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What is the profile of a "Life Coach"? A "Life Coach" is someone who has chosen to assist others with their journey of Structural, Chemical (Nutritional) or Psychological health. Before we detail characteristics of this honorable position, let us discuss human behavior. We, as humans, are unique but we share some basic needs. We need food, shelter, love, and all respond to the sense of touch. Touching someone's hand or heart can inspire that person to journey forward one more day when they were ready to throw it all away.
Anyone could be a "Life-Coach". We all can spare a few moments of even the busiest day to smile or say "Hi" to someone we pass at the super-market. That irritable coworker may change their demeanor when you do this. Can a hair stylist be a "Life Coach"? The answer is a resounding "YES". Perhaps the person that visited the stylist has no one to love or touch in his or her life. Can you envision the desire to be loved and touched that they may crave? Smiling and talking to this person can be simple gestures that may inspire this person to "Be all that they can be". Washing, drying, and styling their hair provides them with a few short moments of feeling that someone cares how they feel. Most stylists develop an intimate relationship with their clients due to the time spent with them.
One who accepts the challenge to help another should understand that there is a tremendous amount of responsibility involved if you are giving advice. Do not ever allow another to obligate you to help them when your intuition tells you that the relationship with them may not be safe or may compromise the conditions of that relationship. Sometimes the one you are desperately trying to help does not want help or may not be willing to accept the role they must play in their own healing. Sometimes they will sabotage their own recovery. Truthfully you will not be able to help everyone, but you can be willing to try. One's intentions must be sincere. First and Foremost: "One must do no harm". Secondly, One must not to indulge in "Savior Behavior"; meaning they will not cauterize wounds, whether they are of Physical, Structural, or Spiritual nature. Sometimes to get to the fresh, new, growing body, you have to pick, pry, and peel the layers of diseased sheathing of those in need until you have assisted the whole person to desire life.
Savior Behavior can be "used and abused" by all caretakers. You would probably recognize it in an analogy: Someone may say; "My head hurts." A medical doctor would probably say; "Aspirin will help." (Symptom relief) A Naturopath, might say; "White Willow may help". If you or I responded with this suggestion due to the lack of time or dedication to the healing process, we would sub-consciously or maybe even consciously be ignoring our responsibility as health care providers and educators. In addition, treating symptoms can be construed as "Practicing Medicine" which is illegal for all caretakers other than traditional orthodox medical physicians. For this reason, one must never-ever treat symptoms or disease! I treat people! If I treat the body with all its many systems and the person's complaints go away, I did not "CURE" their disease. "NATURE did." I simply assisted the structure of their body so that it could function optimally.
In truth, the correct response to the pre-ceding headache scenario should be; "Tell me everything that you can concerning your headache." "How often does it hurt?" "Where does it hurt?" "Does bright light make you "feel" worse?" "Do you feel nauseated when it hurts?" "Is there something else you would like or need to tell me?" When you begin to inquire about the initial complaint of a "headache", you may find many additional complaints that will guide you to properly assessing and assisting this person with the "REAL" reason their head hurts. "Is it possible that something like food allergies, magnesium deficiency, constipation, dehydration, etc. could be the culprit?" "What about spinal misalignment?" "What about a broken heart?" "What about a broken Spirit?" To clarify, if you or I fixed all the symptoms of the initial complaint and left it at that, the complainer would leave us with the belief that we had "saved" them from their symptom while their festering wounds would continue to swell. Neither you, nor I deserve the credit for their healing. Our "popularity and prosperity" should not stand in the way of their healing, nor should it be our driving cause to help them!
For a "Life Coach" to truly help another, they must help themselves first. We have our own scars to rip back and as we do, so shall we heal. We must view other's opinions and complaints with an open-mind and a loving heart. We need to listen to all the information given to us before making social, spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional responses for the sake of all. We must learn to see with lighted eyes to develop objective views. Our gift to those we are coaching should be to assist them to heal their body, mind, and soul! We should be willing to lend an ear and a warm-hearted view. We must be "true" to ourselves to be a "true" friend. We will not be trusted if we are not trustworthy and that does not come automatically with your chosen or earned title of "Life Coach". Many people need help peeling and healing scars and guidance through the storms. Only after knowing the whole story can we coach others or refer them to another when their need is beyond our scope of expertise. Everyone has his/her own reason for wanting to be a life coach. We all are human and desire to be 'REMEMBERED' for something when the time comes to cast off this shell we call a body. Ask yourself what it is you want others to remember about you? I can honestly say that I would like to be thought of as a "Healer who LOVED her clients"!
| Dr. Lora Hurley: Traditional Naturopath |