What is Coaching?
Coaching is a “better conversation” and a relationship! Coaching is a partnership that focuses on what is happening in your life right now and what you want your ideal life to be. It is a thought provoking, non-judgmental and creative process, that taps into the desires, strategies, and solutions available within you to help you maximize your personal and professional potential.
If you are feeling stuck in your life, coaching helps you to get unstuck! Coaching can help you identify roadblocks holding you back from your goals and support you in removing them so you can be your best self. Ultimately, a coach will not only champion you to create your vision for a fulfilling and happy life but also and partner with you to help hold you accountable to make it happen!
The coaching partnership can be the spark that ignites the courage it takes to step outside of a familiar routine and convenient life to a place that honors your values and vision for yourself and captures your unique potential.
What Happens in a Coaching Session?
As the person being coached, you decide the focus of the coaching session. During the conversation, your coach will ask you thought provoking questions, provide feedback, and help you uncover strategies and resources that support your goal for the session. Your coach will also help you formulate actions steps to move you forward and partner with you on accountability strategies to see the actions steps through.
Virtual coaching can take place any time, any place and in-person meetings are available around the Twin Cities metro area.
What is the difference between Coaching and Therapy? Good Question!
As a licensed marriage and family therapist who worked for many years in private practice and in school-based settings, I fully support and believe in the work of therapy. The events of the past two years have certainly highlighted both the need and important work of therapy in addressing mental health issues worldwide. Though therapy and coaching both seek to create positive change and growth in clients, the primary purpose is different.
Therapists work with clients who are dealing with mental health issues, possibly past or present trauma, addiction and/or unresolved emotional pain that is interfering with current life functioning. For example, there is a difference between feeling “blah” now and then and feeling sad week after week. Therapists use their professional expertise to identify mental health issues, explore the past as needed, promote symptom reduction strategies and work with the client to heal and transition to healthier functioning for stable living and a happier life.
Coaching starts from a healthy emotional baseline and focuses on the present and co-creating the future with clients to achieve their chosen optimal state of living. Coaching revisits the past only to understand the client’s current life experiences, belief systems and what could be blocking them more from living the life they want. Healing deep and unresolved emotional pain from the past is not the purpose of coaching. Coaching is about visualizing possibilities in the present and the intentional forward movement to live the life you desire.
Is Coaching Confidential?
Trust and a safe and non-judgmental space are fundamental to the coaching relationship and so is your right to confidentiality as a client. ICF (International Coaching Federation) credentialed coaches are ethically bound to adhere to the highest standards regarding both the identity of the client and the information generated within the coaching relationship. These remain permanently confidential unless; the client gives expressed permission in writing, it is required by law, or there is concern for the safety of the client or the safety of others.
How do I know I need a coach?
Can’t I figure this out on my own? The reality is that if we were all where we wanted to be, we would already be there and living our ideal life. You can choose to keep waiting for the “someday” that will finally make you happy or you can work with a coach now, conquer the obstacles that are blocking you from happiness and live your best life!
A coach is an objective advocate and partner solely interested in helping you improve your quality of life personally and professionally. Working with a coach will give you better insights into who you are, what you want and how to get there.
Coaching Could Be for You If:
- You are confused about the next chapter of your life, and want to find clarity
- You want to increase your self-awareness and self-care
- You want to start or end a relationship
- You want to set life goals and hold yourself accountable
- You want a life with more meaning and purpose and don’t know where to start
- You want to start a new business venture and you are frozen by fear of failure
- You want to assess how you use your time and if you are investing or wasting it
- You want to become a transformational leader
- You want to find your voice and use it
- You feel burned out and unmotivated from the impact of the pandemic
- You want to reduce your screen time and be more present for the people in your life
- You are struggling to meet deadlines at work and don’t know why
- You want to learn to say “no” and set boundaries at work and at home
What is Relationship and Communication Coaching?
You know the feeling… something happened when you were talking or texting with a friend, spouse, co-worker, or family member and now you feel a disconnect. You are unsure what went wrong, or why someone is not responding, and don’t know what to say to clear things up.
Interacting in conversations can deepen our connections and strengthen our relationships. Unfortunately, when a conversation takes a wrong turn, we can be left feeling misunderstood, confused, invalidated, or just plain hurt!
The quality of many of our relationships comes down to day-to-day interactions. Relationship and Communication Coaching is partnering with a coach to identify and work through unhelpful communication patterns and improve “better conversation” skills. Working in partnership with a coach can help create action, and accountability, around intentional positive daily interactions, building a more welcoming and affirming environment at home and at work and for healthier, happier, and more connected relationships.
Relationship and Communication Coaching can help you…
- Learn to really listen to what is being said and what is not being said
- Stop overcommitting in relationships for fear of not being needed
- Upgrade your communication skills and leadership potential
- Recognize your own emotions and choose how you respond to them
- Understand other people’s feelings
- Create a work environment that welcomes open dialogue and different opinions
- Navigate personal and professional conversations while remaining calm and focused
- Repair your relationship with a family member or friend
- Learn to both apologize and accept an apology
- Set boundaries around work obligations and prioritize your relationships
- Learn to express care and appreciation to your partner, family, friends, and co-workers
- Develop stronger friendships
- Reignite the connection in your marriage
Relationship and Communication Coaching provides a non-judgmental space and process for improved communication and relationships for individuals, couples, families, friends, co-workers, teams, organizations, and corporations.
Invest in Your Relationships
“Happily ever after is not a fairytale. It’s a choice.”
– Fawn Weaver
“I’m not telling you it is going to be easy; I am telling you it is going to be worth it. ” – Art Williams