Coaching vs. Counseling | BrendonBarclay.com

Early in my professional education while studying psychology and after working in clinical settings I concluded I did not want to focus on clinical treatment. That was in the late 80's early 90's and it took years for life coaching to emerge as a socially acceptable and viable way for me to help people. I ask a person who desires coaching to agree with these following key principals adapted from Gary R. Collins, PH.D.

1. Coaching is not therapy, counseling, advice-giving, mental health care, or treatment for substance abuse. The coach is not functioning as a licensed mental health professional, and coaching is not intended as a replacement for counseling, psychiatric interventions, treatment for mental illness, recovery from past abuse, professional medical advice, financial assistance, legal counsel, or other protessional services.
2. Coaching is for people who are basically (>70%) well-adjusted, emotionally healthy, functioning effectively, and wanting to make changes in their lives.
3. Coaching is designed to address issues the person being coached would like to consider. These could include (but are not limited to) academic and career development, relationship enhancement, spiritual growth, lifestyle management, life balance, decision making, and achieving short-term or long-term goals.
4. Coaching will be an ongoing relationship that may take a number of months, although either party can terminate the relationship at any time. Some or all of the coaching may be outdoors while doing an activity but if necessary, by phone.
5. Coaching can involve brainstorming, values clarification, the completion of written assignments, education, goal-setting, identifying plans of action, accountability, making request, agreements to change behavior, examining, lifestyles, and questioning.
6. Coaching is most effective when both parties are honest and straightforward in their communication.
7. Deciding payment for services, prior to beginning both parties will agree to a fee, form of payment, procedures for canceled appointments, and initial length of commitment.
8. Coaching is a confidential relationship and the coach agrees to keep all information strictly confidential, except in those situations where such confidentiality would violate the law.
9. Coaching assumes that each person in the relationship is guided by his or her values and beliefs. My life coaching is as a committed follower of Jesus Christ and I seek to live in accordance with this commitment. As a life coach I am honest in making this revelation but I respect the different values and beliefs of others. As a life coach I DO NOT seek to impose my values on another, proselytize, condemn, or refuse coaching services to people who do not share similar values and beliefs.
10. Each of the people whose signatures appear below agrees that this agreement represents our mutual understanding of the coaching relationship.

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