Life coaching near me Edmonton

How to Choose a Life Coach in Edmonton

While social media feeds may have you wondering why your life is so imperfect, the reality is that everyone experiences problems in their lives. We may feel stalled or unfulfilled in our careers and social lives, feel irritable more often than not, or find it impossible to break bad habits. We may have a lack of confidence in ourselves, experience anxiety from loss or change, or feel like our creativity has been blocked. 

When we experience challenging moments in our personal or professional lives, our first instinct may be  to look to close friends, family members, mentors, or self-help books. But when those options are no longer sufficient, who can we call?

When our supports are not enough, a life coach may be the person to call. What does a life coach do? They help you identify your own strengths and weaknesses, the hurdles that stand between you and your goals, and guide you through a journey of unlocking wisdom and self confidence. They help you think about the future - be it your professional or personal life.

This article explores what a life coach can do for you and where you can find a life coach in Edmonton. Let’s start by coming to a clearer idea of what a life coach can do for you.

What will a Life Coach do for You?

If you’ve ever played for a sports team, you will understand how important a coach is to the team. The coach sets a strategy for winning, harnesses the mental and physical strengths of players, and set a plan for the season to achieve goals. They know exactly what exercises and drills to do to strengthen the team, and correct weaknesses by targeting them through specific tasks. Most importantly, a coach motivates the team and its players, helping them to achieve a level of confidence that enables the team to continually improve.

Like a sports coach, a life coach helps their client develop and implement a strategy for personal improvement, self-awareness, and goal achievement. A life coach helps to bridge the gap between the present situation and the future. They help you settle into different mindsets that enable transformation, so you will be empowered to make decisions and take risks. They become a partner for you, and support you in considering the possibilities. While you will ultimately do the work - just as a sports team does all the playing - a life coach helps you coordinate the plan and spark the knowledge and skills you already have into action.

Life Coach vs. Therapist

What’s the difference between a life coach and a therapist? Unlike a therapist, a life coach focuses on the future and its possibilities, while a therapist may focus more on the past to provide  insight on the present moment. 

In a therapy session, you may find yourself involved in unstructured, open-ended talk that enables the therapist to diagnose possible disorders and traumatic experiences. Licensed therapists are equipped to do the work of healing as they have passed examinations and have worked in clinical contexts, where they are supervised by professionals. They have skills and tools for behaviour modification and therapy. 

Life coaching session will feel much different. It will be more structured, involve questionnaires to clarify and set goals, and holds the client accountable for accomplishing tasks that support goal achievement. Do not expect a diagnosis or deep excavation of personal experience - taking action is the top priority. 

You can seek therapy and life coaching in tandem: one will help you heal while the other helps you take action to move forward. Just make sure you have realistic expectations for yourself and your life coach. Your life coach cannot and is not trained do the work of a therapist, so if you are looking at correcting deep-seated issues that disrupt your work and personal life you should consider work with a therapist first.

How to Choose a Life Coach

Once that you’ve decided that you want to work with a life coach, it’s important to figure out how to choose one that’s right for you. Let’s have a look at some questions you should be asking when picking a life coach.

Is the life coach trained and certified? 

Make sure the life coach you are considering has been through a recognized training program and is certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Because there is so little regulation in the life coaching wellness sector, it’s important to find out if the life coach is ready to provide you with quality models that are tested and based in scientific research. The ICF accredits training programs and coaches according to a standard of practice that is recognized around the world. 

Will their coaching style work for you?

Every coach works according to their personality and the way they’ve been trained to coach. You may find that you prefer a coach who is warmer and kinder over one that is more aggressive or confrontational; you may discover you prefer a coach who is more free-flowing over one that is highly structured. Does the coach use a workbook? Does the coach follow a specific coaching model? Use your personal preferences to determine what you want, and ask questions of about the tools and methodologies they use in their coaching practice to gauge whether you will have a successful partnership.

Does the cost of coaching fit within your budget?

Money is a major consideration when it comes to coaching - after all, you will want to attend enough sessions for the work to make a long lasting difference and you want to feel comfortable in your investment. Check out several options and compare pricing to see what the main differences are, and find out exactly what is included in the services. Many life coaches will offer a free consultation session - use that session to ‘test drive’ your options and make sure you are not simply choosing a coach based on price.

Where to find a Life Coach in Edmonton

There are lots of life coaches in Edmonton, many specializing in different areas from relationships to management to spirituality. Most life coaches offer their services independently, and many have reviews posted on Google if you are curious to know what others are saying. Some life coaches have podcasts, blogs, and videos you can check out so you can get a feel for what they offer and what their approach is. One good place to look are sites like Noomii, where you’ll find plenty of listings for coaches alongside ratings and reviews. Superprof is another great site where you’ll find different life coaches - check out our roster for a life coach near you!