Life Management Consulting (LMC) has often been
referred to as Life Coaching. Therefore, it is my intention to
define Life Coaching from the perspective of the ICF, or the
International Coach Federation, and then I will define Life
Management Consulting from my perspective. According to
the International Coach Federation, Life Coaching is
defined as the following:
"Professional coaches provide an ongoing partnership
designed to help clients produce fulfilling results in their
personal and professional lives. Coaches help people
improve their performances and enhance the quality of their
lives.
needs. They seek to elicit solutions and strategies from the client; they believe the client is naturally
creative and resourceful. The coach's job is to provide support to enhance the skills, resources,
and creativity that the client already has (http://www.coachfederation.org, 2006)."
On the other hand, Life Management Consulting has as it's goal the empowerment of the
individual. Empowerment occurs when the individual knows who she is, and who she is not, what
she'll do, and what she will not do. There is a power that comes from this knowingness and
acceptance of one's self. It is only from one's center that we can act from a place of power. When
you are in this place, and have this sense of who you are, making decisions becomes quite easy.
You know how to evaluate accurately if something is in your league, or over your head, and if so,
then you know how to access resources and have it handled, or, if you have the time, then you
develop a new skill. When one is empowered, one becomes more effective and successful in the
choices and decisions one will make, as they will shape our lives forever. It is in this process of
becoming that Life Management Consulting is most interested in, whether you are wanting to take
a trip around the world, become a teacher or an astronaut, to be a good mother or father, or to just
have a successful and effective life. The content of your dreams is not as important, as that is so
personal. It is the process of how to get there, as well as enjoying the ride that Life Management
Consulting focuses it's attention.
What is the difference between psychotherapy and life management consulting?
There is a huge difference between psychotherapy and life management consulting. For one,
psychotherapy has many different models. For the sake of simplicity, I will use the traditional
psychodynamic approach to therapy for my explanation. In this case, the relationship between the
therapist and the client is unparalleled to any relationship an individual will ever experience. This
is due to the fact that in order to accomplish the goals of psychotherapy, a very safe and trusting
container must be established. In this model, the therapist will disclose little to nothing about
him/herself. As a result, the client will use this relationship to work through unresolved conflict,
trauma and pain, usually from one's childhood as well as the present. Psychotherapy is a very
powerful and effective modality when used properly and tremendous healing, growth and change
can and does occur. This is also why the client is protected by so many laws, as this is such and
unusual and vulnerable experience for an individual, that ethical, moral, and legal standards must
be abided.
On the other hand, life management consulting has as it's goal the same results that can be found
with psychotherapy, and that is of healing, growth and change. Healing is not something that will
apply to every case with LMC, but in some cases healing will most definitely occur. LMC has the
opportunity to work from a much broader perspective. The consultant is free to disclose any
personal information that he/she deems relevant to the work., without any ethical or legal reprise.
The consultant has tools at his/her disposal such as any form of resources, fieldwork, and actual
hands-on involvement with the client. A psychotherapist is extremely limited in this area, as this is
not the focus of that work. As a life management consultant, my goal is to use any means
possible to empower my client to make the necessary changes that will bring peace, harmony and
joy to one's life, and the freedom to pursue all and any dreams, hopes, and aspirations.
What issues can Life Management Consulting address?
LMC can address a wide range of issues such as empowerment-related issues (i.e. fear of
conflict, inability to set limits, knowing how to best handle a situation for your betterment), major life
transition, career or work decisions/concerns, health care issues, relationships, weight-loss
management, mental health issues such as anxiety or depression, chronic illnesses such as
fibromyalgia. It can also be helpful with people suffering from severe, chronic mental illness, not
as a primary provider, but as a supportive modality. As in all forms of business, there are
limitations to one's practice. If this would be the case, I will inform you of this fact, and will assist
you in finding a more appropriate provider.
What are some of the benefits/results of Life Management Consulting?
- Increased feelings of self-esteem and self-confidence
Increased feelings of resourcefulness and know-how
Ability to assert one's self, and set limits
Greater effectiveness and success in all facets of one's life
Stronger feeling of being in charge of one's life
More ability to let go of that which is not you,and that which you do not control
Increased feelings of inner peace, happiness and joy
In my opinion, and from my perspective, having been one who has gone through a profound
journey of the soul, I would say that a journey of the soul is a process that takes you through a
spiritual transformation, which affects your entire being. By that I mean, it has the capacity to alter
your decided-upon path in your life, alter your internal sense of well-being, heighten your senses,
and bring about profound change in your entire life. Somewhere and sometime in your life, you
made the decision to be something or someone that really wasn't the true you as a result of
trauma, abuse or fear. A journey of the soul is a healing, a sometime difficult and painful process,
mainly due to our resistance to relinquishing life-long patterns that do not encompass all of who
we are, and the fear of acquiring new, and different ways of being in the world, and of being whole,
as they are so foreign and uncomfortable. In the end, you emerge a different person, one who has
learned how to integrate the old with the new, finding balance, harmony and inner peace. It is one
of the most profound experiences that one will ever go through on this planet.
"Red Horizon" by Peter Wileman
