5 Reasons Why Online Coaching Will Work For You
Let’s just go ahead and talk about the pink elephant in the room. Our world dramatically changed starting in the Spring of 2020. There isn’t a discussion to be had about literally anything without mentioning COVID-19. Online life coaching is no exception.
Connection Without Contact
There was a time when personal contact was a part of our everyday lives and there was no way around it, but COVID literally changed the game overnight. Although physical contact has been limited, people still need human connection for survival. Coaches are acutely aware of this, but we are also instinctually empathetic to others. A good coach understands the importance of providing support to their clients in a way that is comfortable and feels safe for the client. Many of us were greatly impacted by this virus. We wanted to protect others’ health and we are also concerned about our own. For many months meeting with others in person was not an option. Although personal contact has been limited, we’ve had to adjust quickly, and online coaching has been one of those adjustments. Online coaching can provide that connection we not only crave but NEED as a human.
We are Resilient and Have Found a Way to Build Connections!
When faced with crises or a huge change, society is capable of huge feats. This includes adaptability, resiliency, and innovation. Through technology, people have begun to solve the dilemma of how to create or preserve relationships. This is done without sacrificing the safety of others. Human connection builds trust and fosters meaningful relationships between people. The connection we create with those around us can be an integral ingredient in the growth and change we seek in our lives. Relationships with online coaches are no exception. Online coaching is safe! Coaching creates a space that allows clients to build a trusting relationship, set goals, and have accountability. Being able to create this connection with clients while still being aware of their safety is very rewarding. Especially for online coaches. Although physical contact has is gone, connections are being made through virtual coaching.
Online Life Coaching is Effective
When the coaching industry first got its start, phone appointments were convenient and considered the norm. However, we were only able to rely on the client’s tone and word usage, which opened the door for many things to be “lost in translation”. Now that we have the ability to see our clients via a virtual platform, we are able to connect even more with our clients by observing their non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, the nuance of voice, and body orientation. This only makes sense, as most interactions with people regardless of circumstance, require interpretation of these subtleties when relating to others. We can say one thing, but our non-verbal cues can convey hints to others’ that there is more to the story. Today, online coaches are able to hone their skills of reading these non-verbal cues and provide a more effective coaching experience.
Experience Matters!
Experience informs us that visual connections are able to take relationships in any form to another level. The ability to connect verbally and visually while building trust and maintaining a level of convenience and health precautions is a win for both the coach and the client. All of these are possible because we are able to provide services to our clients via an online, virtual platform.
Your brain is hardwired to respond to faces. From the moment you are born, you are seeking out faces, desperate to look at them, reading them for social cues. They are the evolutionary equivalent of GIFS…We are constantly reading each others’ faces for emotional cues…We naturally want to empathize with people, and we do that by reading these facial emotions and mimicking them.
There is privacy
Clients will often report the enjoyment of being in the privacy of their own personal environment when digging into deeper issues. They like being able to share their home. Again, this creates a connection. The coaching relationship becomes more intimate when you see a client’s family pet or the newest book on their bookshelf. It creates an ease that allows them to be more comfortable and authentic. In this sense, online coaching is actually more effective than phone AND in-person coaching. Clients often feel safer in their home environment and this fosters intimacy and authenticity.
In one study, clients reported an 80 % improvement in self-confidence, 72% improvement in communications skills, and a 57% increase in the effectiveness of their time-management skills.
As mentioned above, human connection creates trust and bonds between people. Online coaching allows two individuals to see each other and that often makes people more comfortable when getting to know someone. Without building rapport, coaches cannot build trust with their clients. Video appointments can be a key factor in creating effective outcomes for clients.
Online Life Coaching Offers A Convenience Factor
As if all these other factors weren’t enough, let’s not forget to discuss how easy and convenient online coaching is! Technology has revolutionized how people communicate with each other. And it’s a good thing because just as technology has led to faster and easier communication across the globe, we as individuals have only gotten busier and busier in our daily lives. Most of us are juggling many different demands all at the same time. We are working in such a different way than any generation before us. Although many jobs still require us to be in person, there are also millions of people with careers that allow them to work from home. Even if their employer is local to them, people are able to connect with others in their industry anywhere in the world. Zoom meetings, email, social media. We are “on” a lot and always available.
In addition to this, people are still raising children, caring for family members, responsible for maintaining household responsibilities, and finding time for personal enjoyment. We are BUSY. All.the.time! Online life coaches have found that most clients prefer the convenience of not having to get in their car and commute to a session. They can squeeze it in while on their lunch break, in between helping their kids with homework and running errands. It can often also be done during the non-traditional hours of 8 am- 5 pm.
Online Life Coaches are Busy Too! So We Get it!
As coaches, we are quite busy with life ourselves, so we get it! We love knowing that by offering virtual appointments, we can make your life just a bit easier. This brings your anxiety down when working with a coach. It allows you to focus on yourself without it creating extra time demands and this can put you at ease. The convenience of online sessions further drives the effectiveness of the coaching process.
