How to find a coach

The question of how to find a coach is certainly daunting. You are faced with drowning in a sea of google results as you would do when searching for a plumber. Only the problem is worse with finding a life coach because the risks are arguably higher. You end-up not with a badly repaired pipe for example, but potentially being led into emotional and psychological turmoil.

Be clear

Before asking how to find a coach, you must first ask what is life coaching? Once you have some clarity around this, it becomes much easier to narrow down your search. Remember that life coaching can mean very different things to different coaches and that is part of the challenge. Its definition is not as obvious or tangible as what it is to be a good plumber. Ask 100 life coaches what life coaching is and you will get 100 different answers.

In search of a good life coach

Since anyone can call themselves a life coach, you are automatically faced with the good, the bad and the ugly. And, recognising “good” is not straightforward. For example, qualifications mean nothing in life coaching. I mean who really is qualified to certify that someone else is able to coach LIFE? Think about it.

Recommendations can help, but a coach that is right for one person may not necessarily be right for you. Life coaching is both highly personal and highly personalised.

Wittgenstein’s ruler

Then we have the problem of Wittgenstein’s ruler. When you use a ruler to measure a table, is the ruler measuring the table or is the table measuring the ruler? Much depends on the quality of the ruler as an accurate measuring tool. So, your assessment of a coach may be more a reflection of you than it is of the coach. For example, you may feel unable to work with a certain coach because you are not ready for what they have to offer. And, that’s fine.

But, that leaves you with a conundrum? How to find a life coach if you must doubt even your idea of what a good coach is?

Trust yourself

Just recognising the above complexities in finding a life coach empowers you in your search. You have begun a deeper enquiry. One that pays attention to what you are drawn to and repelled by — your own internal process. In a sense, you can only work with the coach that is right for you, now. Looking for what feels right is a much more fertile line of enquiry than the elusive “good”.

How to find a coach that is right for you?

The internet is a minefield, but it also gives you options. Really take the time to read the websites of a few coaches. Notice what resonates with you and what you can relate to. The style and substance of a coach’s website is huge information about what they are all about. Pay attention to it.

Once you have narrowed down your search, meet with a couple of life coaches so you get to experience them. Life coaching is a partnership built on trust and openness and you must be able to connect with the coach. In a sense, this is the most fundamental aspect of finding a coach.

Connection

If the definition of good is elusive, you can only look for what is right for you and your needs. What is right for you based on where you are in your life today. And, this is grounded in the quality of the connection that you feel with the coach. Remember that.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Harsha is a 1:1 coach and independent thinker based in London. He empowers people to find more clarity, confidence and focus in their lives — to cut through the noise, in a world so full of it. Harsha’s new book, Machine Ego: Tragedy of the Modern Mind, is now available in paperback and Kindle through Amazon.