Library · Coaching
Coaching for a healthier, more fulfilled life.
Living a healthy and fulfilled life can be a challenge. You search the internet, but it's hard to find the right path. Luckily, there are motivated, well-trained people whose whole focus is helping others get organized and moving toward a healthier life. They fall into two categories: life coaches, and counselors/therapists.
Life coaching vs counseling / therapy
Counseling and therapy are basically the same thing — I use counseling because there's less stigma attached to it. Is there a difference between coaching and counseling? Yes, but it's not that simple. Coaching and counseling serve specific purposes, and they overlap a fair amount.
Both coaches and counselors create a safe, positive space for their client as a medium for change — and although life coaching and therapy can complement each other, life coaching is not therapy.
Through coaching, you develop strategic actions to help you move forward. Coaching does not attempt to explain behaviors, delve into your past, or identify pathology. Coaching focuses on the present and future by helping clients set realistic goals to create the future they desire. It helps you tap into the resources you already have so you can function at a higher level.
Most life coaches hold one or more certifications, and many have additional degrees that complement their practice. However, there is no state licensing board for life coaches. Life coaches are also not equipped to diagnose mental health issues — a limitation that keeps some people from seeking the professional help they truly need.
Counselors and therapists, by contrast, spend more time examining your past looking for solutions to emotional and mental health concerns. A counselor can help you heal past hurts and deep wounds, and treat mental health or substance abuse problems — from adjustment issues and divorce to severe issues like PTSD. Sessions are often covered by insurance and health savings accounts.
Counselors and therapists are licensed and regulated by each state, which helps ensure proper training and ethical/legal standards. Your confidentiality (with certain limitations) is protected by law.
What a life coach does
- Helps you tap into your full potential — achieve goals, overcome obstacles, and make real change.
- Helps you break through barriers and limiting beliefs and build new habits and skills. Empowers you to set goals and establish accountability so you can reach them.
- Serves as an objective sounding board — keeps you focused, accountable, and on track. Helps you create proactive steps to live the life you want, rather than trying to figure out what's "wrong" with you.
- A life coach works as a partner and does not tell you what to do. They are trained to ask evocative questions that guide you to your own conclusions — you have the answers to create the changes you seek. Their job is to coax them out of you.
- A coach is limited in scope with serious issues like depression, addiction, or chronic anxiety. A good life coach will refer you to a counselor or therapist either instead of or alongside coaching.
10 reasons to work with a life coach
- Clarify your goals and priorities
- Connect to your life's purpose
- Eliminate limiting beliefs
- Strengthen your core values
- Develop empowering new skills, habits, and rituals
- Delve into gratitude and forgiveness
- Capitalize on your strengths and overcome weaknesses
- Improve your thinking
- Learn better from mistakes and failure
- Strengthen your relationships
How do I find a coach who's right for me?
A quick Google search for "Life Coach" returns hundreds of millions of results — everything from lifestyle coaches and mindset coaches to vision coaches. I even found a high priestess in Iowa listed as a Life Coach. So how do you find the right one?
- Get clear on your core values and what success actually means to you.
- Consider your needs and goals — decide whether coaching or counseling is right for you right now.
- Check out their website. Their "About Me" page will tell you about the coach, their story, and their philosophy.
- Check Google reviews and testimonials.
- Schedule free discovery sessions with several coaches as an interview process. You'll get a feel for their personality, approach, and values.
- Don't be afraid to ask questions. You are interviewing them.
- Notice how the conversation feels. A good coach is intuitive, curious, and a good listener, and clearly values the connection you're making with them.
During a discovery call, ask yourself how the conversation is making you feel. Is it resonating with you and connecting you to a deeper part of yourself? It's OK to feel uncomfortable — the goal of coaching is to make you a little uncomfortable so you can move in the right direction. Listen to your intuition; you'll know if this is the right coach for you.
There are plenty of coaches with big followings on Instagram and Facebook, which can create the impression that they're incredibly successful and therefore THE coach of choice. Yes, it's essential to advertise — but I caution you not to fall for a shiny object. It can be a lot of smoke and mirrors.
Why pay for a life coach?
You've probably always turned to your mom or your BFF in times of doubt, struggle, or when you needed guidance. You may walk away feeling a little better yet no closer to solving your problem or creating the life you want.
Family and friends have your best interests in mind — and because they don't want to hurt your feelings, they may not tell you what you need to hear. So they rarely offer the best solution.
A life coach is trained to see your strengths, call you out when a limiting belief is running the show, and ask the right questions to help you master your mindset and transform the way you live.
Would you ask your neighbor to fix your leaky roof or your nephew to invest your money? Only if they were an expert carpenter or financial planner, right? You'd hire a professional. When you pay a coach to guide you to the life you've always wanted, you're putting that same value in yourself. When you value yourself above other things (and people), paying a coach to guide you to that dream is essentially a no brainer.
Cost of coaching
Most life coaches charge somewhere between $75 and $250 per hour. You'll find coaches outside that range too — usually higher. A seasoned coach with a great track record does not come cheap.
You can get value from a single session, but the real benefit comes from an ongoing relationship aimed at achieving your goals — hard to do in one session. Most coaches offer programs from six weeks up to a full year. Depending on the coach and how much direct contact you have, packages can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a month. Some require payment in full; others offer monthly plans.
Invest wisely, but don't choose based only on cost. Find a coach who is a good fit, has the training and experience, and can genuinely move you forward.
Go with your gut — trust your instincts
At the end of a discovery call, you'll be asked if you want to proceed. If you feel confident, great. If you're not sure, say so — a good coach will ask why and may even coach you around the subject to see if a limiting belief is holding you back. That's OK, and it's a good chance to experience how they actually coach.
If you're still not sure, end the conversation. You can always call them back. You should never feel pressured or bullied into making such an important decision. Some coaches use hard-sales tactics and guilt to close — remember, it's your decision, not theirs.
When you do decide to work with a life coach, before you sign anything or hand over your credit card, read the contract agreement. Yes, they're long and boring — but it's essential to understand what your commitment is to the coach and what their commitment is to you.
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