What is coaching

Many people ask me what is life coaching and what makes it so great. Well, life coaching is a helping profession that is often compared to therapy, consulting, mentoring, etc. But life coaching is very different from these other helping professions.

Life coaching comes from the philosophy that all answers lie within; meaning that the client knows what is best for them. Therefore, a life coach will never give advice to a client. Instead, a life coach guides the client through the coaching process to discover what their deepest desires are. The coach then helps the client discover the path they want to take and the steps necessary to get them to their goal. An important part of the coaching process is that the coach holds the client accountable to the steps they say they are going to take.

Coaching does not replace other helping professions, instead it is a compliment. A therapist usually will help there client move from the past to the present and from dysfunctional to functional. A life coach moves their client from the present into the future and from functional to optimal. Coaching is also more action and goal oriented instead of focusing on the why something is coming up. Therapy and Coaching can both be useful to a client.

There are many other important features of the coaching relationship, but these are the basics. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment or email me.


Have a great weekend,

Traci

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. This is the blog of Tracing Your Path, a full service life coaching practice that specialized in leadership development coaching for young adults. I will take time to write all about my experiences as a coach, my philosophies behind coaching, self-confidence, leadership, and more. If you have anything you would like me to write about, please feel free to contact me at Traci@TracingYourPath.com. You can also visit my website at http://www.tracingyourpath.com/ or follow me on twitter @LifeCoachTraci. I welcome conversation, so please comment away. I look forward to blogging with all of you!

-Traci