Sense and Sensibility: Life Coaches Help You Make Sense Of It All

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

We all know someone who is always asking for money and is in dire need of a financial planner. But how about the person, and it may be you, who just can’t seem to get their life and goals in order. Unfortunately, we have been conditioned to associate a negative stigma to such struggles. But, just like managing money is a “skill”, so is managing your life and your moods…which brings us to the topic of life coaches.

These professionals, like “mom” have the distinct duty of helping you out with your life. And, while mom’s are often “under-rated”, life coaches have been recently rated as one of the top growth industries in just a about a decade. Why? Probably because in just about a decade a lot has changes, and life has gotten tougher. And, it seems that when the going gets tough, the tough go to professional life coaches who can help them make sense of it all. But, unlike mom, or a close friend or family member, he or she does not have a personal stake in the outcome of your decisions.

The theory or philosophy behind a life coach’s approach is that YOU should be responsible for your own actions, they are merely there as an objective “observer” to guide you, rather than simply offering advice. But, experts assert that more frequently than not, clients gain new insight and perspective into a situation and take a completely different approach than originally intended.

Basically, note experts, a life coach is similar to a personal trainer, but only for your career or personal life. And, unlike other professionals such as therapists, counselors and psychiatrists, life coaches focus on the future rather than delving into the past but they too do have to abide by a code of ethics, including confidentiality. Certification is also necessary, with Professional Certified Coaches having about 750 hours of coaching experience under their belt and Master Certified Coaches having a minimum of 2500 hours.

And, when it comes to choosing a life coach its imperative that you find someone you can relate to and vise versa. Here are just a few key qualities to look for.

· Define your objectives: Know why you want to work with a coach. Is it because you want to rebalance your life, get ahead in your career or improve your relationship(s)?

· Compare and contrast: Interview at least three coaches before deciding on one. Make sure you ask about their experience, qualifications, sills and at least two or three references.

· Make sure you click: Choose someone you are comfortable with and that you relate to very well, just make sure you are not merely basing your chose by choosing someone who will tell you what YOU want to hear. However, your relationship with your coach should be based on other positive relationships in your life and should be inspiring, supporting, challenging and productive.

· Location: You’ll want to make sure your life coach is easy to get to. Some even offer on-site coaching.

· Specific Training: Your life coach should have sufficient experience in the area(s) or arena(s) that you need assistance in. Still, since a coach’s task is to involve you in the decision making process and encouraging you to develop your personal skills etc, specific knowledge or training is not necessarily as important as you may otherwise be inclined to think.

· Cost: On average a life coach may charge anywhere from $50 to a rumored $10,000 and hour depending on experience and reputation. Most however change about $150 an hour, with most clients attending weekly half-hour sessions.