What is Life Coaching?

EmpowermentCoachAcademy.Com with Louise Anne Maurice. What is life coaching? What is a life coach? How is the life coach different from a therapist, a counselor, a consultant? Well, in this lecture, we're going to look at that because it helps you when you are becoming a life coach to answer people's questions without stumbling, because first impressions are key. These people that you are meeting with, they might be potential clients. They might be potential referral partners. They might be people who truly will be a part of your professional network. Now, don't let that scare you. We're going to take this course very slow with baby steps. And I'm going to be guiding you all the way through. But it's important to understand this for your own purposes so that you can truly stand in confidence and you can say to people, yes, I am a life coach and this is what I do and this is not like this. All right. So let's look at some of those definitions to help you to be that confident life coach that can speak to anyone about the profession that you are embarking on. Let's continue. In order to answer What is life coaching? Let's look at answering the opposite question. What is life coaching Not? Life coaching is not consulting. A life coach is not a consultant. People use a consultant because they want expert advice. The consultant has been in the field for years and now consults other people. They've been gaining expertise in a certain area of study and they now give advice, typically telling their clients exactly what to do based on the consultants years of experience in that field of study. However, there are people who may not be classed as a professional consultant, but give advice to others and tell people what to do. Life coaching is not therapy. A life coach is not a therapist. A therapist, which is short for psycho therapist, is a licensed mental health professional who helps clients improve their lives, develop better cognitive and emotional skills, reduce symptoms of mental illness and cope with various challenges. Now, depending on their education and licensing, some psychotherapists will provide diagnoses and prescribe medication. Life coaching is not counseling. A life coach is not a counselor. Counselors offer guidance to individuals, couples, families and groups who are dealing with issues that affect their mental health and well-being. Albeit some Life Coaches do have a counseling background, so will definitely have a hybrid approach. But what is life coaching specifically and how does it differ from those other professions? Well, as I'd mentioned, there are some who there is that hybrid approach. And depending on your background, an area of specialization, you will tend to pull from those other professions. But life coaching empowers clients to become the experts in their own life. Life coaches do not tell their clients what to do. Empowerment Coach Academy trained life coaches guide the client to take ownership of their definition of success. The client's definition of success. And then the life coach provides the client with the Step-By-Step roadmap to make the client's success journey less and more straightforward. In the Associate program, we call that step by step roadmap the six session refine program. An Empowerment Coach Academy trained associate life coach skillfully guides their client through an awareness process that includes empowered questions, listening and feedback so the client can see clearly the blocks and obstacles on their success journey path. Sometimes the blocks may be mental health issues, but the role of the life coach is to empower the client with insight to make the necessary changes. To move or avoid the blocks and obstacles. The Life Coach does not do the work for the client, but provides the structure, what I call holding the space for the client to reach their full potential. You get goose bumps, don't you? I mean, I do, because this is such an amazing career choice that you are starting. And I am so honored that you have chosen this program. You've chosen me to be your instructor because you I am so passionate about helping you to truly make that positive difference in your own life. And then the lives of the clients that you will work with. Now, as we continue on in the next lecture, can you guess the professional in the next lecture? You're going to watch three professionals, professional A, professional B and professionals C in a client demonstration session. These are reenactments of a client demonstration session. Now, from those definitions that you just learned, the consultant, the therapist, the counselor and the life coach. Can you guess the professional? Are you ready? Let's continue with the next lecture.