Life Coach

(image: Green Tree/Bloomsbury and Holly Matthews)

I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Holly Matthew’s debut book ‘The Happy Me Project’ a few years ago. Holly became a friend when I met her online in 2017 and became one of the first people to sign up to her ‘Happy Me Project’ life reset, which included a workbook and online classes. Holly is one of the most inspirational people I know- not only did she decide to become a life coach and NLP practitioner after the tragic passing of her husband Ross, but she was also an award-winning TV actress and is Mum to two wonderful girls. Holly truly helps people going through difficulties in their lives and so when her new book ‘Find Your Confidence’ came out, I knew I needed to get myself a copy and review it.

The book talks about finding self belief in a wide variety of situations such as in the workplace, at job interviews, at home in every day life. The publisher says,

‘Each chapter is broken down to focus on a different everyday scenario as Holly provides simple and practical advice for tackling confidence head-on. Learn how to:
– Thrive in social situations
– Develop the tools to be a confident partner and parent
– Ace speaking in public and being assertive in the work place.’

(image: Green Tree/ Holly Matthews)

The book’s premise is that ‘Everyone can access confidence – it’s just a case of learning how.‘ Holly says, ‘Confidence is not a skill that we’re born with or without but something that can be taught, practised and developed throughout your life. Focusing on both your inner and outer confidence, will help transform your self-belief from the inside out.’

I absolutely love this guide and tips to strengthen self belief at home and in public. Singer and actress Suzanne Shaw has said, ‘ This book is needed in every household for adults and kids. An absolute guide to help you eradicate self-doubt and give you a huge injection of confidence!

Holly breaks down each chapter into ways to find and build confidence. I truly love the book and know it will be really helpful to me (and others) in specific life situations going forward. Self belief and confidence is something so many people struggle with and having these exercises, links and resources will be invaluable. Working with Holly is very special!

Find Your Confidence: The no nonsense guide to self belief by Holly Matthews is out now in all good book shops (and online).

For links and resources to help alongside the book please see Holly’s website: https://www.iamhollymatthews.com/findyourconfidence/

When you need help solving complex problems in your life, you turn to those who are considered to be “experts”. In this case, that may mean working with either a therapist or perhaps a life coach, which is an option gaining in popularity with more and more people. While working with either of these will be similar in many ways, there are distinct differences between a therapist and a life coach.

Licensing and Credentials

To begin with, major differences exist in terms of credentials and licensing. A life coach may have a college university degree in psychology or counselling and have many years of experience working with clients but is not a qualified therapist. On the other hand, a therapist is required in most cases to not only possess graduate-level training, but also be properly licensed where they practice.

Past or Future

When you work with a therapist, the focus usually is on past traumas that are impacting your current life, such as being abused when you were a child. But when you work with a life coach, these sessions often pinpoint specific problems that are happening right now that are impeding your ability to move forward. For example, you may work with a life coach to discover a new type of career you would find more fulfilling.

Long-Term or Short-Term

When most people begin visiting a therapist, they may continue to do so for many years, or in some cases forever. However, personal life coaching is more of a short-term commitment. In fact, the goal of the life coach is to give you the tools and skills needed to eventually coach yourself, but some therapies also aim to do this too.

Structured or Unstructured

While you may have thought therapy sessions are very structured, they are typically quite the opposite. In fact, therapy sessions are guided by the patient and the type of therapy is used to treat them. While a personal life coaching session has the coach, and you, working on developing goal-oriented strategies that let you experience personal and even professional growth along the way.

In conclusion, depending on your situation, it is always possible you may at some point in your life work with both a therapist and life coach. Whether you have sessions with a therapist to work through unresolved childhood trauma or seek out a life coach to help you achieve a better balance between your personal and professional lives, you will soon learn why these professionals and their services are so valuable to clients.

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio.