Choosing the Right Relationship Coach in the UK
Relationship coaching is a professional service that helps individuals achieve their personal and relationship goals. People can use a coach to improve their existing relationships with a partner, colleague friend or family member, or they can use it to bag a new relationship they are single. You can even use a relationship coach to banish negative relationships from your life.
So you’ve decided you’d like a relationship coach but how do you pick one? There are lots of incredible coaches out there so here are 5 of the top things to consider:
Qualifications
Life coaching is currently unregulated in the UK. That means that anyone can set up a coaching business and start selling services to clients tomorrow. There are many coaching qualifications out there - from short free courses, to long and thorough accreditations.
Make sure you look for a coach who has received formal training, preferably from a training school accredited by the International Coaching Federation. This means that as well as studying the theory of coaching, they will also have been mentored when practicing coaching in real life, and will have had to achieve a certain number of practice hours of coaching. Making sure you use a qualified coach means you are in trusted hands.
2. Location
Think about where you would like the coaching to take place. Are you happy doing sessions online - which can be convenient and flexible, especially if you are busy?
Perhaps you’d prefer a walk and talk session in a park or green space near you. The coach can use your surroundings as part of the session or you can speak to them on the phone as you walk. Exercising can help us express our emotions and tune into our bodies most closely.
Maybe you’d like to have the session in your own home. Whatever your preference, you need to think through if you would like the session with a coach in person (in which case you will need someone close to you) or online.
3. Life experience
Think about your current relationship challenge. Would it help if you had a coach who was an expert in a similar experience?
Perhaps your coach was single and actioned a plan to successfully find love. Maybe they’ve been through a divorce? If you have concerns about your relationship, you may need someone who has experience in identifying red flags. A more mature coach is likely to have been through more experiences in life. Make sure you also think through would you prefer a coach of a specific gender or do you not mind?
4. Reputation
If you investing in relationship coaching, research the coach's background. Do they have an established website. How about google reviews from clients. Have their views been published in any well recognised titles?
5. Personal connection
You can get a good feel for a coach and their approach from their website and social media. They may well have come recomended to you by a friend. But the most important success factor in any coaching sessions is the relationship you have with your coach.
Most coaches will do a free consultation session so you can understand how the sessions will work and ask any questions you may have. You will also get a good feel for the coach and their personality, and if you are likely to work well together and feel comfortable with them talking.
Find out more about how to choose the right relationship coach and the kind of services I offer here.
