Life Coaching

Hi,

this is my first post though I've been reading the forum for a year or so.

I'm looking for a change of career and a few people have suggested I'm (politically incorrect term warning) crackers.

I'm an architect by trade, it's never been a calling and something I was funnelled into by school/family some 25 years ago (I'm 43 now). I've always had a yen to do something else, to help others is a big draw but never knew what.

A couple of years ago I hit a rough period in my life. Without going into details about the causes, I ended up going through:

a. person centred therapy
b. hypnotherapy
c. relationship counselling
d. a strange watery mishmash of mindfulness, CBT and positive thinking in my local NHS health centre
e. medical treatment by GP

It all got me thinking about myself and what I wanted to do. Some of those therapy experiences were positive, some less so. I considered hypnotherapy as a career, came close to doing a diploma but bailed out at the last minute. It just wasn't right for me.

In the meantime I have been doing a diploma in CBT with the Institute of Counselling for my own interest. I know I don't want to do psychotherapy, partly the time commitment, partly I really didn't have a lot of faith in person centred after my own therapy (and that is what most local courses seem to teach).

After more research, life coaching really appeals. But a lot of people, as I said above, think I am crackers. A few negatives that have been raised:

1. I've no experience in either the helping professions or HR
2. It's not a career, I'll struggle to find clients
3. Life coaching is just another fad
4. I may not find it as satisfying as I think

Taking them in turn:

1. I've no professional experience but I've a hell of a lot of life experience. I've been through the mill, I'm smart intellectually and emotionally (people come to me with problems) and I'm a good motivator, persuasive and a lateral thinker. My big problem with some of the therapy experiences was that the therapists were all, well, a bit... nice. I could not relate to any of them.

2. Possibly. But I have a bit of a game plan. I have a niche that I want to target that through initial research seems to be there and relatively untapped. I'm also looking at initially doing a day a week or evenings while I tail off my current work.

3. It's a fad that's been around for a while if it is a fad

4. There is a real chance that it is going to be unsatisfying. I know it is more about directing than intervening and I like being involved. I think part of me at least thinks I'll be more hands on (metaphorically speaking) than I really would be. I think I might get frustrated when I know the answer but the client needs to find his own.

What I am after is if anyone has any real world experience that I can tap into. I'm excited about it but I'm also not naïve either.

I want to get some decent training and wondering if any of the distance courses are worth it or should I bite the bullet and do it live? I'm also put off a little by the reliance on NLP in many courses.

I don't know if I am in the right place but there seems to be a real breadth of experience. Any advice welcome.

Thanks,

Stuart