Foreword
I’m currently training to become a life coach and professional coach. And I have to confess—before I started this journey, I was just as confused as anyone else about what coaching really is.
These days, anyone with some alledged knowledge in a domain, a bit of charisma and a half-decent Instagram page can call themselves a coach.
This is because coaching is a young profession, and it’s not yet regulated in most countries.
This is why it is important for me to clarify my vision of coaching – the posture and ethics of the profession.
What is coaching for? – In a nutshell
“A coach is someone who sees beyond your limits and guides you to greatness.” — Michael Jordan
Coaches exist because people have desires and goals, but lack internal resources to achieve them. These internal resources are self-knowledge, self-esteem and confidence.
If people didn’t have limiting beliefs or self-doubts, coaches wouldn’t exist.
The coach’s core mission is to put the client into motion—to help them take action toward their goal, and to gradually become autonomous in reaching it.
Because in the end, it’s your life. The coach simply helps you take the wheel with more clarity and confidence.
A bit of history
Coaching is a young profession, but the practice is ancient.
The most ancient example of “coaching” is the Socratic method, which you may know of from your philosophy classes. With obstinate questionning, Socrates helped people confront their assumptions, clarify their thinking, and uncover deeper truths within themselves. It is noteworthy that, unlike any other philosopher, he didn’t give answers, and didn’t write anything. His philosophy was embodied in his stance and in his actions.
- Much later—in the 1970s—the concept of coaching became popular in sports—where coaches helped athletes improve performance, not just physically, but mentally.
- In the 80s and 90s, executive coaching emerged in the corporate world, supporting leaders in decision-making, communication, and personal growth.
- Eventually, life and personal coaching took shape: the same process, the same philosophy, applied to personal aspirations, transitions, and transformation.
At its core, coaching has always been about one thing: supporting action to achieve a goal.
The difference between coaching, consulting and therapy
Because they are often mixed up, and the lines are sometimes blurred in the practice.
- A therapist helps people navigate emotional pain, trauma, and mental health struggles. Therapy often looks to the past—to understand and heal what has been. It’s about relieving suffering, restoring balance, and reaching a healthier emotional baseline. A therapist might explore childhood wounds, recurring anxiety, or depressive patterns. The focus is on the state of being. Coaching, on the other hand, is not about healing the past—it’s about building the future. It’s action-oriented. The coach meets you where you are now, and helps you move forward. While emotional blocks like low self-esteem or limiting beliefs may come up in coaching, they’re only addressed insofar as they block the path to your goals. The focus is on doing, and helping the client take steps that lead to change.
- A consultant is hired for their expertise. They analyze your situation, diagnose the problem, and provide a ready-made solution. You hire a consultant when you want answers—when you want someone to say, “Here’s what to do.” A coach doesn’t give you the answer. Instead, they help you find your own. The coach’s role is not to tell, but to ask. Not to prescribe, but to catalyze. The client remains the expert of their own life—the coach brings the structure, the questions, and the accountability that make progress possible.
- A word about my writing articles in my blog: I write them as a content creator (and not as a coach), hoping to offer content that could benefit you. The opinions and beliefs I express in my blog articles are my own, and they do not interfere with my coaching practice.
The coaching relationship – what really matters
Coaching is first and foremost a relationship—one built on trust, confidentiality, and mutual respect.
The coach offers a quality of relationship based on active listening, intensity of presence, unconditional and non-judgemental acceptance. This is all necessary to create a safe space where the client can express their aspirations, but also their doubts, fears and uncertainties. The coach respects the client’s context, needs, and inner balance. They do not pressure the client to answer questions, nor do they ask about anything unrelated to the achievement of the agreed-upon goal.
Finally, coaching is co-created: the client is the expert in their own life, the coach is the expert in motivation, action and the process of change.
The coach holds the torch—you choose where to go with it.
In practice, how is it done?
I am describing here my own practice; other coaches might differ slightly in their proposed formats.
a 20-minute call to understand the objective and needs, and whether the coach and the client are a good fit.
8 sessions of 1h to 1h15min. Every one to three weeks, preferrably every two weeks.
- 1st session: discovery, formulating the objective, identifying the barriers and planning the work to to. Planning a set of actions to be done for the next session.
- 2nd to 7th sessions:
- last session: evaluation of the results, plan future actions for the client to continue on their path.
If this resonates with you and you think you might benefit from coaching, contact me at arthur@seekuncommonsense.com, and let’s plan a 20-minute call. I would be pleased to hear from you.