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Life Coaching

What is Life Coaching?

There are many perceptions of what life coaching is in process and substance. And, in fact, the product does vary from one professional to the next. So, the answer to the question, "What is life coaching?" is specific to each situation. In the extreme, for example, there is a stereotype of the fearless jock with a seven figure income and a sportsman's lodge in the Rockies, getting paid to help young, upward climbing exec types to live longer and make more money than anyone could ever imagine. That person might exist, but it's not me.

In my coaching I teach a simple model of life which I call Life Perspectives. Life Perspectives frames all of our pursuits and experiences in terms three basic attitudes. Each attitude also characterizes a life that is respectively retreating, aggressing, or flowing. The client becomes familiar with the specific characteristics associated with each frame and learns to recognize thoughts, emotions and behaviors within these frames. This enables the client to manage his or her perspective, prioritize, stay motivated, and get the most out of life.

What is the difference between coaching and counseling?

The coaching approach I have just described above is also part of my general counseling approach. And, in fact, one could reason that coaching is a way of giving counsel. So what is the difference between counseling and coaching?

The difference happens to be in the way the objective is presented. A counseling client will present the objective as a problem that needs resolution. The coaching client will present the objective as a goal and a learning experience. As you can see, it is a very fine line of differentiation; a real line nonetheless. The atmosphere from one setting to the next is significant. As the counseling process continues it increasingly resembles a coaching process, and about this time most clients are ready to withdraw from counseling.

It's probably clear that the coaching, in my view, is not something that someone needs for extended periods of time. That is truly my view. Coaching, like counseling, is a way of passing on tools with some explanation as to how to use them. Coaching is not crisis resolution focused as counseling tends to be. Probably the other important distinction is that coaching is not covered by insurance. To inquire about coaching, contact me by phone or email.

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Daniel Pryor MA, Counselor & Life Coach