Life Coach Guide - Everything You Need To Know In 2019

Want to learn how to find a life coach that can help you achieve your goals faster and get better results with your career, finances, relationships, health, and more?

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These individuals meet the highest standards in accreditation and work with executives, celebrities, athletes, college students, and working professionals.

Our team of certified coaches can help you…

Find clarity and make tough decisions in your life so you can get unstuck and move forward
Develop better habits so that you have more structure and discipline in your life
Set and achieve goals so you will have a better sense of achievement and know that your life is moving in the right direction
Get organized and manage your time more effectively so you can get better results from your day and be held accountable
Change your mindset and put an end to self doubt so that you think more positively about your life
Make more money so you can live a lifestyle that you deserve
Build your self confidence so you stop settling for less than you deserve and go after what you want in life
Develop better relationships and friendships that leave you feeling fulfilled
Get self motivated and stop procrastinating so you take action in life and be more productive
Discover your life purpose and passion so you have a sense of meaning
Overcome depression and anxiety so you can experience more inner peace and joy
Find your dream job or improve your current career so you wake up each day excited to go to work
Learn to believe in yourself so you never give up and keep going when things get tough

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Life Coach Resources

What is a life coach?

A life coach is someone who helps you find clarity in what you want to achieve and then supports you along your journey of accomplishing your goals.

A good coach is someone who has dedicated their entire existence to personal development, spiritual growth, human behavior, mindfulness, wellness, and psychology so that they can become a master of the game of life.

This person has invested a great deal of time and money into their life and is now offering you an opportunity to learn from their successes and mistakes.

Their objective is to be your guide and support you along your journey of achieving success and fulfillment by facing your fears and improving upon your life skills.

Their mission is to be a catalyst and help you become your best self so that you can achieve your goals and live your dreams.

They are someone who is your advocate, truly cares about your well-being, and has your best interest in mind and heart.

A coach acts like a tuning fork that invites you to raise your frequency to match theirs so that you can attract more joy, love, happiness, and abundance into your life.

A coach also acts as a mirror reflecting back to you certain things you need to learn about yourself.

The best life coaches are empathic, compassionate, kind, caring, gentle, warm, playful, intuitive, insightful, calming, perceptive, motivating, inspiring, friendly, wise, practical, grounded, supportive, strong, bold, honest, resourceful, understanding, trustworthy, professional, and always have a positive outlook on life so that they can help you turn lemons into lemonade.

A life coach is not…

A therapist or counselor who can diagnose or treat mental health conditions or prescribe medications
A consultant who is only going to tell you what to do
Your parent whose going to constantly nag you
Your friend who will just tell you what they think is best for you
An employee who is going to do the work for you

What does a life coach do exactly?

A life coach will…

Provide you a safe space free of judgement to explore who you are and what you want
Help you gain clarity so you can get unstuck and move forward
Ask you powerful questions that will foster your ability to solve your own problems
Challenge you to find the courage to face your fears
Remove all distractions so you can focus on what is most important for you
Hold your hand and provide support along your journey of self-discovery
Teach you how to transform your emotional triggers so they no longer get the best of you
Help you increase your self awareness and gain a better understanding of yourself
Support you in finding your passion and purpose in life
Empower you to make better decisions that serve your best interest
Help you breakthrough old negative thought patterns and self-limiting beliefs
Guide you to see problems as challenges and opportunities to learn and grow
Provide you feedback on how to improve in certain areas of your life
Ignite a fire under you so that you become self motivated to lead your own life
Support you through hard times and adversity
Give you structure and discipline
Help you build more confidence
Put you in touch with your authentic self
Help you become more productive
Get to the root cause of what is holding you back
Help you identify goals and accomplish them
Provide you the space to be heard and feel understood
Motivate and inspire you when you feel like giving up
Give you a new perspective on things happening in your life
Help you believe in yourself so you can overcome obstacles
Hold you accountable increasing your chances of succeeding
Provide inspiration and motivation when you feel like giving up
Give you guidance on what steps you need to take to move forward
Help you put an end to negative self-talk and self sabotage
Help you to stop procrastinating and create better habits
Help you release old baggage that is weighing you down
Push you out of your comfort zone in a safe way that feels comfortable for you
Assist you in making a drastic change in your life
Provide reflection so you are no longer alone in your head
Support you in processing difficult emotions
Teach you how to turn problems into learning opportunities
Spark your creative fire so you can invoke new ideas
Help you become more self empowered

