Coaching
I believe in the power of coaching.
I want people to have fulfilling experiences with coaching and I want coaching to be a profession characterized by engaged excellence. I believe some understanding of where coaching is today and the types of coaching out there helps potential clients make educated, wise choices that increase the probability that they will have a meaningful coaching relationship.
Coaching is a baby as far as professions go. With no regulating body at this point, coaching is like the Wild West. This has the advantage of allowing talented people to practice coaching with no artificial barriers to entry and the disadvantage of allowing incompetent and unscrupulous coaches to practice unfettered. Under the coach moniker you will find everything from people branding themselves as coaches after taking a 5 hour online seminar to people who have completed years of training on their journey to becoming a coach. Along with this, there are a range of offerings from business coaching to life coaching to career coaching.
Approaches to Coaching
Most life coaching fits into two main approaches: results focused coaching or developmental coaching.
Results focused coaching has a particular result as it's focus, like weight loss coaching or career coaching. This type of coaching is good when you have one particular goal in mind and you want some support around acheiving that goal.
Developmental coaching has the client's development of their full human potential at it's core. The results will look different from client to client because they emerge from the client's essential self. This type of coaching is good for those who want to improve the overall quality of their life, rediscover their spark and bring more joy and meaning into their days.
How to Choose a Coach
Find a few coaches that seem interesting to you - spend some time getting to know them through their writing and any other free offerings they may have to see if their philosophy clicks with you. Look into the coach training they have received and see if it seems reputable. Look for any other experience and education they may have that would enrich their coach training.
Also look at their pricing and make sure that it's a good fit for you both financially and logistically. Some coaches offer their coaching in packages and some are more a la carte style. If they offer packages, find out what their policy is if you are unhappy with the coaching after a couple of sessions. Are you locked in to the package or is a refund possible?
Once you have found at least three coaches that click for you, arrange a short chat with each one and interview them. With few exceptions, I insist that all my potential clients interview at least two other coaches before they work with me. Especially for people who are new to coaching, the ability to see a few different coaches next to each other increases the chances of finding the right coach for you. This chat is the most important part of the process - your intuition will tell you which is the coach for you.
Consider contacting the coach's previous clients either through links on testimonials or by asking the coach if they have some previous clients you could talk to.
Coaching with Lianne
If we decide to work together after we've chatted, this is what it will look like:
I will email you an introductory package that consists of great questions that will become the basis of our first call and some administrative paperwork.
We will schedule two 45-60 minute calls per month over the phone or using Skype audio. Email support is available between calls as necessary.
I charge $225 per month and invoice this amount the last week of each month via PayPal. Through PayPal you can pay from a credit card or directly from your bank.
If you would like more than two calls per month additional calls may be added for $100 per call.
Contact me at lianne@lianneraymond.com





