Why Coaching Now?

  Life coaching is about making change and inviting transformation. Change means altering what I am doing; transformation means altering the way I am. There are different situations that bring women to hire a life coach. We call these situations ‘openings’. The opening might be any situation where your winning strategy, sometimes referred to as your ‘automatic pilot’, is not working for you. Frustration is gradually built in you, and there is a need for a change. Sometimes it is a spiritual opening – the spirits are talking to you, presenting you with hallmarks, and all of a sudden you have to stop and pay attention. After that moment of revelation your old habits and your old way of thinking are not serving you anymore. You need to find a new way of being in your world.

  If you are already looking to hire a life coach, congratulations! This means that you have self-observed the gap between your desires and your reality, and that you are in touch with your sense of frustration. In addition, it means that you are being courageous by inviting a change to your life. It will be my honor to coach you through your life process.

 I will inspire you, strengthen your faith, empower you and cheer you as one woman cheers another through life changes.

 The process of coaching

  I would like to use the GROW model to explain about the process of coaching.   The ‘G’ in ‘GROW’ stands for Goal.  There is no other way of inviting a change other than being clear on what it is you want. When you know what it is, this becomes your goal. Coaching is action oriented, but as you will find out, some sessions are less action oriented than others, due to the need for inquiry.

 The ‘R’ stands for Reality. You know your goal; do you also know what is in your way of achieving this goal? What makes it impossible now?, Why do you want this?

 As your life coach I will lead you through this inquiry, and help you distinguish your truth about your reality. Transformation is achieved by engaging in new types of conversations, using new language that creates new interpretations, therefore creating new context and altering the way you are being.

 The ‘O’ in the ‘GROW’ model stands for Options. How are you going to achieve your goal?  The belief that there is only one good way of achieving your goal is the most common belief that hinders transformation and progress. We will explore as many options as possible to make sure you feel good with the path you chose. 

Last but not least, the ‘W’ in this model stands for Wrap-up – since coaching is action oriented every session needs to be wrapped-up with a practice area.  My job is to hold you accountable to your commitment of inviting the change you say you want.

Life Coaching is your key to personal growth 

 Coaching and Psychotherapy

 Since Life coaching is relatively a new practice, it is sometimes confused with psychotherapy.  In fact, one of the demands of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is that coaches will take the time to clear the difference between these two practices in the beginning of every session.  So it is that important to clear this up!

 A good way to begin is by looking at the origins of life coaching. Coaching began in the field of sport and from there transferred to other life areas such as executive coaching, leadership, relationship, and life coaching.  In sport, coaches are coaching healthy capable athletes, who already came to this world gifted with a set of exceptional skills, not only their excellent physiological competency, but also some personality qualities – consistency, level of commitment, being self-disciplined and above all strong faith . After all, in order to break a world record the most you need is your faith that it is possible, and then comes practice…

 This means that while Psychotherapy is assuming that there is a problem with the patient, and that something is wrong with her, a life coach assumes that she is working with a healthy and highly  competent woman who is strong and brave enough to invite a change into her life. Therapy is problem oriented, while coaching is goal oriented.

 Another difference has to do with the time frame that these practices are referring to. In Psychotherapy we are dealing with the past. Psychoanalysis, the origins of psychotherapy, is all about our past experiences. In coaching we focus on the present in order to lead to a better future. Here is a nice quote that summarizes this difference:  "If you want to know the past, to know what has caused you, look at yourself in the PRESENT, for that is the past's effect. If you want to know your future, then look at yourself in the PRESENT, for that is the cause of the future." Majjhima Nikaya

 Another important difference between coaching and psychotherapy lies in the working relationship. Psychotherapy assumes the authority of the therapist over the patient. The patient is suffering and the therapist has the cure and the answers. Again, looking back at psychoanalysis as the origin, it demands absolute detachment between therapist and patient. Coaching is a partnership. In coaching we assume that the clients know what is best for them, and they have all the answers to our questions. Good coaching practice relies on good questions, not answers. In coaching, the relationships we develop with our clients are based on mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual freedom of expression and mutual growth. We learn from our clients as they learn from us.

yes you are !

 You can be who you want to be, you can have what you desire , you can accomplish your goals