Benefits of life coaching

Here is how a life coach can help you:

Gain clarity
Faster results
More focused
Improved quality of life
More productive
Become more sociable & outgoing
Move forward with your life
Make better decisions
More energized
Overcome obstacles
Reach your potential
Become self motivated
Experience more success
Develop better habits
Relieve stress, worries, and anxiety
Feel more empowered
Gain momentum
Overcome fears
Improve your thinking
Achieve your goals
Get out of a dead end job
Get your finances in order
Attract better friends
More happiness & joy
Change bad behaviors
Find true love
Feel more calm
Higher self esteem
More confidence
Sleep better
Tangible progress
Feel lighter
Fall in love with yourself

Do I need a life coach?

You would benefit from a life coach if you…

Are unhappy
Lack clarity and feel stuck
Feel as if life is a constant struggle
Have not found your passion or purpose
Are going through a difficult transition
Want to achieve your goals faster and easier
Are not where you want to be at this point in your life
Are unfulfilled in your career and are not sure what to do
Feel as though your life is falling apart and starting all over
Have low self esteem and lack confidence in yourself
Feel a void in your life and know that something is missing
Are a recent college graduate trying to figure out your career path
Are in an unsatisfying relationship or marriage and know that you deserve someone better
Are unorganized and lack focus to follow through on what you know is in your best interest
Are constantly stressed out and overwhelmed and feel like the weight of the world is on your shoulders
Have a hard time making decisions and moving forward with your life
Feel like your life is getting worse and are in a downward spiral
Lack motivation and inspiration to do anything
Have bad habits and lack discipline to take action
Need help processing difficult emotions
Feel like your life is in a funk and you have “lost your groove”
Want to make a drastic change in your life and need help along the way
Want to get to the root cause of what is holding you back in life
Want to attract better people into your life
Want to overcome self sabotage and limiting beliefs
Want to be challenged to push yourself out of your comfort zone
Are ready to face your fears and overcome them
Want to better understand yourself and gain a new perspective on life
Want to connect with someone who truly cares about you

Does life coaching work?

Yes.

But only if you are willing to:

Be honest with yourself about your shortcomings
Take action and do the work necessary to move forward with your life
Face your fears and overcome any self limiting beliefs
Create a new set of habits that serve your best interest
Be open to change and all that comes with it
Invest the time and money it takes to succeed
Stop being lazy and practice self discipline
Stop procrastinating and manage your time more effectively so you can be more productive
Be open and honest with your coach about who you are and what you want

If you are not willing to do all of these things, then coaching will not work.

It’s important to understand that a coach can only support you, they cannot do the work for you.

How to choose a life coach

If you want to find a life coach and are wondering what to look for before you dive in, it is important that you get someone who:

A. Has the proper training and accreditation

When it comes to training and accreditation, you want someone who not only went to proper schooling, but someone who has put in enough hours so that they have honed their skill.

B. Specializes in your specific needs

Many coaches now specialize in certain areas such as relationships, health, finances, career, and so on. Therefore it is important that you find someone who has dedicated their practice to a specific area that best suits your goals.

C. Fits your personality

Is it important that they are male or female?

Do you want someone who is strong and bold and will kick your butt? Or do you want them to be gentle and sensitive?

Is it important that they are playful? Or would you rather that they be more direct and serious?

Make sure you find someone who fits your personality because you are going to be spending a lot of time with them and you want to make sure your relationship flows naturally.

D. Local vs online

Is it important that you are able to meet with your coach in person?

Or are you okay meeting with them on the phone or video conferencing?

Some coaches provide online support while others don’t.

E. Your budget

How much can you afford?

While some coaches may offer a sliding scale, others are more firm in their fees.

