Wednesday March 10, 2010, 6:05 AM
Frequently Asked Questions About Life Coaching And William.
What Is A Life Coach?
A coach is a teacher, a person who gives instruction, a mentor, and a motivator. A life coach listens carefully, offers feedback, suggestions, encouragement, advice, solutions, and support to clients who are in the process of moving rapidly towards their goals.
When you speak with family and friends, there's always a risk that they will judge you negatively, reject you, or withdraw their love for you in some way. Life coaches are different. They will give you honest, unbiased feedback, without holding anything back. And at the same time they will love you unconditionally no matter what you say or do.
A good life coach is wise and non judgemental. Life coaches don't think in terms of things being good or bad, wrong or right. There is only support, encouragement, and motivation to help you achieve whatever you're working on as fast as possible. A coach is also a person of trust and integrity. You can speak freely when you know your secrets are safe and your conversations are confidential.
Coaching is not therapy that focuses on examining the past from a clinical perspective or diagnosing mental illness. Coaching does not focus on who's to blame for problems or past hurts .Clients who use a life coach are healthy in every way.
Coaching helps you to zero in on your priorities, goals, and your vision for the future. Coaching helps you to achieve the desired results you're looking for faster.
In addition coaching teaches clients how to restore balance, reduce stress, and feel better, while moving forward in the right direction at the same time. The process of coaching involves exploring options, implementing proven strategies, and staying on track until you reach your goals.
Do Coaches Need To Be Certified?
Education is required, but a certificate is not needed to be a coach. Many excellent coaches don't have a coaching certificate, especially when they are already highly qualified and educated. Coaches without a college degree often get a coaching certificate to compensate for their educational deficiency.
It may be to your advantage to find a coach who has graduate degree in Psychology, Social Work, Education, etc. Since a coach is by definition a teacher, these professional degrees, give life coaches the skills they need to carefully guide clients in a direction that makes sense and feels comfortable.
I graduated with a four year BA in Education with a special interest in Psychology. In addition to a college degree and professional certificates, everyone agrees that knowledge, practice, on the job experience, integrity, and ethical conduct is even more important.
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How Did You Get Into Coaching?
My interest in personal development, psychology, and business started as a teenager. In college I studied psychology and graduated with a degree in education. Today the process of achieving success as fast as possible still fascinates me. Every year I spend hundreds of hours becoming more knowledgeable and keeping up with the latest information.
In 1980 I started to develop thousands of friendships due to business networking, social activities, volunteer work, marketing, public speaking, teaching classes, hosting huge parties at my house and so on. In the beginning I helped a only a few people. As they saw results, they told their friends, and eventually my reputation as a problem solver was well known.
During that twenty five year period from 1980 to 2005, more and more people came to me for help in their business and personal life. I did it because I have compassion for people. I made plenty of money in my other businesses so I didn't need to charge clients and friends for my coaching advice.
In 2005 I was a loan officer. When the real estate market crashed, I started to think about being a professional coach. The market crash was a blessing, because it forced me to look at better ways to use my time and teaching skills.
Today I'm much happier as a coach than I ever was as a mortgage loan officer. I'm able to make more of a difference and help more people than ever before.
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What Should I Look For When Choosing A Coach?
The best way to evaluate a coach is to try them out on a real life problem you're having right now. Most coaches will let you try their services without risk. I offer a free 40 minute coaching session for new clients.
Don't expect a coach to solve all your problems in your first session. Changing your life takes time. It can take weeks, and even months to see tangible results. However right off the bat you can evaluate a coach by asking yourself these questions. Are they listening? Are they asking questions to better understand my situation? When they offer suggestions, does what they say make sense to me? If a coach isn't working out for you , thank them for their time and try someone else.
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Why Should I Use A Life Coach When My Family And Friends Are Willing To Help?
Before you speak with family or friends, ask yourself these questions:
- Can I speak freely and tell them exactly what my situation is?
- Do they have any experience solving the challenges I'm presently dealing with?
- Will they judge me harshly if what I say upsets them?
- Will they give me honest feedback?
- Can they be neutral when giving advice?
- Will their advice be unbiased and honest?
- Will they be afraid of hurting my feelings?
- Will they be upset if I choose not to follow their advice?
- Will they keep my personal information strictly confidential?
- Can I trust them to remain silent even if they become upset with me in the future?
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What Kind Of Situations Can You Help Me With?
Please look at the coaching services I offer. You can also read how I've helped clients in the past and read their success stories. If you're unsure please call 480-664-2575 or send an email.
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Why Should I Use Your Coaching Service?
I want you as a client, but I'm not for everyone. Some people are looking for a shoulder to cry on or someone to agree with them that life is tough. Other people are looking for advice on how to hurt someone or get even. I'm not that kind of coach.
I work with clients who are motivated to make changes and be successful. And I work from a place of love where everyone wins. I will not give you advice on how to make someone you don't like feel bad. I recognize problems but my focus is on practical solutions and honest feedback that looks out for the highest good of everyone involved.
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Can You Help Anyone To Be Happy and Successful?
No. Most people who complain about being unhappy or unsuccessful are not looking for advice. They are professional violin players. They complain because they're looking for sympathy. They like the attention they get playing the part of a poor, powerless victim who is suffering due to all the injustices life has dealt them. If a person is committed to being unhappy, wants to be unhappy, or is comfortable being unhappy, no one can change them.
The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. Yet that's what people do. If a life coach or a psychologist or a counselor or a friend were to suggest new habits, new ways of behaving, or new ways of thinking, those life changing ideas would be rejected as 'bad advice'.
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What Can I Do To Be Happy and Successful?
A small minority of people around the world, are born to be successful. In their personal life they are naturally loving and everyone loves them. In their business life, everything they touch turns to gold. The know what they want. They go for it and they get it. There is no question in their mind that they can accomplish anything they set out to do.
The vast majority of people are not like this. What I find is that most people are unhappy with their life or some aspect of it, but only a few are serious about replacing old, but comfortable habits with new ones that will serve them better. Are you ready for change? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to get to where you want to go? If you're ready to make changes and reach your goals make an appointment for a free coaching session.
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How Do I Know I'm Ready For Happiness and Success?
It's only when a traumatic event happens, or a person hits rock bottom that they are willing to make life changes. People don't change until the pain of staying where they're at overwhelms them emotionally, financially, or physically. Change can begin when a person wakes up one day and says 'I've had enough! I'll do whatever it takes! I'm ready!'
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What If I'm Already Happy and Successful?
Good question! It's ironic that most of my clients are in the process of change OR they are already happy and successful! Most of my clients don't 'need' a coach but they want one anyway. Why? Because when you're successful, hiring someone who thinks like you makes a lot of sense. Instant feedback, confidential support, motivation, and fresh new ways of looking at things are valuable. Just one good idea can be worth ten times what a coaching session costs.
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How Long Will It Take For You To Help Me?
It all depends on what you're working on and what you want to accomplish. If you have many goals or the problems you're dealing with are severe, it can take three to six months or longer to see improvement or a successful conclusion.
On the other hand, you might only need coaching for one or two months. Some clients use me intermittently. Whenever they need inspiration, they call and when their life is going good I don't hear from them. Other clients want to have access to me at all times even when everything is going good. They like the instant feedback and how much better they feel after speaking with me.
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How Much Does Coaching Cost?
Your first session is free and my rates are competitive with other life coaches. After your first session we can discuss pricing.
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