"Ashley has continued to challenge me by asking questions and making observations so that I can take personal responsibility and accountability for
what I want and giving me a road map to accomplish those goals."
- Man in his 40's, coaching for relationships, business, health
what I want and giving me a road map to accomplish those goals."
- Man in his 40's, coaching for relationships, business, health
What is Life Coaching?
Simply, life coaching is about personal growth and having a better quality of life. The International Coach Federation identifies coaching as "partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." While life coaching is a creative process, Ashley adds structure and, in collaboration with the client, determines a trajectory. Additionally, Ashley takes an empirical and outcome-focused approach to the process. Look at the bottom of this page for a list of areas that are typically a focus of life coaching.
The Process
After an initial phone call or meeting to determine if Ashley is a match for you, individual life coaching begins with defining the nature of the coaching relationship and tasks of the process. The next step is to explore what you want from life coaching to clarify goals. Gathering relevant information follows, which helps to break down goals and determine a plan for what to focus on first. Strategies for progress towards goals are specific and concrete as well as insight-oriented. Homework is used to help generalize identified strategies or skills learned during sessions into everyday life. After goals are met, the next step is to maintain progress and troubleshoot challenges. Generally, before concluding coaching, sessions might change from weekly or biweekly to monthly. A "booster" session is encouraged during the next 6 months.
Is Life Coaching Therapy?
Therapy is different from coaching. Some professionals differentiate therapy from coaching by asserting that therapy focuses on the past, whereas coaching focuses on the present and future. However, there are paradigms of therapy that are present and future-focused (cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, etc.). While coaching is less likely to delve into the deep past than therapy, where you are right now is in part because of what you've learned and the habits you've developed in your past; sometimes, this can be helpful for understanding yourself and inform how to change moving forward. Although the vast majority of coaching will focus temporally on the present and future, it is not what distinguishes coaching from therapy. Unlike life coaching, therapy is specifically for addressing mental health symptoms that cause significant distress or interfere with different life domains, such as social or occupational.
Ashley welcomes anyone seeing a therapist, but the life coaching work will focus on goals that are not related to symptom management. Therapy is a highly regulated activity with special safeguards to ensure clients' safety. Therefore, Ashley does not serve as a life coach to someone without a therapist who is best served by a therapist.
Although life coaching is not regulated, ethics and confidentiality are the most important part of coaching, despite a lack of enforcement in the field. Ashley shares the APA's general ethics principles: beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for people's rights and dignity. Additionally, Ashley strictly adheres to the International Coach Federation Code of Ethics for Life Coaches.
The Process
After an initial phone call or meeting to determine if Ashley is a match for you, individual life coaching begins with defining the nature of the coaching relationship and tasks of the process. The next step is to explore what you want from life coaching to clarify goals. Gathering relevant information follows, which helps to break down goals and determine a plan for what to focus on first. Strategies for progress towards goals are specific and concrete as well as insight-oriented. Homework is used to help generalize identified strategies or skills learned during sessions into everyday life. After goals are met, the next step is to maintain progress and troubleshoot challenges. Generally, before concluding coaching, sessions might change from weekly or biweekly to monthly. A "booster" session is encouraged during the next 6 months.
Is Life Coaching Therapy?
Therapy is different from coaching. Some professionals differentiate therapy from coaching by asserting that therapy focuses on the past, whereas coaching focuses on the present and future. However, there are paradigms of therapy that are present and future-focused (cognitive behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, etc.). While coaching is less likely to delve into the deep past than therapy, where you are right now is in part because of what you've learned and the habits you've developed in your past; sometimes, this can be helpful for understanding yourself and inform how to change moving forward. Although the vast majority of coaching will focus temporally on the present and future, it is not what distinguishes coaching from therapy. Unlike life coaching, therapy is specifically for addressing mental health symptoms that cause significant distress or interfere with different life domains, such as social or occupational.
Ashley welcomes anyone seeing a therapist, but the life coaching work will focus on goals that are not related to symptom management. Therapy is a highly regulated activity with special safeguards to ensure clients' safety. Therefore, Ashley does not serve as a life coach to someone without a therapist who is best served by a therapist.
Although life coaching is not regulated, ethics and confidentiality are the most important part of coaching, despite a lack of enforcement in the field. Ashley shares the APA's general ethics principles: beneficence and nonmaleficence, fidelity and responsibility, integrity, justice, and respect for people's rights and dignity. Additionally, Ashley strictly adheres to the International Coach Federation Code of Ethics for Life Coaches.