Life Coaching Examples/Case Studies

There are several situations in which life coaching may be helpful, including job issues, confidence, or relationship complications. Here are the ways that a life coach could be beneficial for each of those scenarios.

Job Satisfaction Issue

Marie seeks out a life coach to help her overcome a frustration with her current work situation. Her direct supervisor, with whom she worked very well, has recently left the company, and Marie is having difficulty adjusting to the style of the new supervisor.

Marie was used to daily meetings and frequent correspondence with her prior supervisor. This gave her plenty of guidance for projects given to her to manage. The new supervisor appears to have less time available for Marie and expects her to work more independently.

A life coach would guide Marie through imagining her desired outcome within the realistic constraints of what this current supervisor can provide. She will be encouraged to identify the goal behaviors which will get her the supervision that she needs most, and which will allow her work behavior to continue to meet her own personal standards of excellence.

Self-Confidence Issue

Mark asks a life coach for help in building his self-confidence, which he believes to be holding him back from being promoted at work. He has been given excellent reviews for his level of productivity and his efficiency, yet has been passed up for promotions by seemingly less qualified co-workers. He has been told by friends that he needs to be more self-confident.

A life coach would help Mark to define in a specific way what he means by self-confidence. Through questioning, it might become clear that Mark’s communication skills are lacking and that he would benefit from speaking with more certainty at work. An initial goal for Mark would be the development of better communication skills and practicing these new skills in his workplace.

Relationship Issue

Maya would like to begin dating again after a bad break-up but finds herself sabotaging new relationships as soon as they seem promising to her. Maya recognizes that she is full of self-doubts about her own self-worth and whether she can find someone with whom she will feel safely vulnerable.

Maya reveals to the life coach that she was often harshly criticized by her ex-partner and that these memories stay with her, holding her back from trusting others enough to form close relationships. The life coach would facilitate her ability to move past these painful memories. A first step would be to imagine a future relationship which is supportive and kind. The specific types of interactions which characterize a healthy relationship for Maya could then be identified.

and many other scenarios...