Counseling vs. Coaching:
Coaching works best for people who are committed towards achieving at there highest potential in career and life. A coach is action oriented and asks you WHAT you are willing to do, WHEN will you do it, and HOW will you get it done. A coach will hold you accountable. And, while empathetic listening is central to both, coaching and counseling are quite different.

Consultant vs. Coaching:
All coaches are consultants but not all consultants are coaches. As a coach, I will sometimes advise a client but the focus is on challenging you to develop as a person and draw out your own INNER WISDOM, clarity and direction. I believe the answers lie within you and will not "tell you what to do" but will help you build the emotional strength to get results.

Motivational Seminars, Tapes, ext vs. Coaching:
Coaches tend to be highly motivated and inspired people. Coaching will develop you into a naturally motivated person who is pulled forward by an exciting and deeply fulfilling life. Just working with a coach is MOTIVATIONAL to most clients. While attending seminars are a great way to jump start, coaching is more permanent and customized based specifically on your life plan.

Your best Friend, Spouse, or BOSS vs. Coaching:
Coaches are IMPARTIAL and are willing to risk the relationship to tell you the truth. While a trusted friend or boss may be a good advisor, oftentimes they are not totally upfront with us if they feel the relationship may be at risk in any way. A coach is trained to listen for what's not being said and is totally focused on you while other relationships tend to be less focused. Just be honest with your coach. You will not be judged in any way and will never be made to feel wrong. Think of your coach as a SAFE person to discus ideas or get honest, supportive feedback.

The “do it yourself” plan vs. Coaching:
No one NEEDS a coach but almost anyone can benefit from having one. Partnering up with another person is a fantastic way to increase the energy around you and build unstoppable momentum. For example, many entrepreneurs tend to be “lone rangers” and want to do everything for themselves but are oftentimes overwhelmed with all their ideas. Coaching provides this person a way to GET PERSPECTIVE and gain focus and a coach will help motivate a client to create an action plan with each idea to achieve successful results. And, coaches always keep an eye on maintaining balance in life. Ever tried to get back into physical shape on your own? It can be boring and the effort seems to be there one day and gone the next. Hiring a personal trainer who knows the most direct route to a healthier body and who will develop a simple action plan you’ll want to stay with consistently is more effective for most people. Plus your trainer can see when it’s time to change up the routine to keep you motivated and moving forward. It’s the same concept with coaching and isn’t more fun to have a partner with you focused totally on your vision and goals?

How do NLP and Coaching fit together?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a technology that acknowledges and values the incredible variety and differences that make up human expression, while providing a way to simply and efficiently understand, organize, and utilize that variety to help tap into true potential.

NLP presuppositions serve the coach in many ways. Several of the presuppositions of NLP are particularly useful in establishing the coaching relationship.

	People already have all the resources they need to create change.
	The worth of an individual is constant, while the behavior can change.
	It is better to have choices than not to have choices.
	Behavioral flexibility is more useful than having limited behavioral choices.
	Every behavior has a positive intent.
	There is no such thing as failure, only feedback.

By living these presuppositions, experienced NLP practitioners naturally embody the attitudes of great life coaches - the client is capable!

The NLP coach listens for familiar language patterns that indicates limiting beliefs, and knows how to ask powerful questions in response to these patterns. The NLP trained coach can introduce multiple perspectives through skillful questioning. "What might your future self suggest?" "Is this the *gremlin*? (The critic) What does the dreamer have to say?" How is this inline with your vision of the future?

An understanding of NLP models enriches the abilities of a coach to work with clients to form a CLEAR VISION of what is your goal, when will you do it, and how will you get it done. Creating a well-formed outcome helps clients to clearly see their goal and the step needed to achieve it.

Coaching and Fun:
Being coached is learning and teaching disguised as FUN. Coaching is teaching and learning disguised as FUN. Helping people help them selves is what I do.