What is Coaching?

“ICF [International Coaching Federation] defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

Each of us goes through our own evolution and while there may be some uncanny similarities, each of our experiences are unique. Many people’s evolutionary experience can simply look or feel like a nagging thought or feeling that never quite comes into focus. Some imagine a “farfetched” dream that seems impossible to reach. And some feel like they are drowning in uncertainty, unable to determine which direction would point them toward life-giving oxygen. Fear, skill gaps, lack of a plan, unidentified resources and misinterpreted or misled guidance can keep a person “stuck.” So what’s a person to do when they’re overwhelmed by the question, “What’s next?”

Imagine a safe place to just think in peace. In this safe place, there’s a compassionate thinking partner to help guide you through a deep-thinking, meaningful conversation that uncovers your true wants and needs, discovers your motivation, and helps you develop a plan to meet those wants and needs. It is my belief that you are capable of making your own way in life, but like all of us, you just need a little help focusing. The very nature of a coaching relationship and the dynamics of a coaching session help to both interpret and reduce the noise and chatter of your brain in an effort to help you find direction and forge a path forward.

Coaching is not therapy, which explores and finds meaning in past events. It’s not consulting, which consists of someone reviewing your data and then advising you on the next steps. It’s not training, which would be someone teaching you how to do the next steps. In coaching, the dynamics are somewhat miraculous in that we both focus only on you without all the noise and distractions of your life. It’s my job to keep you focused throughout a genuine conversation that helps you dig deeper into awareness to uncover what YOU really want and then YOU decide what the next steps should be. You might be asking what I do during this process that is all about YOU, but I assure you it’s the methodology and tools I’ve learned and will be following in the background that helps you get from where you are now to where you want to be.