What is a Life Coach?
A life coach is officially defined as “a person who counsels and encourages clients on matters having to do with careers or personal challenges.”
How is Life Coach different from a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)?
Therapists/Counselors assess and diagnosis client symptoms. LPC professionals specialize in counseling clients who are dealing with a variety of mental health diagnoses: mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustments disorders, and more. Clients must show symptoms for specific duration and intensity in order to receive a mental health diagnosis. Clients must have a qualifying mental health diagnosis (according to the DSM-V) in order for insurance to pay for treatment.
A Life Coach can listen, process, and offer suggestions to your problems without diagnosing the client. Individuals see life coaches when they need assistance in a season of life transition, but their symptoms do not meet the criteria for diagnosis. A life coach may be a LPC or receive alternative training and certification.
Who needs a life coach?
Everyone could benefit from having a neutral, personal confidant to assist with life changes and challenges.
However, 2 specific personality behaviors could readily benefit from Life Coaching.
A life coach is officially defined as “a person who counsels and encourages clients on matters having to do with careers or personal challenges.”
How is Life Coach different from a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)?
Therapists/Counselors assess and diagnosis client symptoms. LPC professionals specialize in counseling clients who are dealing with a variety of mental health diagnoses: mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, adjustments disorders, and more. Clients must show symptoms for specific duration and intensity in order to receive a mental health diagnosis. Clients must have a qualifying mental health diagnosis (according to the DSM-V) in order for insurance to pay for treatment.
A Life Coach can listen, process, and offer suggestions to your problems without diagnosing the client. Individuals see life coaches when they need assistance in a season of life transition, but their symptoms do not meet the criteria for diagnosis. A life coach may be a LPC or receive alternative training and certification.
Who needs a life coach?
Everyone could benefit from having a neutral, personal confidant to assist with life changes and challenges.
However, 2 specific personality behaviors could readily benefit from Life Coaching.
Type-A personality:
Least likely to ask for help because they believe “I can handle it.”
Common signs include impatience, time urgency, aggressiveness/rudeness, opinionated, goal-oriented, competitiveness, work stress, dark circles under eyes, hypertension, heart disease, and sometimes social isolation.
How Life Coach can help: 1) Identifying areas where Type-A traits negatively impact your life
2) Identifying cause of problems 3) Implementing solution-focused problem-solving
4) Practicing effective communication 5) Utilizing relaxation techniques
Take a Quiz: Is your personality Type-A?
Least likely to ask for help because they believe “I can handle it.”
Common signs include impatience, time urgency, aggressiveness/rudeness, opinionated, goal-oriented, competitiveness, work stress, dark circles under eyes, hypertension, heart disease, and sometimes social isolation.
How Life Coach can help: 1) Identifying areas where Type-A traits negatively impact your life
2) Identifying cause of problems 3) Implementing solution-focused problem-solving
4) Practicing effective communication 5) Utilizing relaxation techniques
Take a Quiz: Is your personality Type-A?
Lack of Motivation:
Least likely to ask for help because they believe “It’s not a big deal.”
Motivation is the desire to do things.
How Life Coach can help: 1) Identify areas of interest 2) Determine barriers to achieving goals 3) Set short and long-term goals to improve effort and build consistency. 4) Celebrate accomplishments with displaying appropriate feelings and reactions.
Bree Winkler is a LPC and life coach. Visit www.dunwoodyprivatecounseling.com to learn more and to schedule your first session.
Least likely to ask for help because they believe “It’s not a big deal.”
Motivation is the desire to do things.
How Life Coach can help: 1) Identify areas of interest 2) Determine barriers to achieving goals 3) Set short and long-term goals to improve effort and build consistency. 4) Celebrate accomplishments with displaying appropriate feelings and reactions.
Bree Winkler is a LPC and life coach. Visit www.dunwoodyprivatecounseling.com to learn more and to schedule your first session.
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