Quote:
Originally Posted by William Reid
Don't believe me; I'm older than most of you and probably out of touch in many areas. The "life coaches" I have run across in person are often nice people but tend to be touchy-feely types who didn't bother to get much formal counseling education or experience and are trying to fill a current pop-psychology niche to make themselves feel professional and/or grab a buck. In the Austin, TX, area, they advertise in alternative newspapers and new age throwaway publications (and the articles they write in those publications are self-serving & almost always accepted because they bought advertising space). Life coaching kinds of things come along every decade or so under a new, catchy name. I don't see much harm if someone wants to pay for it, but I'd vote against having it covered by health insurance as some kind of mental health profession.
Gee, I hope that doesn't sound critical. These newfangled whippersnappers . . . no, that would make me sound even older. :-)
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I kind of feel the same way about life coaches, as a profession. I could never quite put a finger on why it doesn't seem legit, but it's not something that seems to be based as much on research as on marketing.
But don't therapists also do some "life coaching" to some degree? I work with clients a lot on setting short and long term goals for themselves. I think self-efficacy goes a long way toward treating and preventing depression, and goal setting plays a big part in that.