Opinions on Life Coaching

Therapists are licensed mental health professionals. Unlicensed coaches cannot practice therapy.

 

Unfortunately, as you know, they do under the guise of coaching and out of ignorance or an overwhelming desire to be a therapist without putting in the work.

 

Agree. In certain areas of coaching, it's nearly impossible to not cross the line between coaching and therapy. There's this woman who often boasts about being a clinical hypnotherapist and life coach believing it makes her more legit than her competitors. I get the feeling that she really wanted to be a psychologist or licensed counselor, but didn't want to do the work to get there. Her website doesn't name the organizations that certified her, but she's making money coaching full-time and has hundreds of thousands of followers.

 

(1) There are numerous worthless schools that will grant degrees and diplomas in anything the customer wants.

(2) Once you've got that -- there's usually a "Board" or "Institute" with no validity whatsoever, that will "certify" you (or your pet spaniel) as a "practitioner" of whatever woo you want. Degree mills + certification mills. It's crazy.

Johann von Biersaufen - Ph.D. (Head-shrinking) University of the Unknown Universe.
Board- certified in Jivaro Head Shrinking Methodology (BJHSM) *

* Wiki: "Jivaroan peoples, which includes the Shuar, Achuar, Huambisa and Aguaruna tribes from Ecuador and Peru, are known to keep shrunken human heads."

 

Infamous case of a Cat becoming a diplomate of some still going hypnosis organizations.

There are a couple of higher level hypnosis organizations that require grad degrees/doctorates and state issued licenses (one was founded by Dr. Milton Erickson).
1) https://www.asch.net/aws/ASCH/pt/sp/home_page

2) https://www.sceh.us/

The ones mentioned in the article below aren't them (of course). Dr. Zoe D. Katze becomes an esteemed practitioner.

http://www.dreichel.com/articles/dr_zoe.htm

 

Dr. Eichel who got his cat Zoe the esteemed recognition she deserved is a well qualified and credentialed (legit) himself.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Eichel

 

From The article on Zoe die Katze (Zoe the Cat):

"Zoe is (or was, since I doubt I will pay certification maintenance fees) certified by the National Guild of Hypnotists, the American Board of Hypnotherapy, and the International Medical & Dental Hypnotherapy Association. She is a Professional Member of the American Association of Professional Hypnotherapists."

Wunderbar!

 

Thought you would appreciate the German (Katze) humor in Dr. Eichel's approach.

 

Natürlich!

 

I am a life coach, albeit as a side thing. It brings me far more satisfaction than my day Jon. I plan to do more if it as I semi-retire and eventually fully retire. Like all professions, there are good life coaches and bad ones. Just an opinion, but I see no value in a life coaching degree. I see lots of value in classes that make crystal clear the distinction between coaching and therapy. Good coaches can connect with their clients to help them overcome obstacles, find hidden motivation, help them achieve goals, cope with strife, etc. Good friends and colleagues may also be able to serve these roles but a "professional" is generally more skilled and is able to get more from their clients than friends or family members. Coaches can also be hired by businesses to work with high potential employees, host and facilitate quaint corporate meetings and workshops, and all kinds of other things. As I believe is true of most things, ones experience, wisdom, depth, perspective and application are more important than academic credentials. For example, a 25 year old coach is fighting a losing battle if they are working with someone approaching mid life and is experiencing all of things that come with it (loss of friends and family members, empty nest syndrome, ones own mortality, physical limitations due to age...). The youngster simply has no context. Text books can't overcome that.

 

Coaching is not therapy. ICF-certified coaches are bound by a code of ethics, which includes this definition of coaching:

Coaching- partnering with Clients in a thought-provoking and creative
process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional
potential.

Coaches partner with their clients to help them achieve success as they define it. It is not therapy or therapeutic. As a Professional Certified Coach, I have graduated from an ICF-accredited coaching program (owned and operated by former ICF president who is also a psychologist) that made the distinction between coaching and therapy a central theme in its instruction. Personally, I've coached more than 200 clients and have twice disengaged from the coaching process because I felt the client needed therapy, not coaching. That is a professional responsibility of ICF-certified coaches.

Like most professions, coaching is not legally regulated. Just as one can be a project manager without a PMP certification, one can be a coach without ICF certification. But, coaching meets the traditional definitions of a profession. It has education requirements, a professional association, etc. Society can rely on the ICF to certify qualified professionals who know how to coach. A PCC like myself has at least 500 hours of coaching experience. (I have more than 3 times that.) Coaching is a burgeoning profession. Still, there will be examples of abuse and misuse--almost exclusively from non-ICF-certified actors.

 

I like what Rich says above - I've looked into lots of coaching certification programs as it seemed like something I might enjoy and be good at - I think there are a couple of issues with "Life Coaching" - one of them is the name. It's a...strange name....it makes it sound like you might as well just take more advice from your friends down at the local pub. But, using the word "counselor" has a different connotation altogether and has a recognized definition that implies training and licensure (which is why you shouldn't call yourself one unless you are a licensed counselor). The other issue with it is...anyone can call themselves a coach, and there are a lot of people that won't just "stay in their lane" as a coach and they try to enhance those obligations with other, more esoteric practices - many of which can't really be evaluated in an objective way. I do think there is legitimate "pastoral counseling" training in many religious settings, but it varies widely. I've met with business coaches before - and I see it the same way, there is no mystery about it. A coach provides structure, accountability, helps the client identify resources or strategies that might help them overcome barriers to achieving their goals, etc. But they aren't there for therapy sessions, and like Rich said, an ethical coach would not try to fill the role of a therapist-it's based on planning and action, not on exploring one's emotions. I think of it as a very practical thing - more like when your boss at work provides you with a "development plan" to strengthen your skills. There is no therapy involved with that outside of the friendly encouragement you would hope any boss or teacher would provide in any situation.

 

Well said. I agree. As for me, I completed all of the requisite ICF training for certification. I have never bothered to record or submit subsequent coaching hours to achieve various levels of advanced standing/certification (Master Coach and the like). For me it gas never been necessary but I would never begrudge anyone who went that avenue. I do think the profession needs to be regulated. There are a lot if coaches out there who cross the line into therapy without credentials or proper awareness. There are way too many coaches out there that don't know when to refer a client to a therapist, or won't make the referral because it means losing a client, or hasn't even formed a small network of licensed therapists to talk with and can be used as referrals. Way too many coaches our there that don't understand the basic concepts of what a coach does, and way too many out there that lack the knowledge and awareness needed in other ways. For example, if my client needs help achieving a goal, but I know reaching that goal would cause collateral damage, I'm going to first guide my client into an awareness associated with "the bigger picture" before I do anything else. Not to do so would be reckless in my opinion, and would e a disservice to the client.