What is the difference between coaching, therapy and consulting?

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Who hires a coach and why?

People hire a coach because:

• They want more.
• They want to grow.
• They want to do things more easily.
• It's as simple as that. Coaches help a client get all three, quickly.

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What happens when you hire a coach?

Many things, but the most important are:

• You take yourself more seriously.
• You take more effective and focused actions immediately.
• You stop putting up with what is dragging you down.
• You create momentum so that it's easier to get results.
• You set better goals that are more exactly what YOU want.

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Does the coach work on personal goals or business/professional goals?

Both actually, especially since the line between personal and business life is blurring. The coach is the only professional trained to work with all aspects of you.

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Why does coaching work?

Coaching works for several reasons:

• Synergy between the coach and client creates momentum.
• Better goals are set -- ones that naturally pull the client toward the goal rather than goals that require the client to push themselves to the goal.
• The client develops new skills, and these skills translate into more success.

   

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What qualifies a Coach?

A coach is a trained professional who is certified by a coaching institution that is approved by the International Coach Federation (ICF) which governs the standards, practices, ethics and guidelines of the coaching profession. Diane Merriam, CPCC was certified through the industry’s most rigorous training facility, The Coaches Training Institute, an ICF accredited institution (www.thecoaches.com)

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Why is coaching becoming so popular?

Coaching is becoming popular for several reasons:

1. Many people are tired of doing what they think they "should" do and are ready to do something special and meaningful for the rest of their lives. One problem is that many can't see what this is or, if they can, they can't find a way to reorient their life around it. A coach can help them do both.
2. People are realizing how simple it can be to accomplish something that several years ago might have felt out of reach or like a pipedream. A coach is not a miracle worker (well, sometimes they are), but a coach does have a large tool kit to help the Big Idea become a Reality. Fortunately, people now have time and resources to invest in themselves in this kind of growth.
3. Spirituality. If you tracked the phenomenal success of James Redfield's Celestine Prophecy on the NY Times bestseller list back in 1994, you got a sense of just how many people are willing to look at, and consider, the notion of spirituality. Wow. Many coaches are spiritually based -- even the ones who coach IBM and AT&T. America is growing more spiritual very quickly. (Our working definition of spirituality? "How connected you are with yourself and others.") The coach helps the clients to tune in better to themselves and to others.

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Please, give me some context about coaching...

A personal coach does just what an athletic coach or music teacher does, only in a more complete and bigger way. A coach challenges you and takes the time to find out what winning in life means to you. A coach is your partner in living the life you know you can accomplish, personally and professionally. A coach is someone to hold you accountable for your life, to make sure you really do live up to your potential.

Most people believe that "hard work and doing it on your own" are the keys to finding the life, success, money, or happiness that they seek. They believe that a price must be paid to attain what they want, and often that price is poor health, not having enough time to enjoy life, strained family relationships or lessened productivity. The saddest part is that, even though this effort may result in more of something, it is often not the something you had in mind, and you end up back where you started, or worse, further from your real intentions.

Athletes and performers know about this trap. They know they need someone else, a trained someone else to help them set goals, discover real needs, and work effectively toward ultimate goals of excellence. So, they are willing to hire a coach or a teacher. No serious athlete or musician would expect to progress very far without one.

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What about people who are already doing really well in their lives, why would they need a coach?

They might not need a coach. But it is helpful to find out: Are they doing what they most enjoy? Are they tolerating anything? Is life easy? Are they going to be financially independent within the next 15 years? Do they have what they most want? We've discovered that, often, people need to expect more out of their lives. A coach can help in this process. Perhaps the New York Times Best selling author, Ken Blanchard said it best: “No matter how successful we are, we all need a coach to encourage, challenge and remind us to live up to our full potential.”

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How can I find out if coaching will work for me?

By simply contacting Diane Merriam by phone or email and signing up for a complimentary, no-obligation, 30-minute coaching phone call from the comfort of your home or office. It’s the best way to get a “first-hand-feel” of how partnering with a coach can move you powerfully forward in your life. 100% guarantee that you will get value from your complimentary sample session.

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Why does phone coaching work so well?

Coaching on the telephone is the industry standard, with well over 90% of all coaching sessions occurring via phone. Clients experience many benefits including:

• Convenience: coaching via phone allows for no travel time to get to appointments, ensuring that the sessions start on time. Busy clients will only need to block out for their actual session time vs. travel time etc.
• Focus: when coaching on the phone, clients notice they are less distracted and experience an increased focus.
• Flexibility: coaching over the phone means a client can access their coach from anywhere.

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How often will we have coaching sessions and what does it cost?

DM COACHING SOLUTIONS offers several different coaching packages that meet the specific needs of each individual client. For more detailed information: see our “Programs/Services page”.

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How long does coaching last?

Typically, clients sign a 4-month contract that reverts to a month-to-month agreement. Some clients are ready to go solo within a few months, while others stay indefinitely after they have experienced the positive effect that coaching has had in all areas of their life.

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How long before I see results?

Astoundingly, you can see results from the very first session.