What Does a Life Coaching Session Look Like?
It seems like everybody has a coach these days, doesn’t it?
Coaching has certainly gotten a LOT more popular in the past few years. And that’s both a good thing and a not-so-awesome thing for the profession. There are soooooooo many great coaches out there and there are also soooooooo many folks calling themselves a “coach” but who aren’t actually practicing coaching. And that has led to some confusion on what coaching is and what it isn’t.
The biggest misconception I have to clear up before working with a new client is that I’m here to tell you what to do.
And sometimes that comes with a bit of a letdown for a woman who’s feeling stuck and is looking for the “right” answer that will get her moving forward again. I get it. I can think of plenty of times in my own past where I would have wanted the exact same thing.
But I can absolutely promise you that the true power of coaching lies in it being a client-led process designed to tap into your own inner strength and wisdom.
My job is to hold space, ask you powerful questions, and challenge you just enough so that you can find your own answers and your own path forward.
That’s all a little ethereal though, isn’t it? You’re wondering what coaching is really like.
What happens in a typical coaching session?
First, let’s chat logistics.
Almost all sessions are conducted via Zoom or by phone, so it doesn’t matter where you are in the world. You just need to be somewhere with a good internet (or phone) connection and where you will be able to focus on yourself for the time we have together. Normally, that’s 50 minutes (with a couple minutes grace budgeted in at the end for us to wrap up if we need it).
then how we’ll start.
We’ll always spend the first few minutes of every session getting REALLY clear on what you need that day. Maybe you’re working through a difficult decision and need to walk away with some clarity. Or maybe you’re about to face a sticky situation and are looking for an action plan. Or maybe you’re cruising along on something bigger and need space to figure out what’s next and celebrate how far you’ve already gotten. Whatever it is, I’ll be there to help you hone in so that there’s a clear goal for our time together.
And what’s it like in the middle.
Will I ask you tough questions? Probably. And you might even find that there’s more silence then you’re used to. But that space where you get all the time you need to sift and sort? That’s where the real magic happens. (Don’t worry. My job is never to stump you. If you’re truly stuck, we’ll look at it from another angle.)
Will I ask you to dig deep and get under the surface? You. Bet. I. Will. We’ll only go there when you’re ready, but I’m going to help you see what’s serving you, what’s not, and where you can find new ways forward.
Will you sometimes cry? Maybe. Or laugh. Or laugh-cry-snort all at the same time. Your coaching session is ALL yours and whatever you need to do to keep moving forward is A-OK. (Hint: bringing some tissues along is never a bad thing.)
And how we’ll wrap it up.
As our time together that day is winding down, I’ll make sure we bring it back to the start and check in on what you hoped to walk away with that day. You’ll be able to clearly see where you started, where you got to, and how you’ll move forward. And if you need a celebratory dance that day? I’m here for it.
But will I give you homework?
Not exactly. I will give you some ideas for things that you might try or do in between sessions to help you keep working towards your overarching goal(s). You’ll be able to pick and choose what you’re ready to commit to doing. So, in a sense, it’s like you’ll be giving yourself your homework.
And if you don’t follow through? We’ll take a look at why. I will never, ever judge or shame you. That’s not my job!
And, most importantly, will it be fun?
I’d like to think so. If I’m doing my job right and you’re willing to put in the work, you’re going to learn new things about yourself and make some serious movement forward. That sure sounds like fun to me.