Coaching is a partnership based on trust. The life coach engages clients in dialogue to elicit the client's own goals and desires, as well as understand their internal and external obstacles. Properly done, life coaching will inspire a client to achieve what they want and maximize their potential. The client gains a better understanding of their wants and their limitations, real or imagined. The coach helps the client overcome what's held them back and attain the life they desire.

"Healthy" people who are motivated to create change in their lives benefit the most from coaching. They are people who take responsibility for their own choices, while at the same time want the support, insights, and accountability that a coach offers.

Therapy is a model that looks at the past and addresses conflict and emotional healing. Coaching is about looking at the present and creating the future that you want. Consulting is a process in which the consultant is hired to diagnose problems and offer solutions. Coaching assumes the client is capable of generating his own solutions.

Coaching sessions last from 30-45 minutes and can take place in person or over the telephone. Depending on the needs of the client, sessions could be as little as twice a month or weekly or even more frequent. I recommend a minimum four-month commitment for sustainable change to occur. For AD/HD clients, shorter, more frequent sessions are offered to build habits through reinforcement and repetition.

We talk. We discuss at length the answers to questions like, What brought you to coaching? How do you want your life to look? What are some ways you can achieve that? We try to get beyond the obvious answers and use the client's own creativity to come to a concrete understanding and action plan.

A coach cannot "fix" you, because she doesn’t consider you broken. Likewise, a coach will not tell you what to do. But by using skills and tools suitable to your circumstance and your stated desires, a coach can help you see your life from a totally new perspective. A coach helps you better understand yourself and your place in the world so your own creativity and energy can effect that change you know you want.

Though fees vary according to geographical location, type of coaching (Executive or Life), and experience of the coach, they are usually commensurate with psychotherapy or other similar professions. Many coaches offer a variety of "packages" to meet the needs of clients from all walks of life.

The International Coach Federation has developed Coaching Competencies, a Code of Ethics, and a stringent Credentialing process for this fast-growing profession. More information may be found at www.coachfederation.org.

A teleseminar is a convenient way for people all over the world to participate in a class or group coaching. Each person is given a phone number, a password and the designated time for the call. Each person is responsible for his own long distance charges.

Coaching clients who have AD/HD is much like any other life coaching, but recognizes that AD/HD brings certain added constraints. The coach still builds on the premise that clients have the answers to their own problems, but adds some structure to overcome the distractions, organizational difficulties, impulsive behavior and other traits unique to those with AD/HD. The action plan that results is also formed of smaller, more manageable steps, and follow-up consultations are more frequent to better reinforce learning. The coach also introduces more accountability to help the client track progress, and may even include the client's family to help make change more permanent.