- Hey everybody, happy Thursday.
Now, today's question is all about life coaching
and what I think about them.
But before I jump into that, are you new to my channel?
Welcome.
I am a licensed therapist talking about
all things mental health
and I release videos on Monday's and on Thursday's.
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and have those notifications turned on
so that you don't miss out.
But let's jump into today's question.
And it is, hey Kati, I think an interesting video
would be your thoughts on life coaching.
I'm seeing this sprout up more and more
and I wonder how therapists feel about this trend.
Now, first, to preface this answer,
I want you all to know
that I have not worked with a life coach personally.
So, this is not coming from any personal experience.
What I do know of, is what my patients have thought about it
as well as other friends of mine.
And first, I think it's important to know if someone is
a real certified life coach
or just someone who calls themself a life coach.
Both obviously can help you
but making sure someone is certified can ensure
that you are in good hands
or at least it means that they've completed
some sort of formal training.
And in order to become a real life coach,
like a certified life coach,
you have to complete a training program
then you have to get certified.
There are many ways to do this
but one path is going through,
I think it's called the International Coach Federation
but every state and country may have their own laws
and regulations, so it could be different
all around the world.
Just make sure that you ask
because if someone is certified, what that means,
is that they have had at least 300 to 500 coaching hours
under their belt.
So, hopefully they know what they're doing, right?
Now, here's what I think about life coaches overall.
They can be very helpful.
When you kind of just need another perspective
or a kick in the pants to get you going
and moving towards something.
You'd be surprised how helpful it can be to just
get some advice and action items from someone who isn't
a friend or family member.
Where I feel life coaches don't help completely,
is when we have a real mental health issue
that we think could be a mental illness.
They are not trained on how to properly diagnose
or treat mental illness and if they're your only resource,
I would encourage you to also incorporate a therapist
into your treatment team as soon as possible.
And as a therapist I have no problem
working with a life coach to ensure, you know,
you're getting all that you need from both of us
and we're all on the same page
but between, like, just needing a kick in the pants,
needing some support and advice,
to treating a mental illness
is really where I draw the line.
I do know that some mental health professionals
don't like life coaches at all
because many don't go through certifications
and can hinder their treatment with patients.
I've even heard of some going against what their therapist
or psychiatrist has said
and overall slowing a patients process.
And I personally haven't had this happen
but I have had some really bad life coaches
who would flake on my patients
or really not do much of anything to support them.
But just like any job, there's gonna be people
that are really good at their jobs
and we love and they really help us grow and change,
there's gonna be people that just totally suck.
And finally, how I feel about them cropping up more and more
and the feeling that this is a trend?
I think it's great!
If there is ever a trend that encourages people
to talk about how they feel
and get some sage advice from someone else, I am all for it.
I just think it's really important
that we make sure they're certified.
I know they don't have to be but that's just my opinion.
So, at least have some level of credentials and training.
Just like you'd pick out a therapist,
you should make sure your life coach listens to you
when you talk, is trustworthy
and is on your side rooting for you.
You know, ask friends who they've seen.
Word of mouth is the best way for recommendations
and to ensure you're seeing someone
who's worth your time and money.
And overall, however you can get help and support, go do it.
Trust me, it can only help.
But I wanna hear from you.
Have you seen a life coach?
Did it help you?
What's been your experience?
Let me know in those comments down below
and I will see you next time, bye.