What is coaching?

What is the definition of coaching?

Coaching refers to the partnership between a trained and experienced professional (called a coach) and a client (sometimes called a coachee). It is a process which aims to help a client unlock their potential and move forward in a particular area of their life. This could be personally or professionally. Examples of what coaching can help with include excelling in the workplace, becoming happy and fulfilled at home, managing health conditions and achieving life ambitions.

Coaches offer guidance to help clients progress from where they are currently to where they want to be. This process happens through conversation and can take place face-to-face, over the phone, or online. 

The history of coaching

The origin of coaching can be traced back to the 1880s, but the structuring techniques used today are thought to have been inspired by sports coaches in the late 1900s. Rather than simply shouting words of encouragement, sports coaches began to take a holistic approach to improving their players' performance by identifying their personal and psychological blocks. This self-improvement model of sports coaching was identified by American writer Timothy Gallwey, in his book 'The Inner Game of Tennis' which is recognised as being one of the most influential in the industry.

Over the years, coaching made its way into the business world before being recognised as a personal self-development tool that so many people use today. Whilst the concept of coaching has been around for centuries, coaching as a profession is still relatively new and continues to gain popularity, with coaches offering more unique and varying services. 

How does coaching work?

At the heart of coaching lies the idea that we already have the answers we need within us. A coach's role is to help you find these answers. This is done through a number of conversational techniques including questioning, active listening, observation and reflecting back.

Coaches will rarely tell you what to do. Rather, they aim to develop a trusting relationship between you and them through open and honest communication. Question prompts help you learn and give you the space to come up with the answers yourself. Offering advice, opinions and judgements would undermine some of the basic principles behind life coaching.

When these techniques are used, you gain greater self-awareness and often an insight you hadn’t seen previously. Having a non-biased, non-judgmental person available to provide focused attention can help you understand how to move forward. Many people find this approach incredibly empowering.

Coaching techniques

Many coaches will use NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) techniques in their work. This works by assessing a client's perception of the world and adapting their behaviours and reactions to enable them to live a happy, desired life. Coaches may also use tools such as journaling, meditation or the 'wheel of life' to support conversations. There are also various models that can be used within coaching, such as the GROW model (which stands for goal, reality, options and way forward). Some coaches will take a more fluid or intuitive approach. 

To ensure progress is being made, coaching often focuses on goal-setting. You will typically be encouraged to create a list of action points following a session so you know what steps are needed to meet and even exceed these goals. 

What are the benefits of coaching?

Working with a coach offers a number of benefits. Regardless of your aims, dedicating time and space to personal or professional development helps to improve confidence and a sense of self-worth. 

If you’re feeling lost or unsure about something, coaching can provide clarity, direction and focus. If you’re struggling to make a change, coaching can help raise your self-awareness and both understand and change certain behaviours. 

If you’re finding it difficult to motivate yourself and make things happen in your life or work, coaching can offer accountability and help you define your purpose. And finally, if you simply need to learn a new skill (from sports to building emotional resilience) coaching can help accelerate your learning.

In this video, coach Alex Bowman discusses some of the key benefits of coaching.

What can a coach help me with?

Coaches utilise techniques to help their clients in all aspects of life. If you've ever struggled with something – whether it be moving out of your comfort zone, improving your confidence or starting healthy habits, then consulting a life coach could help you. Subjects coaches deal with include: 

• Relationships – Do you wish you had the confidence to approach someone you like romantically? Do you struggle with commitment? Are you struggling to cope with a divorce? A coach could help you to understand your love life and work towards improving it.
• Business life – Starting and running a business is tough work. Sometimes we get so absorbed in hard work that we neglect ourselves. Coaches can help build confidence, develop leadership skills, enhance decision-making abilities and assess your work/life balance.
• Personal life – Do you feel like you're not making the most of life? There's so much to see, do and learn in this world, but often a lack of confidence, time and willpower can cause us to stay inside our comfort zones, doing nothing. Life coaches use specialist skills to motivate their clients to do the things they want to do, see and achieve, so they can finally fight the urge to procrastinate.
• Performance – Improvement is at the heart of life coaching. Whatever your skill, coaching could help improve it. Whether you're an athlete, an artist, a writer, a performer, or a musician – adopting specialist techniques will help you to push your limitations and exceed expectations.

Whatever you need support with, coaching can provide you with a toolkit of teachings to confidently face challenges and overcome barriers. This relies on your commitment to the process and an open, honest relationship with your coach. With a focus on forward progression, unlocking potential and achieving goals, it’s no surprise that many people call coaching ‘life-changing’.

To learn more about how coaching could help you, visit our A-Z areas of coaching.

What's the difference between coaching and mentoring?

In the coaching industry, you may have noticed the term mentor being used. A mentor is usually someone who has experience in a certain area and is, therefore, able to support someone with less experience. An example of mentoring can be seen in the workplace when a new starter is paired up with someone who’s been in the role for longer. 

