What is life coaching?
Life coaching is a transformative and reflective process that helps you learn more about yourself, gain confidence in your abilities and decisions, and achieve your goals faster. This article explores the essence of life coaching, the unique role of coaches, and what to expect from the coaching process.
A Definition of Life Coaching
Every coach brings a unique presence to the conversation, and finding someone with whom you resonate matters. My coaching isn’t about giving advice or fixing you; it’s about slowing down, getting curious, and creating space for you to reconnect with what matters most. I’m here to walk alongside you as you rediscover your own wisdom, uncover what’s keeping you stuck, and choose your next right step with clarity and confidence.
That's a dense statement, so let's break it down, and I'll explain what I mean by each statement.
- Partnership – We co-create the coaching experience and outcomes. You bring your lived experience, values, and questions. I bring presence, deep listening, and a calm, grounded space where we can think together.
- A safe space to explore – I create a reflective, judgment-free, supportive, and unhurried atmosphere that invites you to be honest, playful, and curious. Think of it like a sandbox. There’s room to try things, wipe the slate clean, and start again as needed.
- Examine thoughts and beliefs – We explore what’s going on under the surface—what you think, feel, sense, or believe—so you can get clear on what really matters. I gently bring patterns and questions to light, helping you untangle the jumble into something clear and ordered.
- Awareness that leads to action – Once the fog lifts and clarity comes, you get to choose what to do with it. I help you capture the insight and name the next step that feels doable, aligned, and life-giving.
- A flexible framework – I generally follow the ICF (International Coaching Federation) conversational flow of setting an agreement, exploring, gaining awareness, and identifying next steps, but I hold that structure lightly, letting our conversation unfold organically.
- Intuitive, embodied, and presence-based – My coaching is grounded in person-centered, Gestalt, and somatic approaches, all held through a neurodiversity-informed lens. I trust that what shows up is meaningful. I follow your lead while staying attuned to what emerges, moment by moment.
The Role of Life Coaches
Coaches Empower Clients
Many people think of sports coaches when they hear the term “coach,” associating it with direction and exercises to help you excel in a specific field. Professional life coaches differ significantly. Life coaches don't solve problems or offer fixes; instead, they empower clients to identify their own solutions and paths forward through a reflective process.
Young children are comfortable making their own decisions. Consider how often you hear toddlers or preschoolers utter “self.” As we age, we often lose confidence and seek guidance from others. Life coaches help you regain that self-trust. They won't tell you how to solve your problems or what steps to take next. Instead, their primary goal is to help you build confidence and make informed decisions that are best for you.
Coaches Create A Safe And Supportive Environment
You must feel comfortable with our coaching relationship so you can explore your thoughts and feelings honestly. Many clients discuss things they haven’t felt comfortable telling anyone else, sometimes including their spouse. Often, it may be the first time they admit it to themselves. To help you feel at ease, I am committed to upholding several key principles.
- Confidentiality – First and foremost, everything said during a coaching session is held in confidence. I respect your privacy and do not share what we discuss with others.
- Understanding – I will remain curious and won’t assume I know what you mean by the words and phrases you use. Your frame of reference differs from mine because of your values, beliefs, and prior experiences.
- Judgment-free – I honor the unique way you experience the world through your senses, values, and beliefs. What works for you may look different than what works for me, and that’s okay. I’m here to support you, not judge you.
- Support and empathy – Coaching uncovers many thoughts and feelings. I’ll provide space and support for you to explore them in whatever way is comfortable for you.
Coaches Engage In Active Listening
During our coaching sessions, I will listen to what is said and not said. Because 90% of communication is nonverbal, I’ll pay attention to your tone of voice, body language, and energy shifts.
I will reflect back what I heard to ensure accuracy and allow you to hear what you just said. Sometimes, simply hearing our own words can unlock doors of understanding. I might also provide an observation, such as a shift in tone or energy, so you can decide if that shift is important to pay attention to.
As we continue the conversation, I’ll ask reflective and thought-provoking questions to help you navigate your thoughts and feelings about the situation. I might challenge you to consider new perspectives or examine your beliefs about the situation.
I’ll provide space for you to think and process throughout the session. There might be times of silence, or I might toss a question back to you that you raise so you can examine your belief about it.
The Coaching Process
Coaching is similar to prospecting for gold. Gold prospectors sift through a lot of dirt and rocks before finding one small gold nugget. Even though it takes a lot of time and effort to find that small nugget, they consider it time and effort well spent and prize their discovery.
During each coaching session, we will begin by defining your goal for the session and what is important about that goal. We will then explore your topic using deep listening skills and thought-provoking questions. Throughout the session, you will gain awareness of your thought patterns, values, strengths, and motivations. You can then evaluate what is important and what insights you want to carry forward.
Finally, we’ll circle back to what you identified as your goal for the session and use the awareness and insight you gained to determine the next steps you want to take.
Coaching is effective in many situations.
Some of the topics I’ve explored with clients include the following.
- Deciding if they should go back to school
- Finding the motivation to bring a big project to completion
- Determining how to grow their business
- Processing their emotions when their child graduated from high school
- Defining strategies for handling a stressful situation
- Determining what to do in their empty nest years
- Regaining a calm home atmosphere after a major illness
- Deciding on a curriculum for the next school year
- Identifying their niche for their business
- Finding a routine and rhythm that works for them
Still have some questions?
You can find answers to the most commonly asked questions here.
You can also read testimonials or case studies of clients I've worked with. It's been amazing to see the transformation they have seen in their lives.
What's the difference between life coaching, business coaching, and therapy?
This is a question I hear frequently, and it's a valid one. It is important to know what kind of support you need for each step of your journey. (And here's a little secret…you might need all of these types of support at one time or another.)
To help you make the best decision for your current season, I put together a guide to walk you through the different types of support these three professionals offer. If you still have questions after reading through the guide, schedule a free Discovery Call so we can help you make the right decision for what you need.
Ready to begin your coaching journey?
Take your first step and schedule a free, no-pressure Discovery Call so we can get to know each other and explore the possibility of working together.