A Fireside Chat with Dr. Patrick Williams

Are we a drive-up window society? Coaching creates intimacy – a quality we lost somewhere in our travels.

More than ever, we are connected to our iPods, strange blinking Bluetooths and Blackberries.

I have learned through my studies at ILCT that more of us are feeling alone and disconnected from relationships.

We have built a drive-up-microwave-Starbucks, type of society.  Our conversations are quick, short and vague. We don’t practice listening to our intuitive, inner voice about how we feel and think. We spend more time trying to change others than perfect ourselves.

Coaching fills this void.

Coaching and its emerging success has came about because we are in need of more listening…more intimacy.  Coaching offers an egalitarian relationship. A type of relationship we infrequently create or develop in our lives.

Humans are relationship creatures. Through coaching, we have a chance to slow down, develop deep intimate conversations, re-connect and find meaning and purpose in our lives.

Even while we enjoy a Caramel Macchiato Espresso.

Take an 'Inventure'

In March 2007, I took an eighteen-day personal odyssey with nine men into the deep bush of Tanzania. This journey was an opportunity to be “unplugged” from my normal routine of work and personal life, as well as a learning experience about two tribal societies who represent ancient ways of living with the Earth. Our tour, called Back to the Rhythm: Claiming Your Place at the Fire, was led by Richard Leider, with assistance in Africa from David (Daudi) Peterson of Dorobo Tours. Leider and Peterson have worked together for the past two decades taking men and women on inventures, a safari experience during which they encourage purposeful reflection on the changes and experiences within the inner being of each person on the journey.

'The Rise of New Elders'

Rather than talking about retirement, I prefer the idea of protirement.

Protirement is the ability to do what you really want to do when you no longer have to do those things we all must do to support ourselves and our families. From this perspective, we can begin to become the new elders of our communities. As the Boomers now move into a new stage of life—what Erik Erickson called the Integrity stage—many of these people will certainly be seeking ways to transform aging into eldering, a process of giving back to younger generations.

Click to continue reading Pat's article that was featured in Peer Resourses.

ILCT announces its Christian Track Life Coaching Class

It is my belief that the church community is a powerful way for coaching to reach a wider audience. In response to requests from people desiring a model of coach training that integrates principles of Judeo-Christian theology, ministry of the Holy Spirit, and solidly grounded in a faith based service model.

ILCT is the only ICF certified program that has a special emphasis for those who want to apply coaching in a faith-based manner, either due to their community or because of their approach to service and stewardship. The curriculum of ILCT has always had a whole person approach to our training; this includes how to work with client’s spiritual goals, life meaning, and purpose inquiry.

At ILCT, we promote our training to be applicable to all religious affiliations and in April, we offer this track to an audience of Christian faith-based professionals. Many of our ILCT graduates set up church coaching groups. In April, I will be conducting a, two-day training for Catholic leaders in a Connecticut Diocese. These leaders want to learn to use the coach approach with their ministry, their staff development and as an outreach to their congregations.

If this special niche appeals to you, there is more information about the Christian Track in our April Newsletter.

Need a Life Purpose Check-Up?

I was a life coach disguised as a therapist.

What I mean is, when I was a practicing therapist, my methods and style of working with clients, were very coach-like…even before I understood what life coaching was all about.

As soon as appropriate, my method was to move the client toward thinking about their future goals and their life purpose.  I was eager to hear clients articulate, what ‘floated their boat’.

In the moments when a client would describe their design for a wonderful life, I could see them resonating with idea of possibility and desire for change.  I could feel the positive shift we made together.

My ‘method’ of therapy aligned perfectly with my personal values. As I developed my style of coaching, I joyfully closed my doors as a therapist and became a full time professional life coach.

My good friend, Richard Leider has said many times, “No matter what age you are or which stage of life you are in, when your life purpose is aligned with your passion and your values, you have found your calling.”

I like to add to Richards’s formula to say, “no matter where you are in your life, it is a good idea to make sure your life and life purpose are aligned properly.”

Like the tires on your car or scheduling an annual physical, make time for a Life Purpose Check-Up. One way to stay ‘in-check’ is to work with a coach.

ILCT, offers a Free Coach Referral Service. This service assists individuals in identifying and selecting coaches best suited for your particular situation. The coaches in our system have completed a minimum of 60 hours of coach training, offer expertise in a variety of areas, and are able to take on new clients immediately.

Today, as I consider myself an ‘Elder’ for the Life Coaching Community, I know my life purpose is Life Coaching. Life Coaching ‘floats my boat’.  It gets me out of bed everyday (at 4am!) and it is my passion to find innovative ways to share my gift as a coach, with as many people in my lifetime.

Live Enthusiastically And Purposefully

Happy LEAP Year!

