Coaching is a personalized professional partnership designed to help a person reach their goals, develop their potential, and overcome obstacles. A coach does not give advice or solutions: they ask powerful questions so the client finds their own answers. Coaching is distinct from consulting (expertise), therapy (treating the past), and mentoring (passing on experience).
In practice, a coach never tells you what to do: they ask questions that force you to clarify what you want and what's standing in the way. The difference from classic advice is that the answer comes from you, not from them, which makes it far more likely to stick over time because you chose it yourself.
A client arrives at a session saying "I want to change careers but I don't know where to start." A consultant would hand them a ready-made plan. A coach asks: "What's holding you back today?" and "What would an ideal work week look like for you?" The plan is then built from the client's own answers.
Coaching differs from therapy (which treats the past and psychological disorders), from consulting (which brings technical expertise), and from mentoring (which passes on lived experience): it is a partnership focused on the future and built on your own answers.
No. Coaching focuses on the present and future to reach concrete goals. If deep blockers or past trauma are involved, therapeutic support is more appropriate, and a good coach knows when to redirect to a mental health professional.
It varies a lot depending on the goal: a few sessions for a one-off objective, several months for a deep life change. The duration isn't fixed in advance, it adjusts along the way.
No, unlike mentoring. A coach doesn't need expertise in your field: their skill is helping you find YOUR answers, not bringing you theirs.
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