Relationship Coaching - Helping You Grow Emotionally and Physically

Every human being learns the relationship skills through learning from others. From the day we are born, we first learn from our parents, or family members, either directly or by just observing, on how to built and understand human interaction. Throughout the years, we put in our own understanding by building our personality and making ourselves likeable or not. All directions can be taken at that point and most understand roots of the problem and are looking to fix that issue immediately.

All human beings require some kind of interaction, especially personal or intimate. When a marriage doesn't work, a series of problem can be the cause. Between a couple, no one can admit what went wrong, and this is why marriage counselors are here to open up the line of communication by trying to resolve the issues that made the couple seek a counselor from the get go. We all want our relationships to work, but at the same time, we do not want to admit that when something goes wrong, we are the one to blame. We are all looking for a way to a better health, wealth, and relationship success. By opening up to a Relationship coach, and seeking their help when needed, the individual is fighting half the battle to recovery. Once you've decided that help is required, you already understand that a problem is existent, and that you want to find a solution to your issues.

Many settle in some aspect of their lives. Either in their job or relationship, they learn to cope by developing strategies and techniques to ease that pain and accept their destiny. These individuals will never learn how to move forward, because they accepted that their choice in relationship have never worked in the past and can never work in the future. Relationship coaches are here to change that attitude and help you develop these skills and make you see what relationship are unhealthy and how to get out of them before they drag you deeper into a whole that might be too difficult to get out of if not resolved.

What You Need to Know To Be a Relationship Coach

Relationship Coaching is a unique blend of coaching, teaching and mentoring. The relationship coach is not only here to fix your marital problem, relationship can also be in the workplace, rekindling friendship with a coworker because of a past misunderstanding. Relationships are everywhere, and it is crucial to make each and every one of them the best they can be. You never know who you might need in the future to help you out in case of dire need. These successful relationships are achieved by developing assertiveness and honest communication. Without communication, you have nothing. IT is the key of all what humans being are all about. What makes us different then animals? The power of the human brain, the power of speech, and the desire to make ourselves better people are the keys to differentiate ourselves from the mammal kingdom.

Relationship Coaches also share with their clients the wisdom they have gained from their own relationship experiences so the clients can also see that human being are aloud to make mistakes and no one is perfect. The learning process is what everyone has to go through to make themselves a better person.

Coaches who choose relationships as a specialty have already reach their own perfection in relationship and are able to share it with their clients. It is always important to deal with someone that has the solution to every potential relationship issue and base their relationship on that perfect model. Having to deal with someone that already has all the answers can be a god send to every other living human being on planet earth.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

o Dating for Singles.

o Internet dating for Singles.

o Couples: pre-marriage; marriage enhancement; problem prevention.

o Gay/Lesbian relationships, as singles or as couples.

o Divorce recovery and adjustment.

o Children of divorce.

o Parent/Child relationships.

o Extended family relationships.

o Professional relationships in the workplace. And many others can also be discussed in your first interview with a relationship coach.

There is great joy and satisfaction in being a Relationship Coach. The skills and confidence our clients develop serve them well and last them a lifetime.

Dan Amzallag
Life/Business coaching
Consultation: 301325-1550

Life Coaching - Is This a Natural Fit For the Mental Health Professional?

Mental health professionals grow in numbers and classifications as society continues to provide stressors that contribute to the overall statistics of mental illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in four adults over the age of 18 suffer from a diagnosed mental disorder in a given year and in 2004 that estimate was close to 58 million people (Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Walters EE. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of twelve-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun;62(6):617-27). This does not take into account a more recent upsurge of unhappiness as a result of our economic downturn resulting in loss of jobs, homes, and security. There are various types of treatable mental illnesses and professionals specific to each disorder. Among those professionals working with these adults are psychiatrists, psychologists, addiction counselors, religious counselors, therapists, psychiatric nurses, and social workers.

Mental health professionals, genuinely, have good listening and communication skills, are analytical and problem solvers, and enter the field because they enjoy helping others. This is also an accurate description of a life or executive coach. Are the two compatible? It may depend on the orientation of the mental health professional and how well he or she is able to transcend into a primary role of asking questions as opposed to also giving answers. After all, these professionals are well educated and work to earn licensures to be able to offer solutions to their client's problems. Very much like a physicians, they are paid to give a diagnosis and workable treatment plan, supporting their "patients" until they enter into a state of well being or are able to cope with their crisis. As a counselor or therapist it can be a challenge to adapt to a coaching setting; it is necessary in order to have a successful coaching relationship. The following psychotherapy and counseling approaches may offer the most similarities to the ideas promoted by coaching professionals:

• Reality Therapy focuses on an individual's ability to choose his or her behavior, the present versus the past, movement toward a solution rather than accentuating problem, and goal setting with in a realistic action plan.

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a combination of behavior therapy and cognitive theory. Among the principles used in this mode of therapy include relaxation techniques, practiced behavioral responses, accountability, affirmation, imagery, Neuro-linguistic programming, motivation, and exploring opportunities.

• Rational Emotive Therapy, based on an emotional/behavioral connection, promotes self acceptance, empowerment, an understanding of the client's perspective, activity towards change, assertiveness, and a collaborative therapist/client relationship.

The coaching relationship is collaborative in nature, concentrates on a client's present situation, his or her motivations and goals, behaviors, and action plans to achieve those goals, and employs affirmation statements based on NLP. Appropriate coaching candidates exhibit good mental health and are ready and able to make changes in their lives. Mental health professionals looking to enter into the coaching arena may consider making a conscious effort to stay clear of interchanging therapy with coaching techniques as to avoid a misinterpretation of the objectives of the relationship.

