| Back to Home > Bulletin Board > O/T Off Topic > Topic: Has Anyone Used a Life Coach? |
Topic: Has Anyone Used a Life Coach?
| Author | Message |
| beenthere | Posted – 5/27/2008 11:44:14 AM | show profile I'm curious about experiences with those who have used life coaches. Was it helpful? How often did you see/speak with your coach? What was the timeframe involved? What were the results? Any feedback is appreciated. |
| worldofnatasha | Posted – 5/27/2008 1:34:53 PM | show profile if you're a member of the writers guild, they have FREE life coaches through the health insurance. I used one to get help to avoid procrastination on a specific project -- she was great, gave me lots of tips, listened to me complain, and was pretty effective. (I did one hour a week for 3 weeks, at which point I'd finished writing the script I was procrastinating on & didn't need her help anymore. but I'd use her again in a second.) and... free! which was awesome. (guess it's cheaper for the guild than paying for therapy...) |
| seeattleme2 | Posted – 5/27/2008 1:37:42 PM | show profile my brother in law. an ultra athlete. Expensive, no--has not helped-- and we laugh about it. |
| df | Posted – 5/27/2008 1:49:21 PM | show profile yes twice. one very specific work related triner and one mor eoverall due to significant changes in my life which were hard to dela with/see in real terms when being highly involved - in the end its my life ;-). Currently using a nutritionist for getting my eating on a better path - which is also sort of life coaching. All were great and highly successful for me. really changed how I work and how i make decisions. Best advise I can give - hire a professional to help you see your own flaws -traps better. works best if you know very specifically what you want to achieve/cure. eating, specific work habits, better faster work load reduction etc. get recommendations, ask the coach if they can supply people they've worked with and which you can call. The success depends on how good the trainer is, and how focused you are. if you try to address more general questions, it might not work so well. |
| observer | Posted – 5/27/2008 3:16:24 PM | show profile yeah - similar to above - i'd be very careful who you seek out for advice. i know quite a few people who who work as coaches who are really nutty people. i've found a great career counselor (who happens to be a trained therapist) on yelp.com. i would target your search for what your needs are and speak to them on the phone for a good 10 minutes before you treck to their office. good luck |
| astrahook | Posted – 5/27/2008 4:47:15 PM | show profile thats a great observation...though I've never used one, I used to belong to a networking groups and the life coaches there were the biggest wackjobs I ever met. Obviously that is not an indicator of all of them, but certainly has its fair share. |
| beenthere | Posted – 5/29/2008 10:37:05 AM | show profile Thanks for all the comments. I'm looking to make a career change in the next two years--after 15 years in pub I'm just burned out and need something a little more lucrative as well as fulfilling. I'm tired of feeling like all I'm doing is making money for someone else. I have done the freelance thing, but I'd prefer something more solid with more guaranteed income. Thanks for the tip about yelp.com. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 5/29/2008 1:07:52 PM | show profile If you want to make a major change, one thing worth considering, which I did, is to find a psychologist or career expert who can test you on a wide range of skills and aptitudes. I don't mean just Myers-Briggs and the MMPP, but a much wider battery of tests. Mine brought up a few new ideas although they told me I was best suited to journalism....Even if it does not point you directly to a specific new job title or industry, what you can learn about how you best process/transmit information, how well (or not) you work with others in specific settings, etc. can help you narrow down some future options. I found it useful. It is NOT coaching nor it is therapy -- it's almost diagnostic. |
| nandy | Posted – 5/30/2008 11:21:37 AM | show profile | email poster I'm not looking for one for myself, but my young adult son is at a stage where he REALLY needs career guidance. Twenty-two and with a lot of interest/talent in many areas but no idea how to apply those talents in a job. He's turned to my deadbeat ex for guidance now...YIKES! Anyone willing to give a name of one in the NYC area? I've enabled my email. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 5/30/2008 12:00:06 PM | show profile The YMCA used to offer this service; try the 92d Street Y. And NYU also used to offer testing and counselling at an hourly rate to non-students. Truly helpful testing doesn't just tell you your likes or aptitudes but how you listen (or don't), learning styles - and that can help narrow down career choices. |
| catlondon | Posted – 5/30/2008 12:23:12 PM | show profile Try www.fallingawake.com. A former colleague worked with Joanne Bangs and was very satisfied. |
| observer | Posted – 5/30/2008 1:30:15 PM | show profile i'm in san francisco so this won't be applicable to many of you. but, if you are in the bay area you might talk to the folks at the Bay Area Career Center: www.bayareacareercenter.com/ |
