What is coaching?
Coaching:
- is based on the belief that each person is whole, resilient, creative and full of potential
- is a structured way to explore and clarify your goals
- helps you make a plan and take steps to achieve your goals
- keeps you accountable for your progress
- focuses on now and the future
Coaching can be beneficial for anyone, at any age. I welcome clients across the adult life span — from students/new graduates/young adults to seniors. Every stage of life has challenges, changes, confusion and great potential for personal achievement.
Coaching is empowering because the client generates their own momentum through actions and accountability. The skills and confidence you develop through coaching can have a lasting impact on many different aspects of your life.
Coaching can help you:
- Change careers
- Develop a professional practice
- Identify self-defeating patterns of behaviour
- Self-manage healthy eating and exercise habits
- Set goals and achieve them
- Make difficult decisions
- Learn to set boundaries
- Prioritize activities that bring you joy, pleasure and fulfillment
- Say No and mean it
- Say Yes to what you want and need
- Be accountable for your own actions and progress
How can I find the right coach for me?
The most important thing is to feel safe, heard, connected and supported in the coaching relationship. You may find a coach through personal recommendations. If so, ask that person what worked for them with that coach and how the coaching helped them make progress. The testimonials provided by a coach’s clients should resonate with you. I offer a free, introductory session where we can talk about what you want out of coaching and how I can be helpful to you. There is no obligation to then sign up with me — it is your choice.
How is coaching different from counseling or psychotherapy?
People may turn to coaches, counsellors or psychotherapists to help with overcoming challenges in their life. In Ontario psychotherapy is specific treatment provided by regulated professionals such as psychotherapists, psychologists and physicians. They can work with individuals dealing with mental health issues, healing from trauma etc. Counseling is an unregulated profession that focuses on providing information, advice-giving, encouragement and instruction.
While some coaches come from these professions coach training is different. Coaches work with clients to empower them to make positive change in their life. While an individual’s past life may provide context for current challenges, it is outside of scope for coaches to provide psychological care or give counseling advice. Coaching focuses on now and the future and on helping clients discover and harness their innate potential.
What does the title of “coach” mean?
Coaching is unregulated. That means that the title is not protected and anyone can use it. However, the International Coach Federation (ICF) certifies programs such as the one I completed at Concordia University, through a rigorous credentialing process. Through the ICF, coaches may earn the internationally recognized credentials of Associate, Professional or Master Certified Coach (ACC, PCC, and MCC).
Are coaches always specialized in one area?
No. Though many coaches, due to their educational background, professional experience or interest, may develop a niche practice. This could include being a corporate, career or wellness coach, or focusing on a client base such as late-career professionals, women, millennials/new graduates etc.
“Thank you Paulette for your words of encouragement, and for helping me grow as a person throughout our coaching sessions. It has truly made such a difference, and I’m able to start noticing where I can be more positive in my mindset to look at situations through a different lens! It will take some practice, of course, but I’m happy I finally have realized such a big part of my successes and failures; some of those failures weren’t failures at all.” — Megan C.