It's 2023, you hear the word coaching used a LOT. But what does a Life Coach actually do? And, if you're an expat, living here in Paris, or in any country that's not your own, how can life coaching support you?
A Life Coach is a support to you in the areas of life YOU want to look at - a partner to help bring your horizons closer.
We will look at your current beliefs and mindset, and get curious about the opportunities you have to change your life. We start off by exploring a range of professional and personal areas, and defining the key topics you wish to work on. They can be anything - from relationships and family to career transition, personal growth, health and your physical environment.
We use a simple life coaching tool called the Wheel of Life to look at each area in turn, and you rate your current level of satisfaction in each. That gives us some clues for where to start.
As an expat, you have particular challenges that you are facing - moving to a new country, getting children settled in schools, working out career paths for both parents, understanding the cultural norms and expectations of your host country, navigating in another language. All of these topics and more take a toll - they're balls that we need to juggle in the air. And how, in all of this, do I find time for me and what I want. How can I even work out what it is that I want? Coaching provides you with that space for you, to choose your path.
What happens in a life coaching session?
We will set specific goals, look at your personal values, and discover which limiting beliefs might get in the way of you achieving your goals. It's always good to know what you're up against - what are the typical things you say to yourself when you're about to make a change in your life, what holds you back?
Is it a self-confidence issue - I don't believe I can do that? Maybe what's needed is a mindset shift - a new perspective on your current situation. Or maybe you want to make a more radical change.
Each week the client brings the topic, and we define together the outcomes for the session. My role is to get curious, ask questions, offer possibilities and help you explore the topic, so that you can find the solution that will work for you.
Expat life, and Third Culture Kids
As an expat, I know what it is like to live in a country that isn't the one you were brought up in - to consider which patterns and traditions you want to keep from your home culture, and which new ones you will adopt. And I've been supporting my Third Culture Kids as they navigate this journey too.
My Story - How I became a Life Coach
As a family, we've been living in Paris since before my children were born. My husband and I are both British, although we met here in Paris (but that's another story). And my journey towards becoming a life coach started in 2017, when we took a year out as a family to explore our culture of origin. We purchased a motorhome, and travelled the UK. We wanted our children to spend time with family, and we wanted to communicate some of our culture (until then, the UK had simply been the place of Christmas tours, seeing as many friends and family as possible over a short period of time, exchanging gifts as we passed through.
During that year, I participated in a life coach training that was designed specifically for parenting consultants. I learnt new tools - how to sit with the hard stuff, how to celebrate the wins, and, most importantly, to recognise that my client has all the answers within themselves - my job as a coach is to ask the questions, and then trust the process!
What is Co-Active Coaching (and Coaching is not therapy!)
In 2021 I decided to take it further, and completed my training with CTI - the Co-Active Coaches Training Institute. The Co-Active model provides a safe space (the 'container' - or designed alliance) that is designed together by coach and client. Coaching is not therapy - which looks backwards, to the past, to try to make sense of the present. Instead, coaching looks forward, to where you would like to be, and provides you with the steps you need to take to live that new life. What I particularly enjoy in the Co-Active model is how I can put my skill of intuition to best use - by deeply listening to you, and being curious, we bring out deep learning together and then put that in to action.
Pricing and Packages for my coaching sessions
For me, it's important to be transparent with my clients. Maybe you feel that life coaching is a luxury you can't afford. For me, the accountability of having a life coach has brought such big changes in my life, that I'd say it is priceless. But each person has their own situation.
And I wanted to make my coaching accessible. So, for 2023/24, my coaching package is just 120€ per month. For that, you get fortnightly sessions with me, that are 45 minutes long. And encouragement from me between the sessions, as you put into practice the changes you want to make.
I'd recommend coaching for a period of 4-6 months - it's long enough to dig deep into the areas you're stuck in, and make some long-term changes.
Is Life Coaching for me?
Life coaching is NOT for you if you are looking to pick my brains on parenting topics. Of course, family and parenting can be coaching topics. But in life coaching, you won't find me offering tools and explanations for the behaviours you are seeing. If you want to understand your child's behaviour, and how you can transform your family from chaos to calm, then you need one of my parenting packages. You can find them here
It's also not for you if you're totally happy with your current life, if you're not looking to make changes in this season of your life.
It IS for you if you are feeling unsatisfied in one or more areas of your life - if you're looking to change jobs, sort out your health, finances, career, or personal situation. If you'd like someone to be accountable to as we evoke transformation, and then you live it!
Don't just take my word for it..
"Life coaching with Laura is a great experience. She has so much practical advice, a great listener and very empathetic. I whole heartedly recommend coaching with Laura, a great investment!" (Catherine L, on my Google Reviews )
"Laura is an excellent life coach. I really enjoyed all my sessions with her and I had a lot of them. Somehow for most issues I had just talking it through with her helped and the problem seemed to magically be resolved afterwards. I think she just helped me get rid of my mental blocks and afterwards actually doing what I had to do was a breeze. It was truly amazing. I wish I could have her always by my side for everything life throws at me." Client, October 2022
Next Steps
Have I piqued your curiosity about life coaching? Is 2023 the year when you would like to make a change in an area of your life? If you would like to set up a free sample session, then get in touch here - we'll talk about your goals, I'll answer any questions that you have, and you can choose when and how you'd like to get started!
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