Top Five Things To Look For When Hiring A Life Coach

A stressful lifestyle can soon lead to anxiety, burnout, and non-attainment of goals. Therefore, if you feel stuck in a rut and want to get back on track, you should consider working with a Life Coach. A Life Coach can offer tools to help you find your passion, joy, and purpose.

However, hiring a Life Coach can be an arduous task. With numerous Life Coaches and Counselors operating in each city, choosing one that’s right for you can be challenging.

Therefore, if you’re seeking a Life Coach, here’s a list of the top five things to look for in a Life Coach.

1. Years of experience
It’s essential to know that the person you work with has experience in their area of expertise. They should have integrated their skills, understanding, and knowledge to offer you what you need. Questions you might ask are, “How many years have you been offering your services?” or “What is your philosophy or beliefs about healing?”

When I began working with others, I came with knowledge in my field, but I was still a beginner and relied on my curiosity to learn new things. Over the years, I have expanded my skills with many new tools and gained a deeper understanding of my craft which has honed my intuition.

2. Ownership
Is the Coach or Counselor willing to be flexible and admit when they are “wrong”? I remember studying with one of my most influential teachers years ago. I put them on a pedestal, thinking that they knew it all. Then one day, that person did something in a group situation that could have been handled better. We all gasped. What just happened? Did our teacher fall off the pedestal? In other words, did we lose respect for her? Within a moment or two, our teacher stood by the person whose feelings she had hurt and apologized. Our teacher owned her mistake and took responsibility for her actions. That moment was huge and taught me that we are not perfect.

No one deserves to live on a pedestal, and we can make mistakes. My respect for my teacher grew. Counselors and coaches are human, so when they make a mistake, they must own it and put things right with the person in front of them. Questions you might ask, “How do you handle a disagreement or conflict with a client?”

3. Compassion
Everybody takes in information differently and expresses it in various ways depending on their learning patterns. Knowing a person’s learning pattern opens the door to more creative and effective healing. Since one size doesn’t fit all, the Coach or Counselor should be capable of stepping into your model of the world. Do they notice if you need something conveyed visually, kinesthetically, or auditorily? Also, are they willing to learn how you learn?

I want to know the learning pattern of each person I support so I can relate to their life model. It’s my job to be flexible enough to know when and how to challenge a person with care and respect and invite them into the next step of their journey.

Questions you might ask are, “Do you know about learning patterns and how do you integrate that into your work?” or “Are you open to learning how I learn so we can use that in our work together?”

4. Good listener
Does the Coach or Counselor feel like a healing presence for you? Counseling and Coaching require listening deeply to what is said and what is not said. Coaches need to listen between the words and, sometimes, offer advice to the client, but not as much as we think.

Knowing how to be present is essential for healing practitioners. Also, it’s imperative that “helpers” believe that a person is not broken or needs to get fixed. Each person is on a journey back to love themselves. Holding that belief for a person creates an energetic container that allows for change.

You might ask the coach, “What are your beliefs about healing?” Also, trust your intuition when speaking with someone you are considering hiring. Also, pay attention to see if you feel safe and comfortable in their presence.

5. Promotes guided discovery
Does the Coach or Counselor have the skills to empower you to find answers for yourself? In addition to feeling that someone is the right person to work with, it’s essential to inquire if they will give you tools that can get used outside of sessions. There is an old saying, “If I catch the fish for you, I have fed you for a day. If I teach you to fish, I have fed you for a lifetime.” Many practices can help a person “remodel” their life. Understanding and knowledge are crucial first steps in healing. But they are not enough. Techniques help to integrate and change a person’s actions and beliefs from old, outdated ones to new, life-affirming ones.

Questions you might ask are, “What practices or tools will you be teaching me?” or “How will you support me to integrate what I’m learning?”

Get in touch with me today!

If you’re looking for a Life Coach in Madison, reach out to Sacred Sovereignty with Vida Groman. I offer Individual, Couples Coaching, Mental Health, Self Compassion Coaching, Spiritual Healing, and Counseling Services.

I serve clients across Madison, Sun Prairie, Verona, Janesville, Dodgeville, Spring Green, Baraboo, Portage, Beaver Dam, Milwaukee, Eau Claire, La Crosse, and the surrounding areas.

To learn more about the services I offer, please click here. To get in touch with me, please call 
(608) 236-4811 or email support@vidagroman.com.