Personal life coaching is a relatively new method of providing support and development which embraces the entirety of human existence. It aims to support the client or coachee and enable that person to achieve a specific goal, whether that goal be personal or professional. It is primarily a facilitative process which helps the coachee to identify the skills and capabilities they have and enable them to use those skills as best they can.
Unlike therapists and consultants, a personal life coach does not use psychological intervention or business analysis, but instead uses techniques based on sociology, psychology, anthropology, mentoring and different kinds of counseling. The techniques are not used for people who have psychological or psychiatric disorders during the coaching period as the coachee must be psychologically healthy despite their worries and problems. Personal life coaching does not deal with what has happened in the past, but rather focuses on what the individual has inside of them, and draws out these talents or skills and encourages the person to use them to the best of their ability.
The focus on the "here and now" enables the clarification of goals which may have become lost in the muddle of everyday life. People who find themselves at a crossroads and do not know which way to turn may benefit from personal life coaching as would those who find themselves at a dead end. People who are facing problems in their relationships and workplace, who lack motivation and stability, or those who want to improve their image find support in personal life coaching.
Life coaching takes place in a safe, trusting environment where, through the process of the coach asking questions and the coachee answering them, the client comes to understand what they are going through, where they have made mistakes and why. Correcting those mistakes leads to an understanding of strengths and the establishing of goals according to realistic, heartfelt desires. Each personal life coaching period is unique to the coachee and it is a process which takes time.
Coaching can be conducted with private individuals as well as within a business environment face to face or over the telephone usually on a weekly basis. One of the benefits of life coaching is that the client has a non-judgmental ally who does not bring any personal issues into the discussion as friends or families inevitably do. By removing the barriers to self-fulfillment, people can rediscover what it is they really want out of life and realize they have the power to achieve their goals.