Like Monet's daughter, we all sometimes need a little shielding from the stronger breezes of life
The concept behind life coaching is straightforward. Everybody occasionally faces problems, stresses and tensions that seem too difficult to resolve. It’s like finding yourself at a crossroads and not knowing which way to turn or feeing that all the paths are impossible.
Life coaching builds a positive and collaborative relationship. Looking at sources of stress, thinking about how to approach them, and actively developing solutions makes real change possible.
Although I’m a psychiatrist too, there are differences between psychiatry (or psychological therapies) and life coaching . Life coaching is not a medical intervention. It’s not about diagnosing or treating mental illness. And there’s no prescribing of medication.
While the communication skills and general understanding of human distress that I’ve acquired in my clinical practice inform and improve the ability to function as a life coach, life coaching is not a substitute for appropriate medical care for a mental illness. That should be resolved by the person contacting his/her GP for appropriate medical intervention as needed.
Life coaching is suited for people who are not actively suffering mental illness, but are facing a situation they feel is beyond their current ability to resolve.
Life coaching is not regulated. A large number of organisations have sprung up as a form of quasi self-regulation, offering accreditation in return for membership fees. They vary considerably between them in the level of experience required for membership. I choose not to be a member of these organisation because of the murkiness as to their actual value, and I am very open about that.
If you would like to know more about life coaching, and live in the Oxfordshire area, get in touch using the form below. Your note will get forwarded to my email inbox which is why I need your email address in order to reply.
