What The Heck Is A Life Coach??

I get this question a lot? I tell people I am a Certified Life Coach, and I'll either get a, "Oh that's cool...what is that?" Often people will wonder if it's the same as therapy, or it's it holding you accountable each week, or if it's all about positive affirmations. Nope.

Just like any profession, there are a wide variety of curriculums taught to become a Life Coach. The particular type of coaching I chose (because its teachings have impacted me so deeply) is called Causal Coaching taught through The Life Coach School. If someone were to break their arm, they could get prescribed large amounts of pain meds to ease the pain of the break, but until it gets set properly, it will not heal properly. It is the same with our thoughts. If we don't go to the source of our pain and suffering, we can learn and practice all kinds of coping mechanisms which may offer temporary relief but aren't really addressing what is CAUSING all the pain in the first place- our thoughts. I help my clients find the break in the arm. I show them the thought that is causing the pain, and if they choose, help them move out of that thought and into new ones that get them the result they want.

Put a different way, pretend my clients are reading their own mind like they would the label on a jar, except they are stuck inside the jar.  I stand on the outside of the jar and give them the clear picture of what is on the label. I hold a mirror to their brain so they can see the thoughts that are running their lives. We are so conditioned with thoughts from an early age that we grow up thinking of things as absolute facts which are actually just someone's thoughts. Once I help my clients recognize that, they take back all their power and choose the thoughts that serve them best.

I got trained by the best of the best. Brooke Castillo (founder and owner of The Life Coach School), Jody Moore, Katie Pulsifer, and Molly Claire. All of these fierce women are movers and shakers in the industry and expect excellence from us as Coaches trained through Brooke's program. We all strive to work hard to be the best versions of ourselves so we can offer the very best to our clients. I love what I do so very much and love how it keeps me on my toes to continue to stretch myself.

If you have never considered working with a life coach, now is the time. Mental health is becoming increasingly important as we move into a new time in history that is so fast paced. Our brains need to keep up with the ride, and evolve to meet the demands now placed on us as humans. As a Life Coach I teach tools in time management, over-eating, processing emotions, setting goals, healing relationships, and self-confidence (just to name a few!).

And there you have it. That is what a Life Coach is. We meet you where you are and help guide you to where you want to go. There is nothing quite as satisfying as seeing the look on a client's face when they realize for the first time that they can drop the painful story they have been carrying around for years. It is freedom! I am so grateful I get to do this every day. I have the best job in the world.

Photos:  1)Brooke Castillo and August Class of 2018 The Life Coach School (I'm in there somewhere!).                               
              2) Myself and my two small-group instructors, Jody Moore and Katie Pulsifer