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As a Life & Success Coach I must admit that I was confronted when asked if I'd ever consider coaching inside of a group setting. The idea of having people be vulnerable with me alone can be confronting to a client...and now having to do that with other strangers -- well, get out of here! But once I got clear on how group coaching can provide an extra layer of support to each individual in the group, well, that's when everything changed for me and for my clients!
If you're interested in hiring a life coach, the first step is to find someone that you truly connect with and can see yourself working with over a period of time. There are so many reasons to work with a life coach. Keep in mind, you're not looking for a bff or someone who will tell you what you want to hear -- a good coach will be supportive of your goals while challenging you and your growth. Once you have found a coach look for what services they offer. If you can't afford 1:1 coaching, perhaps a group coaching offering will better suit your financial reality.
Coaches will often organize their groups by topic: Prosperity & Wealth Group Coaching, Goal Setting: From Start to Finish, or something snazzy like Finding Love -- once you see the group coaching options and find something that resonates with what you're out to create, discover or find -- and you're able to commit to the amount of sessions and price -- go for it--sign up for group coaching! If you're not sure which group to take or if the description is too vague -- reach out to the coach, they'll love to hear from you and answer your questions. Let's say you find the right life coach for you and you sign up -- here's what tends to happen next!
People often think that if you need a Life Coach, there must be something wrong in your life. Why? Because everyone else seems to "have it together" I mean, even the cat lady down the street seems cheerful as she feeds strays off her porch, right? So what's wrong with you? NADA! Hiring a Life Coach and joining a group coaching seminar means you're ready for the next level of YOU. Businesses hires consultants when they're ready to grow -- and so should you. Aren't you ready for that next relationships, that next role, that next "fill in the blank?" Consider that a Life Coach will help you get there. If you're feeling a little bit of resistance -- it's perfect actually, because it means your on the verge of a breakthrough as something new is on the horizon and your OLD SELF aint' too happy...it wants to stay in its comfort zone.
Once you overcome the resistance, the fear sets in and it sounds something like, "Did I just agree to participate in a group coaching thing?" Don't worry, the fear of being vulnerable in front of a group of people is natural. I hold all my group coaching sessions online via Zoom because it's a perfect platform and here's why: you're in the comfort of your own space. That little fact allows clients to feel at ease knowing they're in a safe place and there's nothing to "survive". And let's be clear, fear isn't always bad -- so embrace the fear and start to discover where it's coming from and what's at the source of it. My clients will be so shy and quiet the first half of the first session. I mean, everyone is trying to "look good" in front of one another and they are so wrapped up in not "saying anything wrong" that they often get tongue tied. Thirty minutes into the session -- everyone literally lets loose and the goodness starts to bubble!
By the second session, everyone is eagerly wanting to share their experience and what they've gotten from doing their homework. I literally have to cap the time on sharing (like 5 minutes per share) because everyone is so exciting to tell the group what opened up for them or what they discovered. The max amount of people I allow in one group is around 15 because I've discovered that if you have more than that -- someone will be left out and everyone has something to contribute. When you share -- the people listening are relating your experience to their life and will often get an "aha moment" for themselves! It's the marvelous wonder of group coaching.
Group coaching allows you to hear several points of view from people who are also working on the same topic/issue/struggle as you which does a few things like: let's you know you're not the only one having a hard time with this topic in life and you get to form new bonds with people from around the map! Nothing beats having an instant support group that is cheering your progress on. Remember how in the beginning there might have been a fear around sharing or being vulnerable in a group? Well, by the 3rd session, people are ready to hear from everyone in the group on how they're progressing and what breakthroughs they're having--it's pretty fantastic! People who do my group coaching will often start to have accountability calls with one another to make sure they're on track, keeping their word, and doing their homework!
If you're wondering if working with a Life Coach is for you -- reach out to me, even if we don't end up working together, you'll be pointed in the right direction. I love my 1:1 private clients and the work we do is amazing and I also adore my group coaching sessions -- they give me life because it's a whole different feel to coaching. If you take anything away from this post I'd like for you to consider this: when you share in a safe space and you're listening to others share their experience on the same thing you're struggling with, it creates an opening -- I call this opening "the gap" and inside "the gap" reside all sorts of breakdowns and breakthroughs waiting to be discovered and knowing you have a group to support you while you're experiencing all of it is something extraordinary and you don't feel so alone and "out there" anymore because your group is going through the same thing and they have your back!
Are you ready to inquire about group coaching? Reach out to me here.
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