As many of you are aware, in addition to my practice of Psychotherapy, I am engaged in the practice of Life and Performance Coaching for High Achievers. I am often asked to explain in what ways Coaching differs from Psychotherapy. I thought I would share my thoughts briefly in this post.

Differences between Psychotherapy and Life Coaching

Psychotherapy has been traditionally based on the premise that:

~ The client has been emotionally damaged by some past event(s), and needs to experience “healing” from the pain or trauma.

~ The concern is with the past and the present.

~ The focus is about excavating and neutralizing negatives.

Life and Performance Coaching rests on the premise that:

~ The client possesses unrecognized resources available to develop strategies that lead their goals and dreams to fulfillment.

~ It is about liberating positives. It is about putting the client in touch with his or her own amazing wisdom and creativity.

~ The focus is on the present and the future.

~ It is for those ready for their NEXT level of achievement, who are ready to lean into their edge and experience growth they never believed was possible.

As one coach has said,

“Life coaching is about designing a future,
not about getting over the past.”

In my work over many years, I have discovered that not everyone who might want life coaching is suitable for it. I provide the person who is seriously interested in Coaching with an initial, deep 90 minute coaching conversation that helps us to decide if he or she is ready for this kind of growth-work.

Because this initial conversation is as important to me as it is to the potential client seeking coaching, I do not charge for this time together. I must believe that I can help move them forward and enjoy working with the person or else we will not be a good fit.

If you ask me what I came to do in this world, I will tell you, I came to live out LOUD.” ~ Émile Zola

My daughter recently brought home her University yearbook and on the cover, embossed in wild, bright colors, were the words, ‘Live Loud.’

I loved it! She was being encouraged to not just have a life, but to live it LOUD – emphatically, boldly, not concealed or quiet but overtly and with undeniable purpose and passion.

Do you feel that your life is moving at a faster and faster rate? Do you feel out of balance and at the mercy of stress?

While stress is not an option, how you deal with and bounce back from it is.

A commitment to balance, which includes self-renewal, is crucial in order to be outrageously successful in all areas of your life. Prioritizing self-renewal allows for you to become physically and mentally refreshed while having the energy to stay focused on your vision and goals.

 “If the snooze button on your alarm is getting as worn out as you are, wake up.
You may be burning out.” ~Patti Bond

Preventing Burnout Through Self-Renewal:

1) Slow it Down!

Our culture gives very little help with slowing down our life. In fact, it seems as if everyday we are encouraged to do things quicker or are offered ways to speed things along. Fast food, faster internet, shorter deadlines, shopping from home in order to get things as soon as possible are not much help with slowing down our lives.

Ask Yourself: Am I feeling stressed and overwhelmed? Do I need to slow down and take some purposeful time alone or in personal refreshment and renewal?

“Without great solitude, no serious work is possible.” ~ Pablo Picasso

Keys to slowing down and discovering time alone:

– Look for small moments of quiet time to slow down (before your family awakens, short walks where you enjoy the air, smells and sunshine around you)
– Find ‘quiet places’ for silence and solitude (turn off the music, TV, and email and spend time in silence, alone with your thoughts and your self)
– Minimize your words (Speak less and ‘listen’ more when alone, meditate/listen to the inner voice of God, listen to and become aware of that part of yourself that you have been ignoring through all of the ‘noise’ and your busyness)