Today, I’m here to debunk some myths about coaching - whether that be coaching for health, wellness, business, stress management or emotional wellbeing. So, have you ever wondered what coaching really involves and how it differs from the common myths circulating out there? Read on…

Myth 1: Coaching is Only for People with Serious Life Issues

Fact: In fact, coaching is beneficial for anyone seeking personal growth, better life balance, or simply wanting to maximise their potential. It's not just for overcoming major challenges but also for enhancing overall quality of life.

Health coaching has been shown to be effective in addressing a variety of health issues. Health coaching is a patient-centred approach that has been studied extensively and shown to have positive results on improving health outcomes. Research indicates that coaching can lead to clinically relevant improvements in various health indicators, including blood pressure, cholesterol levels, glucose levels, and physical fitness.

Additionally, coaching has been found to be effective in improving quality of life, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress levels, as well as physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual functioning. Furthermore, a review of 13 studies showed that health coaching improves the management of chronic diseases and produces positive effects on people’s social life and their behavioural, physiological, and psychological conditions. Coaching has also been found to be on par with therapy, and 80% of people who receive coaching report increased self-confidence, while over 70% benefit from improved work performance.

Myth 2: Coaching is Similar to Therapy

Although clients who have had therapy in the past, think they will receive a similar experience with coaching, they are actually very different. Coaching focuses on the present and future, setting goals, and actionable steps, whereas therapy often deals with healing and understanding the past.

Therapists help clients look to their figurative yesterdays in order to overcome deep-rooted issues, whereas life coaches are there to help clients jump off today's launching point to succeed tomorrow.

Therapists are trained mental health professionals with the goal of treating mental illness, while coaches are trained to empower individuals to excel at living their life, even if they have chronic medical conditions.

Myth 3: Coaches Will Tell You Exactly What to Do

A coach's role is to guide, support, and empower clients to make their own decisions. Coaches provide tools and strategies, but the client is the one who takes action. A normal session will involve the client speaking for approximately 90% of the session! I am there to be your navigator but I will not offer or give advice without asking your permission first. It is not my job to take away your knowledge by telling you, I want you to grow in your confidence and self-esteem by using your own knowledge and skills.

When I first qualified, I had a business coaching session with my coaching teacher and although Leanne never actually told me what to do, I came away with a list of actionable steps of how I could to where I wanted to be. I knew all the steps already, it took Leanne to use expert questioning and interview skills to lead me to those answers for myself. The session really helped me clarify where I was, where I wanted to be and how I could get there.

Myth 4: Coaching is a Quick Fix for Your Problems

Coaching is not a quick fix for problems. It is a process that involves working with a coach to create goals and strategies to achieve them. Unlike a quick fix, coaching is not a rapid solution for issues that have taken years to develop and entrench. The coaching process is similar to talk therapy, but the person being coached is in the driver’s seat, creating their goals and strategies to achieve them. While coaching can lead to positive outcomes, it is not a shortcut to solving deep-rooted issues. Instead, it focuses on harnessing your own strengths to improve health behaviours.

The time it takes to see results from coaching can vary depending on several factors, including the complexity of the objectives being addressed, the willingness of the individual being coached to take action, and the frequency of coaching sessions. In general, most coaching engagements last between 3-6 or 12 months, with sessions typically taking place on a bi-weekly or monthly basis. However, inner results, such as changes in perspective, beliefs, and energy, can often be seen in about one to three months. It's important to have patience and trust the process, as working with a coach is not a quick fix but a journey of personal growth and development. To get the best results, it is important that clients show real commitment and active participation, the coach will do the same.

Myth 5: It is hard to measure the results you get from coaching

Measuring progress in coaching can be done through various methods, including self-assessment, feedback from family and friends, and the use of coaching scales and questionnaires. Here are some ways to measure progress in coaching:

• Self-assessment: Clients can rate the differences they observe post the coaching sessions, which can help measure progress.

• Feedback from family and friends: Analysing the changes observed by the client's family and friends can provide a clear image of the coaching programme’s success.

• Coaching scales and questionnaires: These tools allow coaches to quantify and compare clients' results before, during, and after the coaching process, providing a way to measure progress and evaluate coaching effectiveness.

• Pre- and post-coaching assessments: Completing assessments before and after coaching can help measure the effectiveness of the coaching intervention and track progress.

It's important to note that the time it takes to see results from coaching can vary, but inner results, such as changes in perspective, beliefs, and energy, can often be seen in about one to three months.

Myth 6: Coaching is Expensive and Only for the Wealthy

Coaching may initially seem like an expensive investment however, it's important to note that coaching is an investment in personal or professional development, and the cost can vary based on the coach's experience, qualifications, and location. While coaching may seem expensive, it can provide valuable support and guidance in achieving personal and professional goals.

Lift Yourself Coaching has a free 45 minute offering called ‘Unfold & Thrive’ so you can find out if coaching is something you enjoy - find the details of all my coaching packages here…Services.

If you want to reach out with any questions or sign up for a session then please do get in touch. There are also lots of blogs discussing the non diet coaching approach right here on my website.