When Dottie, one of the best players in the league, was ready to walk out on her team, she explained, “It just got too hard.” All athletes and all people feel like that at some point in their lives. When they do, good coaches know what to say. Dottie’s coach, Jimmy Dugan responded to her with one of the most famous lines of any movie, “It’s supposed to be hard. If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. The hard… is what makes it great.” Dottie showed up, ready to play the next game. A League of Their Own portrays one of the great sports stories and coaching stories of all time. During World War II, when men were off fighting, women stepped up to play baseball. But coaching does not just make a difference when women are trying to achieve the impossible. Good coaching makes a difference in everyday life. More and more, people are working with a life coach to fulfill their potential.
Just like any other coach, life coaches work personally with their clients—they often know each client’s strengths, weaknesses, values, and vision. Life coaches often help each client make goals that are driven by their own vision and their own values. Each goal is a game plan that account for the client’s strengths and weaknesses. When people work with a life coach, they often have the support, encouragement, and accountability they need to reach their full potential.
“To excel at the highest level—or any level, really—you need to believe in yourself, and hands down, one of the biggest contributors to my self-confidence has been private coaching.” —Stephen Curry
Thriveworks Wilmington offers appointments for life coaching because it is a key element of many people’s success. We all need help from time to time to push through challenges and stay focused upon what true matters. Often, life coaches can provide that help.
What Do Life Coaches Do?
Life coaching is a relatively new discipline within mental health care, and people commonly wonder who life coaches are and what exactly they do. Life coaches have more flexibility to provide care to their clients in ways that classic therapy cannot. Here is a little picture of those differences:
- Life coaching is often goal oriented and focused upon helping clients reach their personal and professional potential.
- Life coaches have unique styles, just like athletic coaches.
- Individual coaching sessions can often be tailored to a client’s needs and preferences.
- Life coaches and therapists are separate professionals. Some therapists may also be life coaches, but they are unique roles.
- An organization called The International Coach Federation (ICF) has outlined suggested ethical guidelines that life coaches may follow, but these guidelines are not binding.
- There is no licensure or certification process for life coaches. The title is not regulated.
- Life coaches may have an independent practice, or they may partner with other health care professionals.
- The principles and techniques that life coaches use often overlap with those that athletic coaches use.
Is there a goal you want to achieve? What do you envision for your future? If you are ready to achieve, it may be time to reach out for help. Life coaches are often invaluable allies that help people strategically plan their success. Life coaches can inspire, encourage, advise, and challenge along the way.
“Coaching helps you take stock of where you are now in all aspects of your life, and how that compares to where you would like to be.”
—Elaine MacDonald
What kind of clients does life coaches work with? Anyone and everyone. Retirees who are transitioning their lives into retirement. New grads who are starting to climb the corporate ladder. CEOs who are on top but want to learn more. Stay-at-home parents who never want to stop growing and improving. There is no end of the list of people life coaches work with.
Working with a Life Coach: Potential Advantages
Because life coaches offer individualized care, the benefits that each client experiences will be individual as well. Each client has their own goals and their own definition of success, but in general, the advantages of life coaching often include…
- A clarified vision for one’s life.
- Goals that align with that vision.
- Unwavering and unbiased support.
- Strategies and technique for working smarter—not harder.
- Non-judgmental accountability.
- A boost in confidence and self-esteem.
- Inspiration and encouragement to overcome challenges.
- Personal and professional development.
Scheduling an Appointment with a Life Coach at Thriveworks Wilmington
Are you considering reaching out to a life coach? Maybe you have a goal you are chasing. Maybe life has thrown a curveball your way. Maybe you know you can build a better life. If you are ready to get moving, so are we. The life coaches at Thriveworks Wilmington are also licensed mental health counselors. They are experienced, caring professionals who have walked with many clients as they faced life’s challenged, reached for big goals, and grew personally and professionally. When you contact us for an appointment, you may be meeting with your life coach the following day. You will never reach a voicemail, but our scheduling specialists help our clients make their appointments. We do not put our clients on a waitlist, but we do offer weekend and evening sessions. We also accept many different insurance plans. Let’s work together. Call Thriveworks Wilmington today for an appointment for life coaching.
Anger, Self Esteem, Stress, ADHD, Addiction, +3 more 