F. Does it feel right?

Most coaches should provide you a free consult session to feel them out.

This is where you will need to have a set of questions ready for them so that you can use your intuition to asses whether or not they would be a good fit.

G. Are they sincere?

While you might assume that if someone is a coach that they must be sincere…this is not always the case.

You want to make sure that the coach you choose is someone who is authentic and is doing it for the right reasons.

H. Are they confident?

This is another one of those traits that you would assume a coach would have.

Not all do.

Because you are looking for strength and courage to make leaps and bounds in your own life, its important that your coach has the confidence in their skills to make you feel more confident.

I. Do you trust them?

Of course it goes without saying that you need to feel that you actually trust the person you are going to be working with.

And the best way to determine this is by scheduling a free consultation with them.

The best thing to do is have your consultation and then when you wake up the next day, ask yourself…”Does it feel right?”.

How much does life coaching cost?

The fees and costs associated with life coaching can vary anywhere from $25 an hour up to a $15,000 package.

On average, one session can run you between $75 to $200 and a long term package can range from $500 to $2000.

There are many factors you will need to consider such as:

A. What level of expertise do you want?

Do you want the best?

Someone who has been practicing for over ten years and is highly sought out?

Or are you okay working with someone who has just started out?

B. How long will it take to accomplish your goals?

Do you only need a few sessions?

Or are you requiring a few months?

On average, most coaches like their clients to commit to three months.

C. What can you comfortably afford?

At the end of the day, you are the best investment you can ever make.

Spending money on your growth is essential.

As the saying goes, “You gotta spend money to make money”.

With that said, it is never recommended that you spend so much that it makes you feel uncomfortable or financially burdened.

Are life coaches covered by insurance?

Most mainstream health insurance providers do not cover the costs of life coaching because it is not considered a mental health profession in the same way therapists and counselors are do to the fact that coaches are not regulated by the state.

However, recently a non-profit Medicaid group called CareSource has started covering the cost of coaching fees for their clients because they see how it correlates with their overall well-being.

The best thing for you to do is check with your provider and at the very least, by you asking them will send a signal to the company that they should be covering it. The more people who ask the more willing they are to respond.

What are the challenges of life coaching?

The two major issues clients generally face with their coaching is:

A. The Work

While you may be excited to finally make the decision to work with a coach, now comes the actual work. This is where some people can experience a pitfall because now they have to face their fears, low self esteem, and all the issues they have been avoiding in themselves.

However, as long as you are willing to be honest and brave, a good coach will help you by holding your hand ensuring that you are moving at your own pace.

B. The Wrong Coach

Not all coaches are made equally.

It’s imperative that you do your due diligence to find the right coach. This means that you must be willing to spend some time interviewing a few coaches by taking them up on their free consultation.

If you end up with the wrong coach, it can do more damage than good.

Life coaching vs therapist

The difference between therapy and coaching is that a therapist focuses on your past issues and mostly listens by providing “talk therapy”. This can be very therapeutic as it allows you to release certain emotions and thought patterns that have been bottled up inside.

A therapist does not provide advice.

While a coach spends some time understanding your past so that they can get an understanding as to why you are currently in your situation, their objective is to focus on your future and where you want to be.

If you believe you are suffering from old emotional wounds or traumatic issues from your parents or family that has deeply pained you, it might be beneficial to see a therapist before working with a coach so that you can release these old wounds that may be weighing you down.

Another major difference between a life coach and therapist is that a coach cannot diagnose any mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, etc. And therefore cannot prescribe any medications either.

Life coach vs counseling

The difference between counseling and coaching is that a counselor mostly addresses your emotional well being by giving you the space to talk about what is wrong with your life.

While a counselor can provide some advice, this is not really their area of expertise. Their main objective is to provide analysis and support on emotional issues that are troubling you.

With that said, these days the lines are starting to blur a bit in that many counselors are now doing some coaching and many coaches are offering counseling.

But the main difference is that counseling focuses on your past and present state of being and coaching focuses on the present and future state with its main objective focusing on who you want to become and what you want to accomplish

Another major difference between a life coach and counselor is that a coach cannot diagnose any mental health issue such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, etc. And therefore cannot prescribe any medications either.

