What is coaching?
Coaching is a relationship between a client and a coach based on equality. Coach is not an expert on client's problem, coach is an expert on coaching. Client themselves is an expert on their problem or topic they bring to the coaching process. The role of coach is to ask challenging questions that will provide client with the answers they need and many times (if not always) to cross the borders of a comfort zone what is usually necessary for client to achieve their aim.
Coaching is focused on a solution and future. While being coached, client is getting to know oneself better, self-developing, learning how to take care and be kind to oneself. During the coaching process there might be times that something heavy and long time buried will come to the light. In those time we either address it or we have a break for a time-being while it's been resolved within some other helping relationship as a counselling or therapy.
Those times when we address it, the limiting believes are usually being involved. Those are the ever-present thoughts that create doubts and prevent client from moving forward and achieve their goals.
On the whole, the coaching process and coaching relationship is focused on the future, achieving a client's goal, moving forward. It gives client a plan of what he can do NOW to get where he wants to be in a certain timeframe.
Remember, goal without a date is just a dream....
Difference between coaching and other helping professions:
Counselling - in this relationship a counsellor gives advice, information, answers to a client who comes with a problem. Counsellor is an expert in some field, e.g. upbringing children and client comes to be given a method that will help in his situation.
Therapy - this is usually long-termed relationship between a client and therapist (psychologist, psychiatrist) where client comes to seek not only advice, but also to work on theirs long-lasting problems that affect their daily life (e.g. anxiety, depression..). The focus is on problem and in the past.
Mentoring - in this relationship mentor helps and guides a client. Mentor passes their experience and knowledge in a particular area to a client who is learning from them. Mentor has been there and is willing to show the way. The relationship can be going on for a years.
Unlike the mentioned helping professions, coaching is based on equality, coach doesn't present themselves as a know-it-all person. Coach sees client as a fully capable to achieve their goal and overcome their obstacles on the way. The only expertise that coach is required to have is being an expert within coaching itself.
For you, for me, for your sister, for a friend... For everyone who wants to get to know themselves better, who wants to work on self-develoment and move forward.
For people who know that the best investment is investment into yourself.
You wish to achieve your dream, start a business. to travel, to move on... think of anything that you feel you need to do, but you've been in the same place for a long time and haven't moved any closer to your goal. But you know you're worth it...
And it can be something simple (for some people) as saying NO. Or you wish to be able to speak in public or at the work meetings. Or you want to learn how to be kind to yourself, how to love yourself, stop blaming yourself...
But you're putting it off, waiting for that perfect time to start when...when you have more money on saving account, when your kids will be grown up, when you will move to a different town...but there will be no better time that is NOW. NOW when you decide to go for it.
Coaching is a way how to achieve your great potential and live the life you to want to have NOW.