What does a life coach do?
How are they different from a counsellor or therapist?
Therapists such as counsellors, psychiatrists and psychologist help people who are struggling with mental illness such as depression, anxiety and PTSD to overcome and better manage their mental health issues. They come up with specific mental health plans that will help a person to better manager their condition.
In my work as a mental health coach, aka life coach, my role will be to assist and help clients with the issues that may come up in the key areas of the life as a result of the struggles a person is having. So what are the key areas that I am referring to? Specifically, I have found that there are four key areas in every person’s life; these are relationships, health and wellbeing, spirituality and/or purpose, as well as their business or careers, their income and wealth. What I have found, both through personal experience as well as when coaching people, is when one of these key four areas get out of balance, it affects the others as well. And when mental illness is involved, it can really throw all of these areas out of whack.
For example, let’s say a person has mental illness like depression or PTSD. From personal experience as well as in my coaching, I have always found that they are not only struggling with mental illness but also the affect the mental illness is having in their life. Without question, either one, if not all of their key four areas are suffering and are being impacted.
So, when a client comes to me for life coaching, they may already be seeking appropriate treatment to help him manage his mental health from a therapist or counsellor, psychiatrist or psychologist which is important. That’s part A of the solution. Part B is where I come in and is where I help the person come up with strategies and solutions that will help him change, improve, and fix the areas of their lives that are being impacted, such as their relationships, business or careers, or their money situation.
I should also point out that not all clients who come to me for life coaching will have mental illness. However, everyone who does will all have struggles or challenges to overcome in their business, careers, relationships, health, and lives. Either way, my role as a life coach remains the same, and that is to help the client make better decisions, expand their awareness as to what’s possible, and then help them develop superior solutions that have a measurable and positive impact in their lives.
So, if you have a business that is struggling, your relationships aren’t great, or you’re lacking direction or purpose, my role as a life coach is to help you overcome the specific challenges you’re having in relation to these issues. In this way you as the client are receiving the best of both worlds – professional therapy to help you better manage your mental illness, and professional life coaching that will help you change and improve the areas of your life that need it. It’s the perfect win-win for you.