Rah-Rah!

So for the few of you out there that actually read this, I guess I should mention that I pick my topics randomly.  What is on my mind during the week, or whatever theme is emerging among my clients, that's what I write about.  If I don't feel strongly about something, the words won't flow.

So what's on my mind this week is the video classes I'm taking to become a Certified Life Coach.  Life coaching is the fastest growing field in the U.S. right now, and short of a certificate, there is not much else that governs this band of merrily encouraging people.  You can find a life coach for any area of your life, and I'm not exaggerating: financial life coach, nutritional life coach, fitness, leadership, spiritual... the list goes on.  If you have a goal (or two or three), and you need some motivation in reaching it, there is a life coach for you somewhere out there. 

I'm finding that there is a lot of cross-over between coaching and counseling, and that's what I want to talk about today.  The main similarity that is being pounded into my head is that the best coaches, and the best counselors, practice what they preach.  The best coaches have coaches, and the best counselors have been through counseling at some point in their lives.  Maybe even after they become counselors.  And having gone through therapy also makes a life coach worth their salt.

In both the counseling environment and the coaching environment, it is important that trust be built between the client and coach, and that the environment be a safe one.  The person of the coach, and the relationship and the rapport between the two people, is as important to building a successful relationship as it is in the counseling office.

Active listening is also key to both the counseling and the coaching relationship.  Active listening involves tthe listener letting go of their personal agenda, including thinking ahead to how they might respond to something that the speaker is saying, and just be in the moment with that person.  It involves having a good memory, and referring back to previous conversations, as a way of showing the client (or anyone really) that what they have said in the past is important.  Being an active listener also goes a long way in building the trust mentioned in the previous paragraph.

So there you have it - my two cents for the week.  Have a good one.