What Does a Life Coach Do? Everything You Need to Know

If you have ever wondered what a life coach actually does, you are in good company. Despite the coaching industry growing to over $6 billion globally, many people still have only a vague understanding of what coaching involves. Let us demystify it completely.

A life coach is a trained professional who partners with you to help you achieve specific personal or professional goals. Unlike a consultant who tells you what to do or a therapist who explores why you feel the way you do, a coach helps you figure out what you truly want and then supports you in making it happen. The coach assumes that you are the expert on your own life. Their role is to facilitate your thinking, not to impose their opinions.

A typical coaching relationship starts with a discovery session, usually free, where you and the coach discuss your goals and determine if you are a good fit. If you decide to work together, you will typically meet for 45 to 60 minutes every one to two weeks, either via video call, phone, or in person.

During a session, the coach guides the conversation using powerful questions, active listening, and various coaching frameworks. A session might start with reviewing progress since the last meeting, then dive into a current challenge or opportunity. The coach might ask questions like: what is the real issue here? What have you already tried? If you knew you could not fail, what would you do? What is the smallest step you could take this week?

Between sessions, you work on agreed-upon actions. These might be as simple as having a conversation you have been avoiding, as practical as updating your resume, or as reflective as journaling about your values. The coach checks in on your progress and helps you troubleshoot obstacles.

What coaches do not do is equally important. They do not give advice unless specifically asked and even then, sparingly. They do not do the work for you. They do not judge your choices. And they do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Professional coaches adhere to ethical standards set by organizations like the ICF and maintain strict confidentiality.

The results of coaching depend on the client's engagement, but common outcomes include greater clarity about goals and priorities, improved decision-making, stronger boundaries, increased confidence, better time management, more effective communication, and measurable progress toward specific objectives. A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that coaching has a significant positive effect on performance, well-being, coping, and goal attainment.

Coaching works for a wide range of goals. Career coaching helps with job searches, transitions, promotions, and workplace challenges. Executive coaching develops leadership capabilities. Wellness coaching supports health habits and stress management. Relationship coaching improves communication and connection. Financial coaching addresses money management and mindset. And general life coaching helps with anything from finding purpose to managing transitions.

If this sounds like something that could help you, the best next step is to browse coach profiles in our directory. You can filter by specialty, price, and rating to find coaches who match your specific needs. Or let our matching quiz do the work for you by recommending coaches based on your goals and preferences.