Life Coach

This weekend was my first great road trip adventure with Chris. We toured New England and the Berkshire mountains including the Divine Mercy Shrine, Norman Rockwell museum, Susan B. Anthony birth place and of course, Six Flags. To maximize our time on the road, we listen to various pro-life tapes or watch videos. One of the talks from the Heartbeat International Conference really struck me. The subject of the talk was on basic elements to consider when setting up crisis pregnancy centers. The speaker mentioned three different approaches to interacting with the women: counseling, consulting, and a life coach.

Counseling she said implies that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. She pointed out that although the term counseling is used most frequently it is probably the least appropriate and effective. We are all broken in some way and need to be fixed. After all, we are members of a fallen human race. She also pointed out that most people that work in the centers do not have any formal training in counseling or psychology. Counseling involves examining the past, the problems of the past and determining how they impact the present.

Consulting is more of a business term. It involves a general assessment of the current situation. You examine all the information available and then give a factual based summary to the client and let them decide. Obviously, this is a very stoic approach to a sensitive and emotional situation.

Life coaching is something completely different. It is not an examination of the past or a bland assessment of the present. It is a walking beside, as she put it, a look to the future. She discussed several different techniques that can be used to help the women to set goals for themselves, to help them take control of their lives and relationships and to realize what they really want out of life. Being a life coach is a partnership with someone who cares.

So as I prepare to embark on my own journey as a life coach in New York, I posted a picture to pay tribute to one of the greatest athletic coaches, John Wooden, who recently passed away.