You can relax and breathe easy because it is not as complicated as it looks. The simple truth is that all of the different categories of coaching follow the life coaching process. They are all in essence conducting life coaching with a special twist that is not as definitive and dissimilar as the different names imply. A life coach will be able to coach you in all categories. There are countless books, companies, coaching associations, coaching schools and individual coaches who promote their chosen categories. This blog will undoubtedly stir up controversy from these groups because many of them have a vested interest in promoting the differences in the categories to suit their specialized businesses.
Are there differences in the various categories of coaches? Yes, there are, but not as great as some would have you believe. The basic differences would involve how the different categories of coaches specialize in performing the life coaching process. The categories normally follow whom the coaches wish to coach and what they want to coach them to achieve. For example, a business coach will theoretically specialize in coaching business owners to accomplish business type goals. An executive coach will specialize in coaching executives towards executive type goals. And the process goes on.
One interesting phenomenon is that the terms personal coach and life coach are interchangeable. They are the same. Thus, we could easily call the life coaching process the personal coaching process and visa versa. Yet, before the second half of 2002, the personal coach category was the most often used term for coaching. Then something happened in late 2002 to cause the general public to start using the term life coach in place of the personal coach category. Today, the term personal coach has almost withered to obscurity, for no apparent reason. I wish I could figure out why this is true, who knows which term might become the most used category in the coming years?
If you research the many coaching offerings and web sites, you will notice how many individual coaches will promote their ability to offer many different categories at the same time. This is a realistic and understandable process. They are just presenting a full picture of what types of life coaching they provide, so you do not overlook them because you focused on one particular category. Don’t worry about which category of coaching you seek, as long as it is some form of life coaching, or shall we say personal coaching?
The coaching category of a coach is much less important than the coachable goals you seek to accomplish and the personal connection you have with the life coach you eventually select.
Have fun and enjoy the trip.
