Great way to detox your mind (a.k.a. "what is coaching?)

Question: What is coaching and how does it differ from therapy or hanging out with a friend?

Answer: My favorite distinctions: in my coaching, we 1) focus on the present and the future and how to create the results you want and need (whereas therapy often looks backward to identify causes and even assign blame); 2) we work to manage your mind, and keep your primitive brain under control and your prefrontal cortex in charge (versus working to find and fix some kind of pathology).

Question: What about the difference between a coach and a great friend?

Answer: If you can manage your mind, you can handle anything. We show you how to detox your mind so that you can manage from a clean place. How do we differ from hanging out with a great friend? Coaching meets you where you are (that is hopefully the same with your friends) and coaching holds nonjudgmental space (we are professional at this aspect, not just aspirational about this ability) so the real distinction is that coaching does not and will not have any agenda with your topics and issues.

Great coaches help you find your reasons for making a choice, like your reasons, and act (and repeat in a positive cycle). Coaches explore options (and so can a good friend) but in my coaching I also use a specific model, session after session, to help you manage your mind and eventually even coach yourself.

With a good friend, the conversation can feel safe and nonjudgmental, but it would be very strange if it followed a model each time. In an ideal world, you need a coach and a posse of great friends. If you find the first, you can show up authentically for your friends or head out to create a posse from a place of confidence and clarity.