Some people prefer to call themselves mentors instead of coaches. By sharing their knowledge, mentors tend to hone in on a specific area of expertise. Mentors will often use coaching techniques in their work – questioning their mentees and encouraging them to make their own decisions to increase confidence. 

What's the difference between coaching and counselling?

While of course, we are big champions of coaching, it’s important to understand that there are some scenarios where counselling is more suitable. The main difference between counselling and coaching is that counselling can investigate the underlying causes of mental health problems. So if you are struggling with a mental health condition, an addiction or unresolved trauma, working with someone who is trained in those areas (such as a psychotherapist) is key. 

Coaches are not (unless specified) qualified to diagnose or treat any health-related problems, although if the situation arises they may suggest you see a GP.

In some cases, coaching can work well alongside or after therapy, especially if you’re looking to set goals for yourself. 

Coaching FAQs

Deciding to see a life coach is the first step in your journey to discovering the power you hold within yourself. But it can feel like a big step, especially if you haven’t experienced coaching before. Our FAQs are designed to give you an insight into what coaching involves, how to find the right coach for you, and what to expect in a session.

What happens during a coaching session?

Coaching sessions will typically last between 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the coach you choose). Often, after an initial assessment, sessions can be conducted face-to-face or remotely, usually over the phone, over email, via video calls and occasionally through instant messaging.

During the session, your coach will ask you some questions, such as what you want to achieve in life, what areas you're unhappy with and where you'd like to see yourself in the future. Although a coach will work with you, it’s often up to you to challenge or reflect upon certain ideas you have to help you move forward with your life. You will never be forced to make any decisions you don't feel comfortable with and all sessions will be confidential, allowing you to explore your thoughts and feelings privately in a safe space.

A coach should also offer support and feedback to help you stay focused on your goals and will occasionally set you tasks and objectives to work on outside of sessions.

How many coaching sessions will I need?

You can have as many or as few coaching sessions as you like. Because many coaches operate over the phone or via the Internet, the sessions can easily fit around your schedule. Some people hire a coach once every few months, some people have a session once a week. It is entirely up to you to decide.

How much does coaching cost?

The cost of coaching will vary from coach to coach, but on average, you can expect to pay somewhere between £50 and £100 per session. Of course, some coaches will offer cheaper sessions and others more expensive; this will depend on a variety of factors.

Coaches will often have packages where you can purchase a number of sessions upfront for a reduced price. Many coaches will also offer a free call to start with so the two of you can get to know each other better and find out how the coach can support you. These calls (sometimes called ‘chemistry calls’) are your opportunity to see if the coach you’ve chosen is likely to be the right fit and if you’re interested in working with them further. 

If you have any queries about the prices a coach is advertising, send them an email or give them a call to discuss – they’ll be more than happy to explain what the cost includes and what you could get out of the sessions.

Can I have coaching online?

Lots of coaches offer online and telephone coaching for individuals who are unable to meet them face-to-face or find these services easier and more convenient. Online and telephone coaching can be offered in addition to one-on-one meetings or as the primary method of coaching. To search for a coach who offers this service, use our online and telephone search.

Learn more about online and telephone coaching. 

Are there different types of coaching?

There are many coaching styles used to address different situations and to direct a coaching session. Depending on the client’s goals and how they wish to achieve these, a coach will assess each individual and determine a coaching style from there.

To find out more about styles of coaching, head over to our coaching styles page.

Do coaches need to have qualifications?

Coaching is currently an unregulated profession in the UK, meaning anyone can call themselves a life coach. Because of this, it’s wise to do your research. On Life Coach Directory, you’ll only find life coaches who have either provided us with evidence of a membership with a recognised professional body or sent us copies of relevant qualifications and insurance cover.

Still, qualifications and memberships mean little if you don't get on with your life coach. Rapport is one of the most important parts of life coaching. If you feel uncomfortable with your professional, you are unlikely to gain much from the session. It’s advisable to get in contact before you book a session to meet your coach so you can gauge how comfortable you are in their presence. Never feel obliged to continue if you don't want to.

How can I train to become a coach? 

Making the decision to become a coach or NLP practitioner can quickly turn from exciting to overwhelming when you discover the number of training courses available. To help you shift back to excitement, we’ve put together a guide on how to become a coach with a few pointers on what to look out for. We’ve also listed some training affiliate organisations that run courses which will enable you to join Life Coach Directory once completed to help get your business off to a flying start.

Your next steps

If, after reading this, you’re feeling ready to start your coaching journey, here are some next steps we advise:

• Identify what you would like coaching to support you with, what would your goal be?
• Ask yourself what format of coaching would suit your needs best right now, face-to-face or online/telephone coaching?
• Use our search tool to browse coaches listed with us. Read more about them and the way they work on their profiles, and consider if they could be a good fit for you.
• Contact the coach and set up an initial session/chat. 

If you do need further help, we're here to support you. Please don't hesitate to contact us.

Useful links

• Not sure where to start?
• How to find a coach on Life Coach Directory