Life coaches are trained in many different techniques to create important emotional and behavioural shifts in their clients. These are just some of the most commonly used methods –
- Guided Meditation
Meditation is widely accepted across many cultures as a means to increase focus, reduce stress, build peace-of-mind and improve overall health and wellbeing. - Guided Visualisation
Visualisation is the process of imagining yourself in a past or future experience by picturing scenarios that align with that time or event. For example, a client may be asked to picture themselves receiving a business accolade in order to steer them towards success in their career. Alternatively, they may be asked to visualise themselves as a young child in order to connect with previous feelings, thoughts and behaviours which came naturally at a younger age. - Positive Affirmations
Positive affirmations are a powerful tool in restructuring thought patterns and behaviours. It is usually a short verbal declaration, such as ‘Every day, I am getting stronger and stronger’, which aims to reprogram the mind through consistent repetition and habitual thought. - Living with Gratitude
Life coaches will often encourage a client to keep a Gratitude Journal, as a way to consistently refocus on the positive things in their life. It’s been proven time and time again, that those who look for things to appreciate and be grateful for enjoy higher levels of joy and happiness in everyday life. - Discovering and Assessing Evidence
A coach will often ask a client to find ‘evidence’ to support a belief (or set of beliefs), whether it be to delegitimise or debunk a self-limiting perception, or to reinforce a more empowering and constructive ideal. - Altering Perception
Coaches often talk about change in terms of altering perception. This is based on the principle that any life experience is an interpretation of reality and not reality itself. Hence, a change in the interpretation of an experience, or the meaning that’s attached to it, naturally leads to a change in the experience. - Changing Focus
Focus is just one apex of the emotional triad (focus, language and physiology) which can result in an immediate change of emotional state. Life coaches will often help a client break emotional patterns by disrupting their focus and training them to think happier and more positive thoughts. Similar results can occur by changing a client’s physiology and language. - Open-ended Questions
Coaches often ask open-ended questions to encourage a client to explore broader landscapes of possibilities and desires. This often enters a realm of confusion which can be replaced by a profound realisation. - Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)
NLP is a method of influencing behaviour through language and other types of communication, to enable a client to recode or redefine the way they respond to environmental or social stimuli. Life coaches often use this technique to interrupt destructive emotional patterns and phobias, and replace them with new and better behaviours. - Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC)
CBC is based on the premise that negative thinking is learned and can therefore be unlearned. Similar to NLP, a life coach trained in CBC or CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) will guide their client through the process of replacing negative, depressing and fearful thoughts with positive, confident and uplifting ones.
