Look, I’m almost 77 years old and I wanted to genuinely help people – on a deep and intimate level – without going through the years of training required of therapists and psychologists.
I also wanted to help people in a way that’s free from the constraints of traditional mental health professions.
In 2024 I read an article in The New York Times Magazine describing how many psychologists and psychiatrists in Silicon Valley were giving up their practices and getting trained instead as professional life coaches. They found that professional life coaching was often more effective than their previous practices. And, back to my earlier point, it was free from the limiting constraints of their traditional practices.
For example, as a therapist or psychologist you’re discouraged from sharing insights into your personal life. When I was working with an excellent therapist and would let slip personal (but not inappropriate) questions, she would basically deflect them or provide non-answers.
Professional coaches, on the other hand, do provide insight into their personal lives that adds to the session. Their professional relationships with their clients thus become more personal, more dynamic, and more “real.”
It takes years of practice to develop the intuition and sensitivity to become a skilled coach. But even while one is honing their skills, it’s obvious that clients are benefiting. Coaching is a collaborative process, thus clients are encouraged to take responsibility for their progress. And it’s that sharing of responsibility that makes coaching so effective.
To sum up: Coaching is an intuitive process, is not constrained like traditional therapy, and requires less time to begin practicing. So it has really worked for me and my clients.
