Coaching empowers people to create the kind of life they were meant to lead. People realize that life has been pretty good so far and at the same time know there are some dreams they don’t want to put off anymore. They want to take their dreams to the next level, to attain goals they always wanted to achieve.

A coach creates a partnership with you to define your goals and take effective action. A coach is someone who is in your corner, who helps you keep your dreams alive and supports you with your agenda.

People use coaches for a variety of reasons including:

• To be a successful entrepreneur
• To be financially secure
• To be physically fit and healthy
• To be an effective manager
• To be a contributor to the community
• To be a loving family member
• To be an adventurer

A coach is someone who:

• Creates a powerful partnership with you
• Recognizes and helps you recognize your brilliance and personal power to discover your own solutions
• Helps you to focus on taking effective action toward the realization of your vision, goals or desires
• Provides new frameworks for looking at opportunities and challenges
• Fosters shifts in perspective; promotes fresh insights
• Provides structure, compassion, support and feedback
• Acknowledges and celebrates your successes with you

You might be saying to yourself, “Why do I need a coach? I can do that myself.” We live fast paced lives and no matter how much energy or creativity we have, we can get easily distracted. A coach partners with you to keep you on target to achieve your goals and dreams.

How do I find the right coach for me? Ask the following questions:

• Where did you get your training to become a coach?
• What is your philosophy of coaching?
• How long will it take?
• What areas do you coach people in?

What’s the difference between Coaching and Therapy?

Coaching is a profession that supports you in your personal and professional growth and development. In coaching you pursue specific goals and produce measurable outcomes. For example, some goals might be opening your own business, writing your book, learning more about money, traveling, running that marathon, going on a spiritual retreat, or learning to play the piano. These are but a few of the kinds of goals you will develop and attain when you have a personal coach as your partner. The emphasis of this coaching partnership is on you achieving success with clarity, focus and ease.

Traditional therapy deals with healing pain, resolving past trauma, and improving relationships. The emphasis is on resolving difficulties which hamper an individual’s emotional functioning. Therapy outcomes often include improved emotional/feeling states and greater insight.

What does the Coaching Process look like?

Coaching typically begins with a personal interview (either face-to-face or by teleconference) to discuss an individual’s aspirations and vision. We identify what’s important to you and what you want to accomplish. We create a contract together. Between scheduled coaching sessions, you are encouraged to take specific actions that support your goals. The coach and you decide the frequency of sessions based upon your needs.

©2005 Betsey Williams, M.S.