Life Coaching FAQ

Q: What is Life Coaching?

A: Life coaching is about helping clients determine where they currently are in the journey of their lives and where they would like to be, clarifying their life goals and identifying action steps to reach these goals. It is also about keeping the client motivated and accountable.

Q: Who is a Certified Coach and why is that important?

A: Currently, there are no federal regulations on becoming a Life Coach. That means, anyone can call themselves a life coach, regardless of training , background and experience with working with people. International Coach Federation (ICF) was founded to address this void. To be a certified coach through ICF, a coach needs to go through in dept training via an accredited coach training institute such as CTI that includes gaining real coaching experience with intern clients and supervision and passing an oral and a written exam to gain the credential. Click here to see Sibel’s professional credentials.

Q: What is the advantage of hiring a Certified Coach who is also an Organizing/Productivity Consultant?

A: Being an organizing/productivity consultant, Sibel knows how to keep you focused, energized and productive. We are solutions oriented and accountability with tangible physical and emotional results is very important in our coaching style. And often times, the issue of physical clutter, time management and productivity come up in life coaching for which you will be in expert hands.

Q: What is the difference between Life Coaching and Therapy?

A: The main difference is that, in coaching we start with the foundation that there is nothing to "fix" with the client. The client is creative, resourceful and whole. Therapy, on the other hand, is diagnostic and treatment based. Another difference is that in coaching, we focus mainly on present and the future. Therapy usually deals with the past and the emphasis is on understanding the issues rather than action points and accountability.
There are also some similarities between the two. Both professions use techniques that are similar: active listening, being present in the moment, asking powerful questions, etc. However the intention behind those are different.

Q: How do I start?

A: The very first step is to call or e-mail us to schedule your 30 min. complimentary sample session. During this session you will be able to ask any question you might have on coaching and decide whether coaching is for you. If Yes, your next step will be to schedule your Discovery Session, which is a 90 minute coaching session conducted either in-person or on the phone. Learn more about these sessions here.

Q: How long are the coaching sessions?

A: Your first coaching session is the Discovery Session which is 90 minutes long. After that, we will decide how often and how long we will meet. This will be based on the current issues you would like to address in coaching, time availability and budget. Telephone coaching can be 30 min, 45 min and 1 hr in length and in-person meetings vary between 1 to 2 hrs.

Q: Is there a minimum time I need to commit?

A:  No, we do not require a minimum time commitment. Our coaching relation will continue as long as there is a benefit for you as the client. The time you need will depend on where you currently are, where you would like to be and how committed you are to get there. Often times, when a client reaches a specific goal and experiences how coaching helped them to get there, they find another goal to work on and the coaching relationship continues.