The Geographic Barrier is Eliminated
One may face many challenges when finding the right coach for them so as coaches it’s important that we provide some sort of reprieve by ensuring to the client that is heard and understood. Like with any other relationship, it’s also about chemistry. For whatever reason(s) that we can or cannot explain, sometimes you just “click” with somebody. A coach may have all the right stuff on paper, but it doesn’t always translate in real life. Prior to advances in technology, clients were often bound to coaches within their geographic area. This meant that clients would have to sometimes sacrifice connection for availability. And this was for the lucky ones who lived in major cities.
Online Life Coaching is a relatively emerging industry. Even 10 years ago it may have been challenging to find a coach in your town. There certainly was not the ease of virtual video meetings like there is today. Yay, for the advancement of technology! Now clients have access to a multitude of coaches and are able to choose a coach that is the perfect fit for them, regardless of geographical location.
How amazing is it to know that you can have your pick of coaches and you are not confined to where you live? That you do not have to drive a long distance for a session? We often talk about the conveniences of having online sessions due to busy schedules, for safety, and being more comfortable in your own home, but eliminating geographic barriers is often overlooked. It can’t be overstated just how important it is for a client to have the right fit with a coach in order to create success in reaching their goals.
Flexibility in Online Life Coaching Methods
Finally, there is the flexibility of different coaching methods! We often tend to think of a one-on-one coach and coachee relationship, however, the group coaching method has been on the rise. Although one on one coaching can be quite an effective method of helping clients reach their goals, we as coaches are not limited to individual sessions with those we serve and group coaching has been known to be just as effective.
Group coaching is defined as a facilitative process that leverages the experience of a group of individuals who may or may not work together. Group coaching…leverages the resources and knowledge of a group of individuals working on a common theme but having different individual performance goals.
In short, group coaching involves one coach working in a session with multiple clients at one time, similar to a Zoom webinar. Unlike a webinar, though, the participants take a more active role in the process, much like a session with an individual client. Everyone in the group is there to reach their goals within a common theme (i.e. exploring how to use a more positive parenting approach with their children). Coaching will look a little different in each group, depending on the style of the coach, the number of coachees, the digital format of sessions (live vs. pre-recorded), and the presenting theme of the sessions.
There are 3 primary group coaching models. These include cohort, program, and membership models.
Cohort Model
Coachees pre-register, start and complete the program on the same days. Clients work through the program together.
Program Model
Clients sign up as they want. The program is over a specified length, but coachees start and end at different times, depending on when they enrolled. This model is likely to use pre-recorded webinars and videos.
Membership Model
This model runs each year on the same recurring schedule and incorporates the benefits from both the cohort and program models.
What are some of the benefits of group coaching?
First and foremost, if you are on a budget, the group format may be the right option for you. Depending on the coach, working one on one with them can be quite expensive. Group formats allow the coach to reach more people at one time, thus often providing a more economical rate for services.
Another benefit of group coaching is the supportive network it provides. Clients are surrounded by others who are sharing perhaps a similar life experience to theirs. At the very least, they may be striving for some of the same goals. This bonding can create a platform for a client to learn not only from a coach but also from others. The group may serve as a safe space for a person to feel comfortable sharing their story. It also may motivate a client to set and attain goals, knowing the group may provide needed accountability. It is also an opportunity to meet new people from anywhere in the world. Clients may hear new and fresh perspectives from others about how they are working to solve problems and reach their goals. Finally, it gives you the opportunity to build lasting friendships.
Ready to Begin Online Life Coaching with us?
Online life coaching has helped many women find the freedom and flexibility they need in their own personal life. Whether you are struggling to recognize yourself or dealing with pain, but working with an online coach, who specializes in authenticity coaching, coaching for chronic pain, and self-love coaching for women may help, at True You Always. If you’re ready to gain support, then contact us for a free phone consultation. Here you can share what’s going on for you and we can explore how I can help.
To start your online coaching journey, schedule your free phone consultation to determine if this is the right service for you by calling 972-454-0394, or follow these simple steps:
- Contact True You Always or call 972-454-0394
- Meet our online life coaches.
- Start Achieving Your Goals!
Other Services at True You Always
Online life coaching is a great service for those seeking support. However, if you’re looking for another service, True You Always can still help! Other mental health services we provide include anxiety treatment and stress therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, therapy for teens, therapy for disordered eating, therapy for adults, substance use disorders, PTSD treatment and trauma therapy, job-related stress, therapy for allergies and chronic illness, therapy for first responders, play therapy, therapy for spouses of first responders, therapy for families of individuals with ED, and all of our services are offered via online therapy in Florida.
Our online coaching services include coaching for chronic pain, authenticity coaching, and self-love coaching. These services are available anywhere nationwide and internationally.
Our goal is to help you get back to you and to help you discover your resiliency. As coaches and therapists, we value authenticity. We are here, to be honest, and real with you as you discover how to move forward. Additionally, we welcome people from all backgrounds and identities in our practice. Show up as you are! Our therapists and coaches are LGBTQIA+ friendly and would be honored to walk with you no matter where you are beginning your mental health journey. Begin online coaching nationwide, or online therapy in Florida today!
Sources:
https://wistia.com/learn/marketing/power-of-faces-in-video
https://www.growingself.com/denver-life-coach/online-life-coach/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/does-life-coach-really-wo_b_9687776
https://tpcleadership.com/us-en/?redirect_info=US%2Cen%2CUnited%20States
