Enter your email below to receive weekly updates from the Ashton College blog straight to your inbox.
By: CJ McGillivray
Published On: July 22, 2021
What do you see when you look at the world around you? How many people are living their best lives or tapping into their limitless potential? How often are you personally living your life in a way that aligns with your hopes, dreams and values? Of course, not everyone has the luxury of prioritizing themselves, particularly when they are faced with systemic challenges, marginalization or economic struggles. But there are certainly a lot of people out there in the world who could benefit from the support, validation and guidance of a qualified life coach. Through hard work and dedication, you could be that person to help someone turn things around and start living their best life.
Life coaching may sound esoteric if you have not read much about it or experienced it firsthand. What exactly does a life coach do? And why is coach certification training so important? The International Coaching Federation defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” Essentially, life coaches work with various clients to identify challenges in their lives and manifest positive change through concrete action. Perhaps your client is struggling with a particular relationship or is unsatisfied in their current job. Maybe they want to take time off work and explore their options for continuing education courses. They may be facing unknown fears or hesitation that is holding them back. As a qualified life coach, you can help your clients imagine a version of themselves where they are happier and more engaged in the trajectory of their life.
Through life coach training, you can learn how to employ direct communication and powerful questioning to evoke curiosity and creative thinking to assist with whatever challenge your client is working through. Communication skills training can also be particularly helpful for life coaches. Positive coaching interactions require understanding, validation and clarity so that everyone is on the same page. Your conversations may also require the creative use of an analogy or metaphor to help your client understand how to move forward. You can also help them to overcome resistance or hesitancy which may be getting in the way of their goals and dreams. Letting go of things that do not serve them with help your clients find more contentment and fulfillment in their everyday lives.
In your role as a life coach, you can help clients visualize the life they really want to lead. Sometimes it can be hard to admit our wildest dreams, hopes and aspirations. You can support them by adding structure to their aspirations and making dreams possible through the implementation of gradual action items in their lives. “The process of coaching often unlocks previously untapped sources of imagination, productivity and leadership,” according to the International Coaching Federation. Your client could be on the verge of exciting life changes and opportunities coming their way. Support and guidance from a life coach could be the just what they need to get from where they are to where they want to be going.
Before you can help someone start living their best life, remember that trust is fundamental to any coaching relationship. When you engage with clients, you can validate their feelings, ideas and perceptions. You can serve as a positive guiding influence, helping them make choices that are more in line with their values and dreams. With every positive interaction and moment of support, you can continually build trust in the relationship. Through word of mouth and client testimonials, the positive experiences of one client will help you build trust and connect with future clients. Having genuine compassion, dedication and professionalism will also demonstrate trustworthiness to your clients. Remember to stay curious and continually seek out learning opportunities along your path to becoming a certified coach. By regularly working on yourself and broadening you skills, you can lead by example and solidify a trusting relationship with your clients.
The information contained in this post is considered true and accurate as of the publication date. However, the accuracy of this information may be impacted by changes in circumstances that occur after the time of publication. Ashton College assumes no liability for any error or omissions in the information contained in this post or any other post in our blog
View All Comments