Simply stated, a life coach is someone that...well....coaches you through life! Just like a tennis coach is there to see where the player needs improvement, and shows her how she can achieve the best results over and over, and cheers her on through the wins and losses (while sometimes giving her tough love to help her get to the next level) - a life coach does that to ensure you live your life to the fullest. While you rely on your best friend or partner to listen to your troubles and offer advice, and you pay your therapist to talk about your past, your coach focuses on the present and future, intently listening and asking questions to help you discover your unique path.
Let me give you an example. Say you're a 30 year old woman, unsure whether to transfer cross country for a promotion. If you take it, you'll leave behind your friends and (possibly) your boyfriend, since you don't think that he'll move with you. If you turn it down, you might not get a job offer like this one - and the raise that goes with it- for another few years, and it'll take even longer to get that CFO title that you've been coveting since graduation. When you ask the key people in your life what to do, you hear:

MOM: "My darling baby! How can you move so far away from me?! And to leave that darling boyfriend, too. Y'know, you're not getting any younger and that Marty might be the last chance I have to have grandbabies!"

DAD: "You spent all that time and money on your MBA. Why would you waste it by throwing away this promotion? You need to take this job."

BFF: "Things with you and Marty have been going so well! And to think about dating in a new city where you don't know anyone gives me the shivers. And no more "Sex and the City" marathons at my apartment! I know that you really want this job, but can't you find an opportunity like this closer to home?"

THERAPIST: "When you were ten, you had to move cross country. Does this situation bring up those anxious feelings again?"

LIFE COACH: "Let's talk through what this new position entails and discover if it's really right for you. Once we do that, we can look back on the risks you've taken in your life and how you felt about them. Do you like adventures? Trying new things? Do you have a hard time or an easy time meeting new people? And will the new city you would have to move to match the type of environment that you thrive in? We can also look at what your values and priorities are to see what roles career and family have for you. Where do you want to start?"

As a coach, I will:
* effectively listen
* reserve judgement
* offer feedback (not advice or criticism) only when you confirm that you want to hear it
* ask questions that will help you to uncover the answers that best suit you
* be prepared and punctual
* be supportive and enthusiastic
* keep you focused on your goals
* acknowledge your actions and hard work
* challenge you to change your behavior
* brainstorm with you to uncover new solutions
* offer tools to increase your self-discovery
* assist you with putting your goals into action
* hold you accountable for your efforts
* be a partner, a sounding board, and a confidante

During our weekly sessions, you will:
* discuss what has been working for you
* identify and verbalize what you'd like to work on that week (saying "No" to a high-maintenance friend? asking
your boss for a raise? uncovering your priorities?)
* be open and receptive to new ideas and suggestions
* take a proactive stance to new developments and discoveries
* recognize - and celebrate! - successes
* be punctual and prepared
* eliminate all distractions prior to the start of the session

Still unsure if I'm the right coach for you? Try me! Click on the Contact Me page to schedule your free 30-minute trial session. And since it's over the phone, you can even do it while drinking a glass of wine - in your pajamas! What's bad about that?"