Many years ago, I thought about becoming a Life Coach. Based on my background, degree in Psychology and years of working in corporate Human Resources, it seemed like a natural fit for me. I thought about it and wondered the next best steps, talked to friends and then put it on the back burner. Meanwhile, I decided to get my Pilates certification and started teaching. A year or so after completing that training, I thought again about Life Coaching. I wondered if I really needed to get training or if it's something I could just do on my own. I did a little research, talked to some friends who had been through different training programs and then promptly put it aside, again. Then at the end of last year, I started to get serious about researching Coach training programs. I listened in on information sessions and had settled on a program in the first part of this year. I was scheduled to get a coaching session with one of their coaches and that was going to be the last step before signing up for their training. Well, that coach never showed up for our call, not a good sign. In the meantime, I received an email from another training program, Goal Imagery® Institute. I sent an email inquiring about a phone meeting to discuss the program, and Marianna (who runs the program) responded within minutes. We scheduled a call for the next day, Friday, with the next training session scheduled for the following Thursday! After an hour long conversation, I was convinced and signed up immediately! Luckily, the class got pushed back a few weeks, so I could wrap my brain around embarking on this new venture.
After 6 months of comprehensive and practical training, I graduated from Goal Imagery® Institute as an Holistic Life, Career & Executive Certified Coach. I am so excited to be on this journey and partnering with clients to maximize their personal and professional potential.
I will be launching a website soon for Be Present Coaching, so be on the lookout. I decided on this name, because to be a good coach, you must LISTEN and BE PRESENT in each moment. I'm really looking forward to working with many different people from all walks of life. If you or anyone you know, is interested in coaching, please comment here or send me a message. I would LOVE to work with you.
If you're still not sure about coaching, here is a great explanation from ICF...
“Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives. Coaches are trained to listen, to observe and to customize their approach to individual client needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources, and creativity that the client already has.” International Coach Federation (ICF)