Laura Cowlen | Simple Shifts that Transform Lives
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is life coaching?
- It is a professional relationship with the singular purpose of achieving and maximizing the personal and professional success of the client. The International Coach Federation (ICF) offers this definition:
- "Professional Coaching is a professional partnership between a qualified coach and an individual or team that supports the achievement of extraordinary results, based on goals set by the individual or team. Through the process of coaching, individuals focus on the skills and actions needed to successfully produce their personally relevant results.”
- A coach is steadfastly committed to what you want in life. A coach knows your strengths, values, and life purpose, and holds the highest possible vision of your life for you. A coach helps you understand WHO you are, where you are going, and what might keep you stuck from reaching your goals and living your passion.
- How is life coaching different from therapy?
- A coach assumes that you are a whole, healthy, creative, and resourceful person. A coach does not analyze or diagnose you and the coaching relationship is an equal partnership. The focus is typically the present and the future, not the past. Therapy is most often sought out in order to heal emotional pain, past trauma, and mental illness. Coaching is not a treatment for any diagnosed conditions.
- How do you provide your services?
- I offer face-to-face and phone sessions for local clients. Many clients live in different states and their sessions are held over the phone. I also provide unlimited email support.
- How long is each coaching session?
- Most sessions are approximately one hour. 30 minute sessions are available.
- How long do you work with an individual?
- The length of coaching depends on an individual's needs and preferences. For certain types of focused coaching, most people have a minimum of ten sessions. For other types of coaching, people may find it beneficial to work for a longer period of time. Some people request 30 minute weekly or bi-monthly appointments to maintain momentum and focus.
- Who is an appropriate coaching client?
- Since coaching is a partnership, it is valuable for people who enjoy collaboration, are open to new perspectives and insights, are ready to make some changes in their lives, and are willing to commit some time and energy into making those changes. I work with children, teens, and adults, singles and couples. I have special interest in relationship issues, personal empowerment, parenting, and crisis coaching (i.e. helping people thrive through crisis).
- How do teenagers benefit from coaching?
- I love my work with teens! Today, more than ever, teens are challenged to make positive choices in a society overloaded with damaging influences. In response to these daily stressors, many teens struggle with low self-esteem, relationship problems, academic decline, mood difficulties, and a declining sense of personal empowerment and responsibility for their own choices.
- In my work with teens, I teach healthy life skills that provide a foundation for transforming obstacles into opportunities, increasing feelings of personal efficacy and worth. I support teens with accessing inner wisdom and strengths, clarifying core values, and choosing thoughts and making choices that positively contribute to their lives. We discuss how to enjoy the prospect of full responsibility, live with intention and integrity, and put things into new and healthier perspectives.
