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What is Life Coaching? While there are many definitions of coaching, this is how I see it: life coaching is a professional relationship in which a coach helps you identify positive changes you would like to make and personal goals you would like to achieve. By holding you accountable, the coach supports you in making the changes and reaching your goals. Essentially, coaching is about empowering you to make the most of life! My style of life coaching: My approach to coaching draws heavily upon the principles of mindfulness, eastern philosophy, and positive psychology. These principles are vast in scope and this explanation is just my understanding of them based on my ongoing practice and study. I also like to throw in a little neuroscience just for fun! Mindfulness, simply put, is becoming aware of what is. It is consciously paying attention to the present moment without judgment. Mindfulness is a way of “being” that enables us to notice, without judgment and with genuine acceptance, what is happening and how we respond in any given moment. Read more…We can learn to be mindful through the practice of meditation, yoga, and bringing awareness into daily life. This is a profound change from the way most of us live. Many of us go through the day on autopilot in our fast-paced and stressed lives; in fact, it has been said that stress is becoming the number one killer in the US. The practice of mindfulness teaches us that the present moment is often less stressful than the stories our minds tell us about the past, present, and future. One of the positive side effects of practicing mindfulness is that it enables us to become aware of how we habitually react to life situations so that we can instead choose to respond in ways that create more peace and happiness in our lives. This can affect all aspects of our life in positive ways. With practice, we eventually learn to see our life situations more clearly and then have the wisdom to know when and how to act. Eastern philosophy teaches us a different way of looking at the causes of our pain and dissatisfaction. We can learn to become aware of our tendency to attach to what feels good and resist what doesn’t. Our happiness then becomes conditioned on things always going right. Read more…The dissatisfaction we experience is caused by our inability to accept on a deep level that nothing is permanent and things are always changing. Dissatisfaction can range from subtle feelings of frustration, boredom, annoyance, or impatience, to more intense feelings of depression, fear, and pain related to major life changes such as losing a loved one or dealing with chronic illness. When we truly accept that things are always changing, we realize that the only thing that we can control is ourselves: our thoughts, our speech, and our actions. The practice of mindfulness helps us to come to this acceptance (which by the way is not the same as resignation or giving up). Once you can genuinely accept something, then the wisest course of action will become more apparent to you. Eastern philosophy also encourages us to walk the middle path. This basically means working towards balance in all areas of life and avoiding extremes. This is not a place at which we arrive, but an ongoing process. This practice is a life long, but worthwhile, journey. Positive psychology emphasizes what is right with people rather than what is wrong. Happiness and well-being are the desired outcome of positive psychology. Read more…In general, happier people live longer, have better health and stronger immune systems, maintain closer friendships and stronger social support, and are more productive and creative at work and life. Research has demonstrated that a number of positive psychology practices can increase our level of happiness. Most importantly, I believe that happier people make this world a better place! Neuroscience is catching up to what eastern philosophy has been teaching for thousands of years. It is basically “proving” through many studies that the practice of meditation and mindfulness is not only good for your emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, but also keeps your brain healthy. What you can expect: Our first session will give us an opportunity to get to know each other to see if we are a good fit. This is your time to share your hopes, dreams, and goals. Generally speaking, it is best if you can commit to meeting regularly (weekly, bimonthly, or monthly). My clients are those who are motivated and ready to make positive changes, yet need some help, support, and guidance in making these changes. During the sessions, I may give homework at times to encourage you to put into practice some of the things you learn in the sessions and to move you closer towards your goals. Homework may include things such as working on a handout, reading, attending a yoga class, meditating, and so on. I also offer e-mail support between sessions (within reason, of course). How is coaching different than therapy? It is actually quite similar, but often the emphasis in counseling is to bring a person to “normal” functioning, while the emphasis in coaching (as I see it) is to take a person beyond normal functioning to a deeper level of happiness. Generally speaking, a life coach will not address serious issues such as severe mental illness, addiction, childhood abuse, and so on. These issues should be addressed with a therapist. How can life coaching help? Here are some of the areas that I most enjoy helping people with:
So why do I provide life coaching? Because it is my sincere desire and wish to help people live more mindfully, and to help them create lasting peace and happiness in their lives. Fees
Please note, all appointment changes and cancellation require 24-hour advance notice by phone. There will be a $50.00 late fee charge for any changes made without advance notice.
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Last updated 07-03-2011 Copyright© 2011 Huda Al-Qatami, LLC
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