The story below is from our July/August 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!
Discover how life coaching empowers people to gain clarity, set purposeful goals and cultivate resilience, confidence and joy in everyday life.
Courtesy of Dr. Melinda Hill
“Hiring a coach provides a strategic thought partner who can help you see what you can’t see on your own.” —Dr. Melinda Hill
Life coaching has gained in popularity over the past several years. More people are seeking ways to gain clarity, encouragement and accountability to empower them to get unstuck and live more fulfilling lives.
Coaches may specialize in a variety of areas including health and wellness, mindset, spirituality, parenting, emotional wellbeing and financial growth. The benefits can be wide-reaching: from discovering your passions and increasing confidence, to clarifying priorities and boosting focus and follow through.
Improvements in emotional IQ and mental wellness are possible as coaches use tools to enhance awareness, strengthen coping skills and reduce stress.
My own clients often report better boundaries, improved self-care, stronger relationships and a deeper sense of joy in their everyday lives. One recent client gained clarity around what wasn’t working in her job and marriage. She found the confidence to speak up, set new boundaries with family members and ultimately launched a business rooted in her passions.
People tend to seek out coaches during times of transition, when they feel overwhelmed or dissatisfied or want to improve one or more areas of their lives. Coaches don’t just offer advice — they hold space, ask insightful questions and empower clients to find the answers within.
Courtesy of Neely R. Conner
“A coach could be compared to a personal trainer, who is focused on helping individuals achieve identified physical goals such as improving strength, flexibility or endurance.” —Neely R. Conner
A coach can hold up a mirror so that someone sees where they are holding themselves back and what next step they can take to meet their goals.
Often, clients realize it isn’t just about the goals they have; it is about finding fulfillment in their everyday lives. Coaches use tools and exercises to guide them to find their sense of purpose.
Dr. Melinda Hill, Executive Coach, Maxwell Leadership Team, says, “Hiring a coach provides a strategic thought partner who can help you see what you can’t see on your own. A coach helps uncover blind spots, clarify goals and create a focused action plan for growth.”
It is important to note that coaching is not a replacement for counseling. Each serves a distinct purpose depending on someone’s mental health and personal goals.
“A Mental Health Counselor or Therapist has received graduate or higher levels of education in Psychological Theory and Concepts, Psychopathology and approaches/interventions in treating mental illness,” says Neely R. Conner, LCSW, CEAP, PCC and Director of Carilion Employee Assistance Program. There are also residency requirements. “Licensed providers diagnose and treat people with mental health problems, family system problems and substance misuse issues.”
Coaches, on the other hand, do not diagnose or treat mental illness. While many are trained in positive psychology, wellness or mindset techniques, they do not bill insurance or provide clinical treatment.
Courtesy of Sarah Kennedy
"Clients I've worked with have learned to support themselves while continuing to support others in their lives, a critical piece we often neglect." -Sarah Kennedy
Some licensed therapists are also certified coaches, blending the tools of both disciplines. But when someone is experiencing symptoms of depression or mental illness, it’s important to seek a counselor or therapist.
“I often compare a licensed therapist to a physical therapist who is focused on healing something broken or supporting recovery from a physical illness,” Conner says. “A coach could be compared to a personal trainer, who is focused on helping individuals achieve identified physical goals such as improving strength, flexibility or endurance.”
If someone seeks help achieving goals, staying focused, getting clarity or support with mindset, a coach can be a great fit. Having a sense of purpose and setting goals, expanding awareness and knowledge of oneself are things coaches empower clients to do, and this can have a positive impact on mental health.
Steph Altom of SJA Coaching sees this in her work. “I work with people-first leaders. We explore how mindset and thought patterns shape not just how we lead, but how we experience life.
She teaches simple, practical tools and habits that boost resilience, improve communication and make hard conversations easier. Altom says that over time, this helps quiet the inner critic, reduce self-sabotage and build mental fitness.
Conner agrees. “Coaching significantly strengthens mental health by building resilience, sharpening focus and helping clients create and pursue meaningful goals.”
Courtesy of Steph Altom
"I work with people-first leaders. We explore how mindset and thought patterns shape not just how we lead, but how we experience life." - Steph Altom
She shares that with clear direction and structured support, stress levels decrease, confidence grows and adaptability improves. Coaching also reinforces emotional intelligence, which enhances interpersonal relationships and internal self-regulation — two critical components of psychological well-being.
“Coaching gives you tools for self-awareness, emotional regulation, boundary setting and intention-based living — all of which contribute to better mental well-being,” says Sarah Kennedy, Certified Life Coach. “Clients I’ve worked with have learned to support themselves while continuing to support others in their lives, a critical piece we often neglect.”
She adds that having her own coaching tools has allowed her to “grow in every way possible, granting more resilience, being a better partner, a better parent and more connected to myself.”
Tools used vary by coach but can include assessments for areas of strengths and opportunities to grow, somatic and embodiment practices, identifying and releasing limiting beliefs and setting intentions based on priorities. To support action-taking and forward momentum, coaches may teach time blocking, setting rewards and celebrating small steps and big accomplishments.
“Whether it’s leadership development, improving communication or navigating personal relationships, coaching accelerates success by offering accountability, expert insights and a safe space for exploration,” states Dr. Hill.
“It’s not just about achieving more — it’s about becoming more.”
Forget Resolutions End the year with Intention
Halfway through the year, many people have abandoned their new year’s resolutions. Most have returned to their old habits even if they started the year making the changes they declared.
The good news is that there are still six months left to let go of what isn’t working for you and to change habits and set intentions you can achieve by the end of the year.
Steph Altom of SJA Coaching says that it is not about doing everything; it’s about doing something that really matters to you. Here are her top three tips to add more fulfillment this year.
1. Rethink your goals, not yourself
- Don’t beat yourself up over what you haven’t done
2. Step back and reassess
- Are your priorities still the same?
- Which goals still matter to you now?
3. Reconnect with your “why”
- Why did I set this goal in the first place?
- What will you gain by accomplishing it?
- What might you miss out on if it doesn’t happen?
Choose one meaningful goal (only one!) that you’d love to accomplish by December
- Break it into small, simple steps
- Write your plan and look at it daily
- Celebrate each small win!
Resist the urge to do everything. Focus instead on the meaningful goal that lights you up.
The story above is from our July/August 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!