Should You Hire a Christian Life Coach?
Life coaching has become big business in the last decade or so, with some big names out there increasing its prominence, such as Tony Robbins. So while you may have heard of life coaching, what exactly is it, and how does a Christian life coach fit into all this?
What is life coaching?
A life coach helps people achieve their goals across all areas of life, including their personal, work, and social relationships.
Through tried and tested tools and strategies, life coaches target the client's unique skills and gifts by helping them to make the most of their strengths. All this is geared towards providing the support they need to achieve their goals and create long-lasting change.
So what areas of life might coaching work best for? Almost every area of life can benefit from life coaching, but common and popular areas are:
When you want to change your career
Wanting to get a promotion at work
Looking for greater fulfillment in life
Needing clarity over a decision to be made
Struggling with the dull routines in life
Want to grow as an individual
Want to become more productive
Whether it's work, personal, or family-related matters, a life coach will act as an unbiased thinking partner and hold their clients accountable, usually through weekly or bi-weekly one-hour sessions.
How does life coaching differ from counseling?
It may seem that the two are very similar, but there are many differences between the two, and it's essential to understand the differences before you look to hire one or the other.
A counselor/therapist will work with clients looking to make progress in their lives by resolving past issues, whether childhood issues or broken relationships. Often, these past hurts stop a person from achieving their future goals.
A life coach differs in that their focus is on the future and not the past. Instead, it's about moving people forward in small steps in a short period. The end goal may be the same, but the process is very different.
So the main difference is the counselor looks backward to work out the "why," and a coach looks forward to work out the "how." Because of that difference, there can be a significant difference in the speed of achieving your goal. For example, sessions with a therapist make take months or years, whereas, with a life coach, the work is often completed in weeks.
Do note that therapists are fully trained, licensed professionals who must respect an ethical code. On the other hand, life coaches are not governed by a body and don't have to comply with any legislation. To that end, don't consider a life coach as a substitute for a mental health professional.
The work of a Christian life coach
At this point, you may wonder how the role of a Christian life coach differs from a regular life coach. Of course, the method of focus and the framework used will be the same as any other life coach, but the difference comes with the understanding that as Christians, we view life and the decisions we make through the lens of our faith.
A Christian life coach takes that perspective and weaves it into the coaching sessions to help a client achieve their best and their best in God.
This unique approach helps clients to walk in godliness while seeking God's will for them, creating both the difference and the success.
Where to find a Christian life coach
Pre-pandemic, you would most likely find a Christian life coach through an online search and work with them locally. Now, however, we have all become accustomed to online meetings. Many Christian life coaches now offer virtual sessions so that you can work with a coach from anywhere in the world.
What does a coaching session look like?
The process starts with an initial consultation. Some coaches offer these for free, while others provide a discounted first session.
The coach will ask questions about your current situation and your desired outcome during that first session. Be aware that the coach will be working with you to focus on the goal ahead, not on the past issues that have stopped you from reaching those goals.
The coach will then help you explore different options for achieving your goal. In identifying obstacles that may get in your way, you will find some choices are better than others to help you move forward. This is all part of the development process.
Once those opportunities have been spotted, a plan to overcome those obstacles is formed as part of the bigger strategy to achieve your overall goal.
This process is worked through with a Christian perspective, not a secular one. This means that the client will be encouraged to consider all things in relationship to their faith and their calling in Christ at each step. The coach will also provide encouragement and inspiration through biblical understanding.
Summing up
A Christian life coach supports Christians in finding and achieving their life goals while encouraging those clients to walk faithfully in their faith.
As Christians, we place ourselves under God's caring hand. However, we also want to walk faithfully in his truth, and working with a life coach who understands this aspect of a Christian's life will bring spiritual depth to the decisions made.
Many Christians can tie themselves up in knots, trying to work out their purpose in life, and working with a Christian life coach may help significantly to break out of patterns that have held you back.
Remember, 'we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.' Eph 2:10
Gordon Hall is a trained life coach and a pastor in the North of England
