I am looking for a new direction in my life and have wondered if life coaching was for me. I went back to school for my MSW but didn’t finish and am playing with the idea. Any thoughts?
I am looking for a new direction in my life and have wondered if life coaching was for me. I went back to school for my MSW but didn’t finish and am playing with the idea. Any thoughts?
0 Answers
Stresslessdiva wrote on :
Hi, alevi8 — clever name!
First, I would see if you can figure out why you didn’t finish your program for an MSW. Usually we will complete anything that we really want. If we feel guilty or worried about what someone else might think, we can cloud the issue with excuses, however it sounds to me like that didn’t feel like the right track for you. Only you know the answer to that.
Now, to address the separate issue of exploring life coaching. What would your intention be and how would you picture yourself in that role? Are coming at it from a place of giving or getting? Usually coaches focus on a particular group of people with a fairly narrow issue they need help with. Are there people that you feel particularly drawn to to help and support? There are no right or wrong answers here. I’m just trying to help you sort out how you really feel and encouraging you to find out what you want, what feels right to you.
Life coaching is a fairly new field and there are many people seeking out a “coach” rather than going in for traditional therapy. They really are two very different and distinct ways of working with people.
As far as the money, there are many coaches making six figures these days.
I would suggest you spend some time reflecting on your inner desires and then, research the coaching industry. Fowler Wainwright, Cheryl Richardson, Coach U, Kendall Summerhawk — these are just a few of MANY different approaches to coaching. It sounds like you have a desire to help people. Get a really clear picture of what YOU want and things will start to come together.
Best wishes in your endeavors!
DrGinger wrote on :
Hi, alev18,Â
When I read this, I wondered if you were trying to decide between life coaching and an MSW degree, or if you had given up the idea of an MSW and were simply mulling over the idea of coaching. I will speak to both. First off, if you were to get an MSW degree, the advantage would be that you could become licensed and do therapy in a number of ways. This would also mean significantly more money, if that is an important factor for you. Having said that, let’s turn our focus to coaching. So, what exactly does a coach do? A coach and the client generally have a specific goal to identify, then the focus becomes achieving that personal goal. They do this by using a variety of techniques. Coaching is not the same as therapy, however; and to do therapy would be outside the scope of expertise for a coach. The coach assists the client to reach their particular goal, never working harder than the client, so the client has the burden of change and someone to be accountable to while working toward the goal. A coach is helpful in that the client becomes proactive regarding their particular problem.Â
If you choose coaching over an MSW, remember you cannot do therapy and if someone needed therapy, you would need to refer them to a licensed provider in the behavioral health field. As I mentioned, there is the money factor, as studies show that there is a significant difference in compensation. If these are considerations that you can live with, go for it! There are different types of coaching, so be sure to research this area in order to make an informed decision. Good luck!Â
GRITSinMS wrote on :
Go for it-go finish that degree! I do not know much about being a life coach but I know if I was looking for one there are certain qualities I would look for. I would look for someone who had training/education, a positive attitude and life experience (that’s where the ‘over 50’ comes in :-)). Good luck!