Coaching is often confused with counseling and mental health when it has nothing to do with the medical profession at all. Coaching is a way to for a person to take control of their own lives and goals with the assistance of another person that’s only role is to help the client reach goals without any emotional obstacles getting in the way. A counselor will provide a client with a diagnosis and identify the emotions that are interfering in their lives and the emotions are a product of what is wrong with them.
Coaching vs. Counseling vs. Mentoring
What should a person know when deciding on coaching, counseling, or mentoring? First let’s identify how they are similar, all want to help clients to reach their goals successfully, see progress in their clients, and help their clients to learn new skills to reach their goals.
Coaching is usually short-term task oriented goals with a focus on how to accomplish goals for the future. Coaching is present day obstacles that need to be cleared away for immediate success and for future success. A coach will focus on how to reach these goals through a variety of new systematic ways that will accomplish a positive end result.
Counseling is an emotional oriented goal focused on events from the past that may explain the “why” of behaviors. Counseling is usually long term and may include medical treatments. Counseling will have a diagnosis for the presenting behaviors and will include a treatment plan for obtaining goals be it past, present or future. Counseling may also involve medications that can only be prescribed by a doctor.
Mentoring is usually in a workplace type setting and is for the purpose of retention and developing the necessary skills for the new staff or member. Mentoring is often long term and is usually assigned by skills needed for the assignment given. Mentoring can be a very positive way to build expertise with a new position and help one to understand the immediate culture of the environment.
Types of Coaching in Today’s World
In today’s world you can find a coach for just about anything. Coaching is so huge that most coaches have a specific niche that they consider themselves and expert. There are five main categories of coaching that all coaching can fall under. They are executive coaching, career coaching, skills coaching, relationships coaching, and personal life coaching.
Under each category the list can be huge. As a coach myself I would fall under the personal life coaching in the area of grief and recovery. The expertise can be very well defined with each coaching practice and no matter what your niche is there are plenty of people looking for your services in the coaching field.
Why hire a professional coach
The greatest things a person can accomplish in their life is making their dreams come true and becoming empowered by the experience. Coaching will not give you your dreams or even make you feel empowered but a great coach will help you find your unique and true path to those dreams and during that journey you will become empowered through your accomplishments.
A great coach will lead you to self sufficiency and make sure when you are ready to walk your journey that you are equipped with all the right tools and beliefs that you need to make it on your journey’s path. Together you will define clear goals and the steps to accomplish them.
A coach will keep you moving forward and will not allow you to excuse yourself from the life you are seeking. No labels just action steps that will require your full attention. Can you imagine a life where you are in control of your outcomes and you take the actions needed for your own success?
Are you ready
If you are feeling stuck and not sure on how to get unstuck you may benefit from the coaching experience. Many people like to go it alone and there is nothing wrong with that but sometimes the voice in our head can create diversions that are unnecessary on our journey.
I know for me having true guidance and acceptance was a key to opening so many of the doors of success. I was quick but it was consistent and had I done this journey alone it may never have come to light. My journey still continues and it always will so welcoming another person’s guidance lessons the workload of trying to figure it all out alone.
For me, self-awareness and setting goals have changed my life and it was only through trusting and sharing with another that I was able to define who I was and where I wanted to go. The right people will always have the right words to get you on your journey no matter how many diversions you may take.
If you are looking for more information
about coaching and would like to chat please feel free to comment or send a private message and I will be more than happy to provide a free consultation.
