance Plans, so a client must pay out-of-pocket for services offered by a Life Coach. Typical prices for a Life Coach can range anywhere from $120 -$450 per hour. Some Life Coaches charge by the month for their services and their fees include utilizing them by phone, e-mail, web cam, office or home visits as needed throughout the month. If you have more questions about how Life Coaches operate, Exceptional Coaching (www.exceptionalcoaching.com) is a website that answers general questions about Life Coaching. Many professionals who have formal education and training in the field of counseling and psychology, choose to operate as a Life Coach, so they are not restrained by the regulations that are dictated by government or insurance agencies. The governing boards of licensed professionals have the legal right to any and all of the licensee’s client’s notes, without the permission of the client. In the same manner, If a client uses their insurance to pay for the services of an insured provider, the client’s insurance company has the legal right to their insured’s notes, diagnosis and any and all information that is shared with the provider. A Life Coach is not regulated by state, government or insurance agencies, therefore the Life Coach can guarantee total confidentiality of any and all information that is shared by their client. This is a significant benefit to clients who want to protect their personal information.
Tom Krapu, Ph.D, Clinical Psychologist, offers educational training through PESI Seminars to professionals who want to transform their practice into becoming a personal & executive Coach (info@pesi.com).
For those of you who are already great at reaching all your own personal goals, without the assistance of a Life Coach or trained professional, and have time to read, ’Life Coaching For Dummies,’ is a good personal resource book you can check out of your local library.
1. Wikipedia
2. http://wikipedia.org/wki/coaching
This article was written by Elisabeth Davies, MC Author & Life Coach