What do you do if your life coaching clients face difficult challenges and obstacles?

We are more powerful than we think! When unexpected challenges and setbacks cross our way, we often tend to forget that we have strength and power within us to deal with anything that comes our way. Our job as life coaches is to remind people of their power, to help them connect to their inner strength and guidance and trust that they are loved and supported. When people know and believe that all is well, all is going to be well! Faith can move mountains!

There's a fine line with validating. I think acknowledging is a better way of approaching it. Validating can be seen as confirming and entrenching their perspective. As a coach my role is to enable them to see alternative perspectives. They may choose to retain their original belief, but from an empowered place of seeing their agency in choosing that perspective.

When you help the clients feel heard, seen, and validated( without judgement), it empowers them to explore their pain, gain really needed insights, to break the chains of their limiting beliefs.

One must empathize and validate the client, by showing understanding, and maturity in the face of tough situations. When people understand that you care about them, and the plight they face, they will begin to gravitate towards you. Also, most clients do not want to be judged, they only want to be understood.

Empathising with clients is a key competency for any coach, as this quality helps in effectively addressing whatever challenges clients bring to the table When clients encounter difficulties and obstacles, they require a coach, who can be present and 'hold the space' for them to be vulnerable. A coach creates a safe environment for clients to explore their goals, challenges, emotions. In moments of obstacles, it becomes even more crucial for a coach to remain centred, allowing clients to delve into their possibilities and consider different options for moving forward. As partners in the coaching journey, coaches demonstrate appreciation/validation for client's insights, learnings and actions through their observations and reflections.

One must help one client to reframe their challenges and beliefs. When you help the client to reframe their limiting beliefs, and replace it with a more positive one, it makes them develop faith in you as a coach. Life coaches should be able to develop a realistic thought process, that will help the client overcome fears and drop their limiting beliefs for a more positive one.

To be able to reframe, we must go back in time and see the root of it all. Where are these thoughts originating from? Is this fear theirs or borrowed? Depending upon that you should be pick and choose whether it is intergenerational healing that’s required or an inner child healing. Reframing as a step happens a little but later in my practice. But yes, it is definitely a key way forward.

Reframing challenges involves shifting perspective to see opportunities within obstacles. I can assist clients by guiding them to view setbacks as learning experiences, identifying strengths to leverage, and exploring alternative solutions. This process helps foster resilience and creativity in problem-solving.

Ask them, whether their limiting beliefs or challenges Real? Or is this the narrative they have created in their mind? Thereafter, ask them to reframe their narrative and come out with what can they do differently to address the challenge they are facing.

A life coach can also, help the client to explore and brainstorm ways they will be able to come to a solution of their problems. This implies that the coach should develop strategies and provide ways that will help the client grow above the challenges that they face. Exploring and brainstorming can also help the client to overcome challenges and challenging situations that is capable of hindering their stressful situations.

This is a very important process - explore and brainstorm potential solutions and strategies. What are the possible options, what are the consequences of each option on them and those involved around them, what are the likely challenges they might encounter with each option and how can they overcome those challenges, and finally which is the best option and why? This will make them feel more empowered and help them move forward.

The life coach needs to design a way to help the client plan and commit to taking action and help them to overcome their fears. This implies that the coach needs to find a way to help the client achieve his specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. This implies helping the client come up with a way to reach their goals easily.

Here, once they have committed on taking a particular action, make them accountable for their actions, by checking with them about their progress based on preset timelines.

The life coach needs to support and celebrate the achievements of the client. This simply means that the coach needs to support and celebrate the clients when they meet their goals or reach a specific milestone. The coach needs to give the client a level of motivation and help them find the drive to attain their goals and dreams repeatedly.

I hold my clients accountable for taking proactive steps towards their goals, providing gentle encouragement and support along the way. Through regular check-ins and progress assessments, I help them stay motivated and committed to their action plans. My endeavour is to empower my clients to cultivate resilience and self-efficacy in the face of challenges, helping them develop the confidence and resourcefulness to navigate adversity effectively.

All my clients come to me because they're facing tough times in their lives. Sometimes, they know exactly what's wrong. Other times, it's not so clear, and they can't quite put it into words yet. I always tell them that the first thing we need is raising awareness. That's the very first step towards making any positive change intentionally. After that, it's about accepting it with kindness towards ourselves. It's important to recognize that you're dealing with something tough right now. It might be because of a choice you made, or maybe life just threw something hard your way. Either way, how you respond to it is completely up to you. Once we've got those two steps sorted, that's when we really start to work on things together.

Just listen by heart. We all connect with each other through our energies. By simply listening others by heart connect the two energies and enable the forward movement. Another aspect to ‘just listen’ is sometimes all that clients needs is to hear themselves out. When you listen to them, they also hear themselves and find solution in that. A few tip for just listening - Repeat back their words - keep your posture aligned to curiosity space - Refrain from asking “why” questions - Do not suggest anything

I work with clients to clarify their goals and priorities, helping them gain clarity and perspective amidst challenges. By exploring the underlying motivations and values driving their aspirations, I assist my clients in reevaluating their objectives and identifying actionable steps forward.

Challenges and obstacles are seen harder when we are listening to saboteurs' voices. Increasing positive intelligence helps you overcome negative inner talks. In life, every choice comes with its challenges and obstacles. When you reach higher PQ, remind yourself "people are naturally creative, resourceful and whole (coactive model)". Whatever challenges and obstacles you are capable to see, you are capable to overcome cause you have inner resources that enables you to see them and you will solve it from there.

The final outcome for me as a Coach is to make my client more aware about themselves, where they are and where they want to be, and also where they can actually be beyond their existing capabilities. Thereafter while working with them, my endeavor is to make them feel empowered to exceed their own expectations from themselves and take concrete actions to achieve their outcomes / goals while overcoming the challenges that they face in their journey of empowerment, and self-discovery and self-growth.