Product Description

If you are considering life coaching as a career, this book provides a guide to creating and sustaining your practice, a resource for coaching yourself towards a more fulfilled life, and a reference and companion designed to serve you through your professional life. It sets out to promote a thorough understanding of what life coaching entails and to lead you through a course of applied neuro-linguistic programming techiques and exercises aimed at improving your coaching abilities. These include state control, rapport-building, metaphor, meta-programs, and meta-linguages. The book also introduces the spiral coaching model, a new coaching tool that identifies and utilises people's thinking patterns.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7433 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 330 pages

Review
I used this book to help me navigate an introduction to life coaching course I was studying and found it invaluable both for painting the wider picture and as a reference point for some key theory and skills information. Such is the book s easy accessibility and relevance that it is excellent for a wide readership from others in training like me to existing practitioners; people who want to know what life coaching is to those who might be thinking of going to see one. For client or coach this book is an excellent starting point. --Emma Nelson, Student Support Officer, University of Leeds

Fiona Harrold, author of
Absolutely terrific!

Fiona Fraser, Human Resources Manager
A book you can dip into time and time again.

Customer Reviews

A comprehensive and indispensible guide.
Having read, enjoyed and learned a lot from "The Thirty Minute Coach", which was co-authored by Curly Martin, I eagerly awaited her own publication "The Life Coaching Handbook".

Whilst "The Thirty Minute Coach" was written from the client's perspective, "The Life Coaching Handbook" is Curly's complete guide to becoming a Professional Life Coach.

The book is divided into two sections. The first takes us through the process of becoming a Professional Life Coach and defines what coaching is, the role and skills of a Life Coach and how to set up a practice. The second section explores more advanced coaching skills.

From the outset, Curly's enthusiasm, commitment and personal success are obvious. "Life Coaching is simple", she says and this positive statement inspires us to read on to discover how we too can be successful. Curly is a person who "walks the talk".

The early chapters of the book describe how Life Coaching is a holistic process, bringing harmony and balance to a person's life. The Life Coach is someone who helps take a person from where they are to where they want to be by focusing on goals and results. It is enabling and empowering and helping a client to achieve results allows coaches to become aware of the need for balance in their own lives.

Curly explains that coaching is not counselling or therapy. Life Coaching concentrates on the present and the future, not the past. It is about goal setting and achievement, not about interventions. Negative self-talk and self-image can be changed into positive self-talk and action with the help of a coach. Beliefs can be changed and obstacles removed, leading to a more satisfying and positive way of life.

She gives a fascinating insight into human behaviour which enables us to understand our interactions, relationships and communication styles. A coach who understands their own behaviour is more likely to be able to understand that of others. In understanding a client's beliefs and mindset, a coach can communicate effectively and build rapport.

Good communication is essential to successful coaching. Curly's communication style is excellent. She writes in clear, simple language; no jargon or "psycho-babble". Where technical terms are used, she gives an immediate explanation and examples. She speaks of the need to study and use language effectively. Techniques such as good open questioning and listening are paramount to success. We learn how individuals interpret information according to their preferred representational system ie auditory, kinaesthetic or visual and how it is necessary to listen for this in conversation and match our language to that of the client. Curly is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming and gives us an opportunity to dip our toes in the water and discover the background and concepts of this technique.

Section two of the book deals in some depth with the complexities of language. Reframing, Metaphors, the Milton Model and Meta-language patterns are all offered as more advanced coaching skills. They all involve an understanding of how language works in the way in which we receive and respond to information. Whilst these concepts are quite intricate, Curly explains them in simple terms, using examples and dialogues.

The chapters on Spiral Coaching are particularly absorbing. The concept of the evolution of an individual's mind, their beliefs and values being likened to a spiral staircase is startling. Each "landing" on the staircase is colour-coded relating to an individual's particular thinking patterns. I think I must be evolving between "landings" at the moment - somewhere between green and yellow.

The book is full of analogies, anecdotes, real-life cases, metaphors and practical advice, all of which serve to encourage and involve the reader. Each chapter starts with a Synopsis and ends with a Summary. It is easy to dip into the book and find a particular topic or reference.

Particularly valuable are the chapters on how to set up and manage a Life Coahing practice. Curly gives a lot of advice on how to advertise and market the enterprise. It is important to use the term "practice" to indicate a profession rather than a trade. We can benefit from her knowledge and experience of networking and growing the practice by adopting strategies such as issuing press releases and getting ourselves invited to speak to business clubs. Offering a Code of Conduct underscores the professionalism of a Life Coaching practice and Curly generously invites us to use hers in contracting with a client.

"The Life Coaching Handbook" offers a comprehensive and indispensible guide to anyone considering becoming a Life Coach or wanting to enhance their existing skills in this role. Its easy-to-read style makes the techniques available to readers from all walks of life and occupations. As a training consultant, I am heartnened by the fact that I seem to be using many of the concepts in my work already, but I am also aware that there are areas that can improve upon. This book will be my constant companion and Curly will be my inspiration and my guide.

A First Class Book
The Life Coaching Handbook is an essential part of my coaching library. It is so refreshing to finally read a book that is written from a practical standpoint. Curly takes you beyond the theory of Life Coaching and gives you a totally practical blue print to kick start your coaching business. The integration of practical marketing strategies and the benefit of the authors own experience make this a compelling read. Curly Martin has written a first class book about a very rewarding profression. The author is passionate about coaching and her own experience shines through.

This book is an inspiration
If you are thinking about becoming a life coach this is the book for you. Not only is it inspirational it also has practical information about how to set up a life coaching practice. It is in three distinct parts the first dealing clearly and effectively with life coaching basics, how to start a practice and make a success. The second part comprises of very clear and simple to follow usage of NLP within life coaching. There are several case studies and examples which make the process not only interesting to read but also easy to put into practise. The final part uses an adaptation from the Spiral Dynamics double helix model to clearly define its uses in life coaching. Not an easy task but one which the author has achieved excellently. I highly recommend this book not only for life coaches but also for anyone involved in the coaching world. A must have book. I hope you enjoy and benefit from reading this book as much as I have. Thank you for taking the time to read my review.