One-On-One Coaching: The Benefits.

By Bradley Denis

The coaching industry has exploded in the last ten years, with seemingly endless numbers of people leaving their employers to become coaches and consultants. But what is coaching? How does it help?

Many of us associate coaching with athletic performance, and that certainly is one aspect of one-on-one coaching. People seek out a coach to help themselves achieve a specific goal, identifying the steps they need to take, and to be held accountable for the work it takes to arrive at their desired outcome.

But not all one-on-one coaching is performance-based.

You may have heard of the term Life Coach–someone whose focus is helping people gain insight into obstacles they face in everyday life and how to overcome them. But there is also mindfulness coaching, career coaching, self-improvement coaching, executive coaching, etc. etc. The list goes on.

What do all these coaches have in common? They provide a multitude of functions for any given client. They are partners, helping make sense of multiple factors. They can be guides, illuminating resources or overlooked opportunities. They can be teachers who offer deeper insights into a particular facet of their specialty. They can be investigators who ask artful questions to pull out unknown resources and motivations from a client. And they are mirrors, reflecting the client's positions and point of view from multiple perspectives.

Any good coach, regardless of their field of expertise will demonstrate these skills. If they don't–if they have a tendency to fall into the advisor role-they might not be the best person to support your growth. Often coaches believe in their client's success, but do not give them the chance to explore and discover a path for themselves. Give a man a fish. . .

Coaching with mindfulness

Mindfulness is simply the practice of being present with one's self and their environment. A good coach is always aware of how they show up to any session, and are able to master themselves regardless of what arrises. They track their client's language, their actions, and their body language, and are able to craft intelligent questions designed to prompt a deeper self-examination. From that place real transformation is possible.

Bradley Denis is a personal development and creative coach based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. He is currently accepting new clients.

For more information visit bradleydenis.com