What is Christian Coaching?

Welcome to my new blog devoted to a new business adventure I am starting:  Reflecting His Image Christian Life Coaching!  I am in the midst of training with Professional Christian Coaching Institute (PCCI) to become a Certified Christian Life Coach. This is an exciting endeavor, and I am delighted you are interested in journeying together to discover with me what it is that God has in store for your future.

So, you ask, what is a Life Coach? 

To quote Gary R. Collins, in Christian Coaching: Helping Others Turn Potential into Reality,

In the 1500s, the word coach described a horse-drawn vehicle that would get people from where they were to where they wanted to be....Some writers have suggested that the goal was similar in the ancient athletic world where coaches helped gifted athletes and teams boost their performance and get to the goal of winning in the Olympic Games.

Gary Collins also quotes Frederic Hudson, author of Handbook of Coaching, who states:

A coach is someone trained and devoted to guiding others into increased competence, commitment, and confidence.

PCCI on their website gives this further information:

The International Coach Federation (ICF) defines coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." 

A coach is a collaborative partner, not a hired expert. A coach is not a consultant, mentor, counselor, or adviser because he or she is non-directive. We say that coaching is done “from the inside out” rather than "from the outside in".

Coaches have no agenda, no personal investment in a client taking one path versus another. Instead, coaches will listen for and focus on the gap between where a client is now and where the client senses God is calling them to be.

Coaching is the art of asking powerful questions that prompt clients to think about things they've never considered before, or may have dismissed as impossible.

A really good coach is masterful at "staying in the questions," prompting clients to listen to and express their hearts & minds, their core values -- what Scripture would call "the desires of their hearts." Coaches then challenge clients to move proactively toward the clarified vision that results from such non-directive exploration.

Coaching involves forward thinking.  

A coach may have experience in various areas as a mentor or consultant, but their role is to ask powerful questions of the client to help them discover their own answers.  Coaching is about discovery; creating awareness; drawing out what is already there inside the client in a safe, supportive place where the client is truly heard, the goal being to help the client move from the status quo to where they want to be in life.

I'm not very religious so why would I want a Christian Life Coach?

You may not want a Christian Life Coach and that's okay.  However, it's not about me, the coach, but rather, about you, the client.  Disclosing I'm a Christian is simply letting you know who I am, my guiding principals centering on treating everyone with dignity and respect, and explaining the title of my business, Reflecting His Image, which is my hope, whether you are a Christian or not.  As your coach, I hope to be cued into the questions God may be directing me to ask to create a deeper sense of awareness as to your desires and goals.  God cannot be put into a box, and each of us are unique with a special "song" in our hearts that is begging to be released and lived out.  I'm not here to convert anyone but to be a good listener and challenge you to achieve your potential in what ever area of your life you are wanting to work on.

On that note: 

*What's happening in your life right now?

*Do you have any dreams?

*If you knew you couldn't fail, what would your dreams look like?  What does that feel like?

*How can you get to that place?

*Are there any obstacles?

*Where would you like this time together to take you? 

*If the change you want doesn't happen, what would life be like?

*If it did change, what would that look like?

So, what is your next step?

Contact me today!   Call 208-966-4338/208-449-9019 or E-mail me at Sheilamh67@gmail.com.

I would be honored to walk this path with you and help facilitate the process toward positive change and increasing your life satisfaction.