Life coaching vs mentoring

The difference between mentoring and coaching is that (generally speaking), a mentor is someone who is an expert in a specific field of interest and can help guide or teach the mentee on what they have learned.

For example, if someone is an expert at playing the guitar, they can be a mentor for someone who wants to learn guitar.

With that said, since many coaches are experts at the game of life, then there can be a lot of similarity between the two.

However, the key difference is that a mentor is very “loose” about how they teach and guide their mentee while a professional life coach has a specific code of ethics and protocols that they will follow.

The lines between a mentor and mentee can blur at times while a professional coaching relationship should be more defined and strict as to how they interact and work with one another.

Simply put, a life coaching relationship should be more professional and structured compared to a mentoring relationship

Life coach vs consultant

The difference between a life coach and a consultant is simple…

A consultant is someone you hire purely for their expertise and advice. Their job is not to help you grow as a person.

While a life coach can provide some advice and expertise like a consultant, their priority is to facilitate your growth and self empowerment.

A consultant talks at you by providing advice.

A coach asks you questions to guide you to come up with your own solutions.

What to expect from a life coach

The life coaching relationship generally works in two phases:

Phase 1 – Discovery & Clarity

During the discovery and clarity phase, a coach will ask you some questions to learn more about who you are, what you want, and what has been holding you back from getting what you want.

This process can last anywhere from one to four sessions because it is a pinnacle moment in your life where you take a moment to pause and then pivot in a new direction.

For some this can be challenging because it is going to force you to look at certain beliefs and ideas about yourself that you may have suppressed or hidden for many years.

Phase 2 – Chunking & Action

Once you have clearly identified what your goals are, a coach will help you chunk these down into bite size actionable steps and then hold you accountable through the process of achieving them.

Where the real magic happens with coaching is when they are able to help you breakthrough certain beliefs that may be holding you back or when they can inspire and motivate you to face your fears and step up into you becoming a better version of yourself.

Most sessions last between 45 to 60 minutes.

What does a life coach expect of me?

When you commit to the coaching relationship, you are expected to:

A. Show up on time

A coach is only paid by the hour which means their time is very important. If he or she designates a block of time for you, then you are expected to respect that by showing up on time and being ready to get the most out of the session.

B. Be honest and vulnerable

A coach can only support you if you are willing to be honest, transparent, and vulnerable. If you withhold any information and are not forthcoming, you will not get the full benefits of coaching

C. Do the work necessary

During your coaching relationship, a coach is going to give you homework and assignments to follow through on. These items will be assigned to you based upon what you worked on in your session.

If you do not follow through with the necessary assignments, you are expected to be honest as to why you did not do them so that you can breakthrough any challenges you may be facing with them.

D. Be accountable for your actions

The only way a coach can support you in the relationship is if you are willing to be fully accountable for your actions.

No more excuses.

E. Be Proactive

During your coaching sessions you are expected to be proactive so that the coach is not having to do all the leading and initiating. Coaching is also the process of you becoming self-motivated and driven to lead your own life and not always wait for someone else to do it.

F. Enjoy the journey

While coaching can be a serious interaction, it’s important to have a sense of enjoyment through the process.

A life coach is excited to be supporting you and they want to enjoy the sessions as much as you do!

How long does coaching take to see results?

This really depends on what your situation is.

For some clients, they can get everything they need from one “power session” that lasts about 90 minutes to two hours. This is ideal for someone who may be stuck in a certain situation and just needs to brainstorm with the coach on how to move forward.

Other people who need support along their journey of transformation will need three to six months before they see the results they seek.

Remember…Rome wasn’t built in a day and if you are seeking radical change in your life this will take time because there are many layers that you will need to address and work on.

When it comes to getting clear on who you are, what you want, forming new habits, building confidence, breaking through old self-limiting beliefs, and so on, this can take time.

However, when you find the best life coach that fits your needs, you should feel better and a sense of optimism right after your first session.

Types Of Life Coaches

Life Coaches By Region

Resources

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