Five Life Coaching Myths Debunked

As we see an increase in consciousness we’re seeing an increase in the number of people completing life coaching courses and practicing as life coaches, business coaches, and relationship coaches. Naturally, this leads to a lot of life coaching myths which need proper investigation.

For this article, we are looking at people who are qualified as a life coach through robust training centres such as The Institute of Behavioural Science. It is important to differentiate between someone who has completed an intensive life coaching course and someone who uses their life experience to tell people what to do.

Five Life Coaching Myths Debunked

As a life coach, I’ve heard every piece of wrong information in the book. From life coaches being charlatans who fill people with hopes and dreams to being frustrated therapists who haven’t got any training.

Let’s debunk a few life coaching myths right now.

1. Life Coaches Are Therapists Without Certification

On occasion, there are people going around calling themselves life coaches that haven’t had any training or gained certification, true. This also happens in graphic design, personal training, hairdressing, the list goes on…

Therapy often looks at a problem a client is experiencing from their past, and the focus is on the problem. Whole sessions are dedicated to focussing on the problem.

A life coach, especially one trained in Rapid Change Technologies, won’t even touch on the problem as they are focussed on peak performance through goal setting and taking action!

A good life coach will have a client complete a Depression Anxiety Stress Scales test, and if necessary, refer the client to a positive psychologist if they feel therapy is required.

2. Life Coaches Tell You What To Do

Let’s clear this one up straight away: a good life coach will never tell you what to do.

A life coach will work with a client to first set goals, then to monitor those goals, and deal with any barriers that are stopping the goals from being achieved.

If a life coach tells a client what their goals should be, the client will not reach them as the goals will be incongruent with what they want and with their own values.

3. Life Coaches Need All The Answers

When I first became a life coach 20 years ago, I made every mistake in the book. I thought I had to have all the answers, and I was intimidated by people who I perceived as more successful than me.

Then I had a realisation: Coaching is about the person sitting in front of me, it’s not about me at all.

If you were to engage me to help you to grow your business then you would engage me as a consultant, and I’d need to be an expert in growing businesses! But as a life coach, you engage me to help you think in a different way and to question patterns and beliefs that are preventing you from achieving your goals.

4. You’re Messed Up If You Need A Life Coach

Here’s a secret I’ll let you in on; we’re all a little messed up in some way!

Even the most switched on people who seem like they have everything together have blind spots that they can’t see, or insecurities that don’t always show in public.

We’re all inside our own bubble, and our friends and families are in there too, so they look at our problems from the same perspective.

A life coach is outside of your bubble, and they can assist you by using tools and techniques to help you see your life from a different angle.

Here’s an experiment. Hold your hand out in front of you, fingers splayed, then place your hand on your face. You can’t see the ‘octopus’ on your face, but someone looking at you can! A life coach is that someone.

5. Life Coaching Is Expensive

Who is it that decides what is expensive and what isn’t? That new pair of shoes or flashy sports car may be expensive to one person, yet easily affordable to another.

While the original outlay on coaching sessions may seem expensive, the return on investment can be huge. Most people who complete work with a coach go on to either achieve a pay rise, land a dream position, or launch a business when working on career.

Likewise, if you wanted to lose 20kg and improve your quality of life, and achieved that by working with a coach (when you previously couldn’t achieve it alone) wouldn’t that be worth the investment?

Money is just leverage you use on yourself to achieve your goals. If you get given a course for free, you’re unlikely to complete it. If you paid $10k for the same course, you can be damn sure you would take in every moment of every lesson!

Life Coaching Myths Debunked

As you can see, these five life coaching myths are just that, myths.

When people feel challenged by something they don’t know or something they don’t understand, these fears can be played out via attacks. Really, they’re labelling an entire industry they know nothing about!

If you’re thinking of becoming a life coach or engaging a life coach to excel in life and have been sitting on the fence, register for our next Coach Now training programme beginning January 30, and discuss any ongoing concerns with one of our coaches!

Kindest regards,

Matt Catling

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