When you hear the words “Personal Coach”, “Wellness Coach” or “Life Coach”, what comes to mind first?
Probably you think that it’s someone who can give you advises and solve your problems. Or maybe it’s someone who has no proper education, but pretends to know everything about life.
What is personal coaching?
Personal coaching is working in partnership between coach and coachee in order to provide structure and support for coachee to set goals and take actions to achieve them.
In the past few years, especially during the global pandemic, the need for personal coaches increased substantially. However, there is still a confusion over the role of a coach and skepticism that coaching can help.
What are those to myths about coaching?
1. Coaching isn't a real profession and coaches don’t have a proper education
Yes, it is not regulated by the government, which means a coach doesn’t need license like a therapist. However, there is an International Coaching Federation (ICF), which sets high standards and certify coaches after they complete courses. Coaches are usually from that type of people, who never stop learning. Certificate provided by ICF after completing course, getting mentoring, gaining experience and passing the exam is not life-long, meaning that it has to be renewed from time to time. As coaching is becoming more and more needed profession, even universities started to develop coaching programs.
2. Coaches have all the answers and can solve my problems
Some people think that coaches are some kinds of “life experts”, know all answers and can tell what to do in order to solve problems. However, this is not true. Coaches are trained to listen and hear, to asking powerful questions, to see “between the lines”. They also have tools which can help coachee to see things from a different perspective and get answers to his own questions.
3. Coaching is only for rich people
Coaching is accessible for everyone. Most of the times personal coaching will cost almost the same like a therapy.
4. Coaching is only for people who have problems
This is a confusion with a therapist. It might be that you will decide to have a coach when you have problems. But today more and more successful people want to have a personal coach in order to be heard, understand themselves better, stick to the plan and get exactly where they want to be. Coaches are very good at helping people to move further.
5. You don’t need a coach
For many people it’s still really difficult to ask and to accept help. Many of them think that they don’t have problems. However, in this modern fast changing world with such a big social pressure, we might not even realize that there are other perspectives and ways of living.
That’s why a coach can help you to achieve goals which you never even expected to achieve