It takes Leora Spitz, life coach and president of the Israel chapter of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), less than 30 minutes to assess that there are some serious issues that need addressing in my life.
Her method is simple: Together we draw a "wheel of life," with each spoke representing one element - money, career, family, friends, environment, health, personal growth, romance and leisure. We define the strong values that I have for my family and friends and we note the "gremlins" or sacrifices I make in other areas.
The wheel is clearly uneven, and on that basis she encourages me to imagine where my life would be if it was more equal.
"If you managed to achieve your career goals and there was a write-up about you in the newspaper, what would it say about you as a person?" she asks me.
The question allows me to dream: a mother of three children under the age of six, working a full-time job, who manages despite that to succeed in her goals…… I really am amazing! Through her encouragement to let loose and fantasize, I feel empowered and free.
After that release, Spitz draws me back in to define some more realistic and concrete goals that might be achievable in the next week or so. "Small steps," she calls them.
My session with Spitz is part of an initiative run last week - International Life Coaching Week - by the ICF in Israel in which free life coaching sessions were offered to the public in an attempt to raise awareness about the profession, which is suddenly booming here. Estimates put at close to 1,000 the number of life coaches already working in Israel and note the more than 20 educational institutions offering courses in the profession - a cross between psychological and sports coaching theories.
"Life coaches focus on what you have already and where you want to go with your life," explains Spitz, who has an MA in organizational psychology from Columbia University and who became ICF's Israel president two weeks ago. "We help people make the most of what they have and to understand for themselves how they work inside."
Can there be any better proof than this of how at sea we have become morally and psychologically and how enslaved we are by psychobabble? What is particularly cute is their concern that we be able to distinguish the “professionals” from the charlatans.
11 comments:
In an episode of the Simpsons they went to the bargain basement 'psychiatrist district', with places called things like "$1 Therapy".
They chose one called the Sit 'n Weep.
But yes, life coaching is the prime example of an industry selling fixes to 'problems' you never knew you had, and then making things worse.
That's what we get by tossing Freud under the bus.
In my sub-culture, we don't feel even remotely at sea morally or psychologically, nor enslaved by psychobabble.
Athough that's the post that I always make in these types of threads, I make it to give hope to those who might strongly identify with the idea that modern people have become entrapped in a verbal and conceptual web of their own devising; rejoice! There are people who live beyond the Matrix - and you can join us.
All it takes is the desire to do so.
Life coaching doesn't automatically make things worse. Indeed, it often makes things much better.
But, like anything else, you get out of it what you bring to it. Some people aren't ready to benefit from coaching, and others don't really need it.
So it's more a matter of accurate self-assessment prior to seeking out a coach.
Like Groucho who wouldn't want to join a club that would have him, I wouldn't want to be coached by anybody foolish enough to try it
O -- I'm a new kid on this block and don't know too much about the other kids who hang out here. Can you tell me a little about your sub-culture? Sounds like it might be a nice place to visit.
Oro:
The objection is hardly to taking stock of one's life, shifting priorities, interests or directions and calling on friends, family, colleagues, mentors, etc. to assist us. Indeed, that's part of the maturing process. But it is absurd to think we can do so better under the guidance of someone who claims to be professionally trained in "life".
This is really about people who so love talking about themselves that they are willing to pay people to listen and tell them how wonderful they are.
Mr. Burnett;
I must disagree. I think it's an artifact of the disintegration of community life.
A century ago, there were people who acted as life coaches. The difference is that one would find them via personal connections — your grandmother, the wise woman down the street, the local priest, etc. A village elder, basically. But there are no more village elders any more, so one must make do with the psycho-babblers.
Well, we can't all be Brad Pitts - apparently he's, like, super-duper uber-good looking, an 11 on a scale of 1 to 8.
He does seem very good looking, but my type is more Hugh Jackman, so I don't quite get Pitt-mania.
erp:
Mostly military members and veterans, and Utah Mormons. Some intellectual weirdos.
I reckon that the "Greatest Generation" retirees that populate your neck of the woods are much the same.
Peter:
Maybe so. One has to be mighty attractive for narcissism to be cute. Or under three years of age.
— They would have been likely to listen to us and then tell us to stop daydreaming, count your blessings and get back to work —
And, other than the particular phrasing, is that really different?
You want good looking. this is it.
O - Sorry to say there aren't that many of the greatest generation left and many of them are very infirm. The retirees here are mostly the "tweens" between the greatest generation and the worst.
As a Mormon, how do you rate Romney's chances? My husband is backing him, but I think he's far to bland and genteel to be able to cope with the street fighting ahead.
I rate Romney's chances as "poor", but he's surprised before. Indeed, that's primarily what he's known for, doing the near-impossible.
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