With our extra day...

How did you spend your additional 24 hours?

Better yet, how can you use this year to make a LEAP for yourself?

What would you really like to accomplish, improve, or change if you LEAP?

I love that the field of coaching has become a profession available to assist people in leaping forward into optimal living. In business and in life, the coach is there to applaud and support the client as they jump into their desired future. Nevertheless, coaching is also a profession that calls coaches to continually be learning and evolving in their own personal and professional development.

What big goal or intention could you LEAP ahead with?
What support do you need?
Are you working with a coach?

One LEAP that ILCT is making this year is to shift and expand some of our training into the corporate and leadership niche.  At ILCT, we are assisting our developing leaders how to use coaching and how to create a coaching culture in the workplace. This is an exciting move for the Institute.

Leaders are already "leapers" and risk takers; but with coaching, they will improve the quality of each "leap," and make sure it is done with forethought, planning, and support.

Executive Coaching: Coaching the Person behind the Title

“Even Executives Have Lives Too”

In the 90’s there was little mention of coaching except in the corporate arena. Mentoring and Coaching were typically available for only the top executives of Fortune 500 Companies.  In my days as a clinical psychologist, I managed to carve out 10 hours a week to coach executives. My early insight to coaching uncovered the truth that executives (typically males) were using my coaching services not only for professional reasons. My executive clients found that having a coach was a comfortable approach for them to include discussions about how to improve other relationships or make shifts in their personal lives, without the ‘stigma’ of hiring a therapist.

Today, coaching, specifically whole  life coaching is one of the largest consulting services  next to business consulting. The International Coaching Federation estimates conservatively that there may be as many as 30,000 coaches working worldwide, generating revenues of about $1.5 billion. It is common for corporations to have a cadre of certified coaches, who ‘best-fit’ their corporate culture, available to their employees pursuing a leadership role or need to sharpen their business skills.

Corporate executives worldwide are hiring Professional Certified Coaches to help invigorate their leadership styles. Many leaders want to be more inspirational or visionary and find the positive support from their coach, accelerates them toward achieving their goals. 

Whether executives hire a coach for professional or personal purposes, leaders of all positions, are looking to partner with someone of the coaching industry to be a part of their ‘success team’.

Therefore, as a response to the needs of our coaching community, we just announced a Corporate and Executive Coach Training Track to begin immediately at ILCT. The structure of this track is for coaches who want to focus on coaching Corporate Executives or individuals who are designated as leaders in their organization.

Visit our website, www.lifecoachtraining.com to learn more about the course schedule and offerings for ILCT’s Corporate and Executive Coach Track.

Thomas J. Leonard Coached Me To Go With The Obvious

I came to the coaching phenomenon after being a psychologist and executive coach since 1990. I had a private clinical practice since 1980 and added coaching to the mix for a training firm in Ft. Collins, Colorado in 1990 called, The People Business. I coached top-level executives from Hewlett Packard, Kodak, IBM and others about 10 hours a week. In 1996, I saw Thomas Leonard on TV and read an article in Newsweek. I was burned out as a private psychologist, in the throes of medical management chaos and knew right then, a shift to a career as a coach, was for me!

Within a month,

• I signed up for Coach U, bought my first computer,
• hired my 2nd coach ( My first coach lived on her boat in the Virgin Islands in 1995)
• and I was looking for a new way to use my talents.

By March of 1997…

• I was a full time coach and trainer with Coach U.
• Moved into my new house in Palm Coast, Florida.
• Closed my psychology practice and was going full time into coaching.

Sandy Vilas, President and Owner of Coach U was at my house the day I moved in. We were going to a coach seminar in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida together.

Thomas Leonard was making some audio tapes to sell, called Laser Coaching and I was selected for a coaching session with him. I distinctly remember doing the interview in my empty house and the acoustics were very surreal….like being in a studio.

I told Thomas

Connectedness

Connectedness

Pat Williams likes to say “If you could have done it on your own, you probably would have done it by now.” Going it alone is not only tough, it often just isn’t effective in achieving change.

One of the main reasons I’m working at developing the field of wellness coaching is because I truly believe that the alliances we create in coaching serve us in many ways. Lasting lifestyle change is often an illusive goal. People try and fail, and try and fail…alone.

Welcome To Wellness Coaching

Hello World!

I'm Dr. Michael Arloski, the Director of Wellness Coaching for ILCT.

Climbing on board the blogging bandwagon a bit later than our other authors, I'll do my best to make it up to you with blogging entries that you will find valuable.

1979 was when I attended the National Wellness Conference for the first time. This summer I presented there for the 22nd time, so I have some perspective to share. In recent years I've seen the wellness field and the world of coaching come together in more and more ways.