“So, you’re asking questions, making observations, but not giving any advice?”
Roughly, yes.
“That sounds like what my therapist did!”
Fair point. Let’s have a look.
There are lots of places to begin, but I favor here: Therapy assumes a patient is broken and needs fixing, while coaching assumes a client is complete but wants to discover more.
A good coach explores everywhere in the present, even somewhere(s) it hurts, but s/he is not a historian.
Probably, if you’ve sought a coach, you’re ready to start in the present and envision the future.
If the past is a storm cloud making the present gray and hopeless, a good coach refers you to a good therapist.
“There’s gray everywhere in that sentence.”
Yes, there is. We’re absurdly complex creatures. The identity of the person one coaches in the present comprises a million past thoughts, emotions and experiences – most of which have plans to accompany her into the future.
What’s important at the beginning of the client-coach relationship is that all those experiences, emotions and thoughts led her to the present moment of seeking a coach.
“I feel like there’s a lot left to unpack.”
You’re right. More to come.
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Kinda cool, no? Coaching is a different world from what you initially expect.
Schedule a free sample with Bart and see what it’s about.