Does personal coaching work?

Finally, and more broadly, a study of global coaching clients from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) conducted independently by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that “80% of people who receive coaching say they have greater confidence in themselves and more than 70% benefit from better work performance, relationships and greater effectiveness. A life coach is a type of wellness professional who helps people progress in their lives to achieve greater satisfaction. Life coaches help their clients improve their relationships, careers and daily lives. Life coaches work with functional people who seek to create a path to achieve established goals.

Whether at work, personally or in the family, coaches act as unbiased thinking partners and hold their clients accountable by having weekly or biweekly one-hour sessions. Personal coaching isn't regulated at all either, and the scandals of life coaches carrying out Ponzi plans or college admissions plans haven't helped the profession's reputation either. While working with a life coach can help you deal with certain unresolved issues, life coaches cannot treat mood disorders, anxiety disorders, addiction, or any other mental health condition. Commitment, accountability and follow-up are some of the most valuable components of the life coaching process and are one of the main reasons why people who work with a life coach make much more progress than when they work alone.

You and the coach will agree on what works best for you before you start hiring coaching and will often be flexible if the schedule needs to be adjusted. Parker believes that the candor of life coaching has allowed her to train more than 200 women in the past four years. In the first one or two sessions, your coach will generally go over your goals and establish what you hope to achieve through life coaching.

Kaleb Whitcomb
Kaleb Whitcomb

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