New Years Resolutions 2018

Happy and healthy new year to everyone! At the beginning of the year, most everyone is making new years resolutions…again. We are going to lose weight. We are going to stop drinking. Stop…Do…Stop… Do… It is a cycle that tortures us year after year because we often fail.

I have been in practice as a Life Coach for the past 12 years. At the beginning of the year I am bombarded with phone calls from people seeking my services. It is usually about changing habits, reaching goals and/or help with depression (often from the holidays). So, this is where I want to tell you/share with you an interesting perspective describing the difference between coaching and therapy.

SHOULD I SEEK OUT A THERAPIST OR A LIFE COACH?

Naturally, the decision to seek out a therapist or a life coach is a very personal one. It might help to imagine yourself getting ready to climb a mountain. You could either hire an expert sherpa and guide for your expedition or a doctor.

Which should you choose?

If you are physically unwell, or would be in danger if you even attempted the climb, a sherpa and guide wouldn’t do you any good. You need to be at a baseline level of good health before you can make the climb at all, so if you’re not, you might need to see the doctor before trying something that challenging. However, if you’re healthy and just need someone to help you with climbing strategy, carrying the load of supplies and finding the best path, the sherpa and guide is the best bet.

In this example, the therapist is the doctor. He or she gets you well enough to take on major challenges in your life by exploring your mental and emotional well-being. The life coach is the sherpa and guide. He or she has an expert knowledge of your climb and can help you reach the summit.

A life coach would be able to offer guidance by:

• Clarifying and achieving personal and professional goals
• Creating business plans
• Working to improve communication skills
• Achieving financial independence and security
• Achieving a work/life balance
• Starting a new business or growing a current business

A therapist, on the other hand, focuses their conversation on ways to:
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• Recover from past traumas
• Explore why past relationships (business or personal) have been destructive
• Work through depression or anxiety that affect your ability to function at home or work
• Survive a divorce or loss of a loved one
Although life coaches and therapists occasionally help clients with similar problems, their work is not the same. In order to get the right kind of professional expertise, it is crucial to know which kind of guidance will serve you best. Life coaching isn’t simply a watered-down version of therapy. It is a dynamic discipline designed to help motivate and inspire people to achieve more than they believe is possible.

Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2018-

Sari B

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