Lynne Lovett has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in counseling. She has worked primarily in the areas of social work, medical and vocational case management, community coordination, and as a group facilitator for agencies involved with substance abuse and child maltreatment. Currently Lynne is a certified executive and life coach and certified family mediator.

Coaching & Consulting - Implications for the Mental Health Profession

This is the final article of a five part series exploring unique and noteworthy trends in the mental health profession. The article discusses the rise of professional coaching/consulting and its overall impact in the world of behavioral health. The purpose for examining all of these trends is to note business opportunities and competitive influences within the marketplace.

The Rise of Professional Coaches & Consultants

In early 2007 I was speaking with a friend of mine who told me he attended a relationship workshop he found to be very informative and helpful for both he and his wife. Naturally, I assumed it was a psychologist, marriage and family therapist, professional counselor or clinical social worker facilitating the program. Since I was in the field and felt I had a good handle on the marketplace I assumed I would know the clinician. When I asked the person's name I did not recognize it. I asked my friend if the person was a therapist and he nodded his head in acknowledgement. Since I did not know this person I looked her up and realized she was not a clinician but a relationship coach.

There are several points worth noting about this conversation with my friend. One is the fact that there are people in your community providing a variety of individual and group services who are not mental health professionals in the traditional sense. The second point is that many of the people offering these services are very good at what they do, the third is that they are business savvy, know how to market their services and how to speak to consumers, and finally there is the reality that most people outside of mental health are not aware of the distinction between a mental health clinician and a relationship coach. They see them as interchangeable, as one in the same. Let's briefly take a look at these important points since they speak to a phenomenon that will have more and more of an effect on the mental health profession as a whole.

a. Coaches & Consultants

Coaching is growing at an international level and these professionals are involved in numerous areas that overlap with mental health services. Some of these areas include career counseling, relationship counseling, leadership counseling, life change consulting, business consulting and grief counseling. They have done an excellent job penetrating highly lucrative markets such as Fortune 500 companies, CEO level executives, Schools and high end communities. In the past there was a stigma associated with this profession, however, the stigma has lessened considerably and in many parts of the world it is virtually non-existent. In addition, many of these programs and service offerings are of very high quality. They are well researched, innovative and highly structured. I recently attended a workshop delivered by a life coach who worked with people going through significant life changes whether it be death of a loved one, life threatening illness, divorce, career change, unemployment or any number of other things. The program was well defined, unique and utilized both clinical and coaching principles. It was a very effective program!

b. Marketing & Sales Savvy

Adding to the dilemma for mental health practitioners is the fact that many coaches are experienced in all areas of business. They know how to uncover needs/opportunities and then design and market programs that will speak to potential consumers. In many ways they are ahead of the curve in terms of sales and marketing principles. They are also able to leverage technology to improve their reach and to expand their presence in the market. Another interesting aspect to life coaching is that they are very specific with regards to who their target audience is, and as a result, they craft their message accordingly. These are important lessons to be aware of as you move forward in your career. Being clear as to who you are offering services to will help you to use your time wisely when it comes to marketing and selling. The good news is that you can learn a lot researching some of these professionals and taking a look at what they do effectively and not so effectively. Some areas I recommend researching are how coaches uncover what the customer wants and how they sell and market those services. All of this should generate new and fresh ideas for you!

Want some good examples of what I am talking about when I refer to Life Coaches?

Take a look at Marie Forleo and her website: www.thegoodlife-inc.com. She is a well-known coach who has received much praise for her work. Take a moment to view the site and hear what she has to say on her audio clip. Once you read the upcoming chapters of this book you will notice that she has adopted many of the principles I propose you begin using as soon as possible! Also take note of what she proposes to offer people and how she goes about doing this. You may not agree with her proposal to "skyrocket your productivity" and/or "revitalize your relationships", however, what you cannot argue is the fact that she has successfully hit upon the needs and wants of her specific target audience.

Another site that will give you an idea of the power and scope life coaches and consultants offer is www.simpleology.com. This is a concept offered by marketing expert, Mark Joyner. He would not necessarily consider himself a life coach, however, his Simpleology program is based on scientific and behavioral research and is designed to help people manage and make sense of their hectic lives. It proposes to offer solutions that will increase your productivity and peace of mind. In addition, he leverages the power of the Internet to reach a broad audience by offering a sophisticated learning platform complete with free modules and software tools designed to help you prioritize and manage daily tasks and goals. His program should give mental health professionals a much better picture as to the kinds of programs and service offerings behavioral healthcare practitioners can develop and promote.

This article marks the end of my series on trends in the industry. Thank you for your interest! I hope this exercise gives you food for thought along with some new ideas for you to explore.

Copyright 2008 - David Diana.

David Diana is a Licensed Professional Counselor and sales manager for Palmetto Behavioral Health, a private behavioral healthcare organization in South Carolina. In addition to his sales role, David provides consultative services to mental health practitioners in the community by helping them to market and grow their business. He is an experienced Licensed Professional Counselor and business consultant who has worked for many organizations in both the public and private sector to include IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, HayGroup, AVON Cosmetics, U.S. Customs, and the IRS.

Please visit him at http://www.davidpdiana.com where you will find more useful tools and information about the positive changes sales skills can have for you as a mental health professional.