Life Coach?

[roosta]

I have a friend who is going through a tough time in his life, he's down about alot of things etc.etc. As a result he has started to see a life coach.

Now I, from what I believe, and everything i've read and researched, think that life-coaching is a sham industry, which is unregulated, uncertified, and preys on vulnerable people to get them to part with money for what is essentially common-sense advice at best, delusional at worst.

So, if you were in my position. Would you let your friend, who is clearly at a low ebb, attend this "life-coach" without criticism and hope that it makes him happy? Or would you be honest and just let your friend know what you think of what they are doing?

[b i o n i c]

unless money is another one if your friends problems, let them be. it can't hurt - can it?

[TurdBerglar]

vultures

[Loppfessor]

Hey that one dude was able to help Homer Simpson land a plane

[Laserface]

you might as well tell him how you feel. it won't hurt to be honest. if he really thinks he needs a life coach still than what you say won't faze him.

[Kid Presentable]

I have a friend who is going through a tough time in his life, he's down about alot of things etc.etc. As a result he has started to see a life coach.

Now I, from what I believe, and everything i've read and researched, think that life-coaching is a sham industry, which is unregulated, uncertified, and preys on vulnerable people to get them to part with money for what is essentially common-sense advice at best, delusional at worst.

So, if you were in my position. Would you let your friend, who is clearly at a low ebb, attend this "life-coach" without criticism and hope that it makes him happy? Or would you be honest and just let your friend know what you think of what they are doing?

I went through a shit time in my own life, and say to you that yes life coaching is shite, but the only thing to do if you point that out is to be prepared to be as good a friend as this person needs right now. I had a number of problems in the past, and you find yourself taking it quite hard when even the things you try to do right get criticised, so be careful. Ironically, the one constant these coaches point out is to cut out your friends to begin turning your life into something positive, for the sake of pattern-changing. I do believe in that to a certain extent.

Recently, as a bonus to a seminar I attended, there was a life-coaching session. He told me specifically how great life is; to which I replied: "You're getting paid to tell people how great life is. Of course you're happy" in a not-too-confrontational way. He avoided that corner of the room for the rest of the night, though.

[ms.peachy]

I think as with just about any industry, there are good and bad people out there. I would agree that in this particular area, it is far too easy to see how unscrupulous individuals could really take advantage of vulnerable people.

However, there are some quite good people out there as well. One of my aunt's (many) income streams is that she works as a life coach. She's also a retired civil rights attorney who still does some pro bono work for community groups, an actress/model (you've all probably seen her somewhere before, whether you know it or not, in an ad or as an extra in a film), a published author, and a radio show host. And a few other things as well, I can never keep straight what new project she is getting involved in. And did I mention she's nearly 70 years old? She's just on of those incredible, dynamic people who makes having ten plates spinning in the air look reasonably effortless. She has a very low threshold for bullshit, and takes a very direct approach to life. A few years ago someone suggested to her that she would make a great life coach, so she decided to look into it, and now she has a handful of clients occasionally.

From what I gather, what little she's explained it to me, a life coach is in fact there to point out the glaringly obvious. So it may seem silly to pay someone to tell you what ought to be common sense, but think about it, how many people do you know who have done the stupidest possible thing in the face of all common sense? Stupid as it is, we pay more attention sometimes to what a 'neutral third party' that we are paying tells us than we do to the freely given advice of friends and family who actually care about us. My aunt says that much of what she does is giving voice to the things a person knows already but hasn't said out loud. Kind of like how a personal trainer at the gym 'forces' you to keep running another half mile, which you know you ought to do, but really you just want to get off the treadmill, which you know damn well you would do if this other person wasn't standing there reminding you of your goal, if you see what I mean?

anyway, I would say you could voice your concerns to your friend, and tell him if it ever feels "not right", then he should walk away. But don't sabotage him with negatives, you know? Keep your eyes open and see if you see things starting to work out better for him, if he's making better choices. If after a time you're still concerned then raise it again, but for now I would just mention to him that you're keen not to see him taken advantage of and then let it go.