Personal Coaching Online: What, How, and Why at All?

Quick summary: Learn more about the goals, benefits, and process of Online Personal Coaching. Explore whether it is suitable for you and which areas you’ll work on. Also, discover the three essential questions for Personal Coaching and why I believe everyone should have a coach. Let's begin!

You've read numerous books and online articles related to the topic at hand. You've found yourself caught in a YouTube spiral and engaged in discussions with specific individuals within your professional or personal network.

Undoubtedly, you've got some valuable tips and tricks – yet, thus far, they haven't made a significant impact. This is a common experience!

Even when we believe we understand something or have made a firm decision, it doesn't necessarily translate into what we feel or how we act.

In Online Personal Coaching, we focus on your individual areas of development:

• Do you currently experience a significant change in your life, you’d like to take the next personal and professional step – and continue to develop in line with your values and wishes?
• Do you feel how certain people upset you or situations stress you out, do not understand your emotions or thoughts – and you just want to feel calm and joyful again?
• Have you lost meaning and direction, wanting to lead an authentic professional and personal life – but you're not sure yet where your journey should go?

Questions like these and others find their rightful place in your Personal Coaching. Through coaching, you'll rediscover your energy, regain focus, and find calmness.

Coaching creates a personal space for your reflection. Here, you can express your thoughts and emotions openly, without fear of judgment. I support you in organizing your thoughts and ideas, and asking questions until you arrive at your own answers.

Now, let's delve deeper into Online Personal Coaching. I'll address the following questions.

• Definition: What is Personal Coaching?
• Coaching – Why at all? Typical Topics
• The Three Essential Questions
• Is Personal Coaching for You?
• Benefits, Gains, Success Stories?
• Who Am I as a Personal Coach?
• How Does Personal Coaching Work?

Let's start by defining Personal Coaching.

Before I share my favorite definition of coaching with you – from the world's largest organization of professionally trained coaches – let me establish the concept of coaching through exclusion.

COACHING IS NOT THERAPY…

‍People with mental illnesses can regain their capabilities through working in Psychological Psychotherapy. This applies to conditions such as manic and depressive episodes, sleep and eating disorders, as well as phobic or trauma-related issues. Therapy can also address deeper problems and experiences from the past.

I hold a Master's degree in Psychology and do not provide psychotherapy services.

Some people decide to address the mentioned topics with their therapist and bring their other relevant development areas and goals to our coaching.

… NOT TRAINING…

People aiming to acquire specific, well-defined skills can do so through training. They learn and practice new knowledge, skills, and competencies step by step, often following a structured curriculum. For instance, I’m educating myself in Artificial Intelligence through online trainings.

Individuals desiring to work on their self-worth, reflect on their professional roles, or rediscover their purpose and joy find a personalized space in coaching that caters to their unique desires and needs.

… AND NOT CONSULTING...

‍I do not provide advice. In coaching, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution or standardized 8-step plan to find serenity or meaning.

I also don't have the answer to your best next career move. There are too many moving parts, including emotions, thoughts, values, and context, all of which are unique to you.

However, I am confident of one thing: you have the key to your personal answers. Coaching empowers you to rediscover this inner resource and implement your answer.

At the same time, I provide you with all my knowledge and experience. I'm happy to share my resources and feedback. However, always in collaboration with you and under the premise that you intuitively know how you’d like to proceed.

In the three mentioned formats – psychotherapy, training, and consulting – a common element exists: they involve a hierarchical relationship where skills and knowledge are transferred from a more experienced person to a less experienced one. But how does this dynamic look like in coaching?

COACHING IS…

…an equal footing format. You have the expertise about yourself, and I, as your coach, structure the process. My role is to support you in recognizing and understanding your values, personality, needs, beliefs, goals, etc., and to accompany you in developing your unique strategies, methods, and new behaviors.

And my favorite definition of coaching, by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), reflects this.

"Coaching [is] a partnership with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential." (ICF)

Everything you read in this article is grounded in my understanding of my professional role as a coach, adhering to the ethical and professional standards set forth by the ICF. The concept of potential is crucial to me, which is why I’ll get into this in more detail later.

Now that we've explored what coaching isn't and what it entails, let's delve deeper into the specific areas where Personal Coaching can be beneficial for you.

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What are the typical topics and development areas addressed in Personal Coaching? You can bring anything into your coaching sessions that impacts your personal and professional development and inspires you for personal growth.

Here are some typical topics for Personal Coaching:

• You need to make an important personal or professional decision that will have significant implications for you and your environment – but your head and heart don't agree?
• You've reached a turning point in your career, it's time to reflect on your past and draw conclusions for the next steps?
• You have tons of tasks on your personal and professional to-do list – and everyone around you seems to cope better with stress than you?
• You have similar conversations with people in your immediate environment over and over, and mutual misunderstandings, miscommunications, and conflicts repeat?
• You simply want to unwind after work, focus on essential things – and above all, stop the whirlwind of thoughts once and for all?
• You keep falling into a motivation slump, even though interesting tasks are all over your whiteboard – and you want to be productive again and finally tackle the tasks?
• You are unexpectedly thrown off balance by certain people or situations, your emotions are overwhelming – and you don't know how to deal with it?
• You've experienced so much stress, anger, frustration, or demotivation – now you want to feel a sense of inner peace, freedom, and calmness?
• You want to find a professional position and role where you can contribute what you can and what matters to you while experiencing meaning and fulfillment?

These are some of the key themes in Personal Coaching. Do you recognize yourself in one or more of these scenarios? All of them lead us to explore three essential questions in coaching.

By the way: I differentiate between Personal Coaching for private individuals and Business Coaching in companies or for self-employed individuals. In another article, you'll find more about the goals and topics in Online Business Coaching.

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At the beginning of a coaching process, a client said to me, "This is quite unusual – it's all about me here!" Exactly, in Personal Coaching, it's all about you: your current situation, experiences, desires, goals, values, strengths, and needs.

All these are connected with three pivotal questions in coaching.

“Who am I? What can I do? What do I want?” are three essential questions for coaching. In the process, more questions such as "What is important? How am I? What is my context?" come up. In coaching, you discover your answers.

During the coaching process, I incorporate the Integral Development Process from the Coaching Center Berlin. This ensures your coaching covers all areas vital for human development. Which specific areas resonate most with you?

MY GOAL: WHAT DO I WANT?

First, the assessment. Based on your current situation, circumstances and objectives, we focus on the area that is most relevant for you at the moment: the self, personality, skills, knowledge, constructs, and values.

• Current situation
• Personal goals
• Development areas

MY VALUES: WHAT IS IMPORTANT?

Values serve as guiding principles in life, assisting us in making decisions. When our values are actualized, we experience a sense of purpose and fulfillment. You explore what truly matters to you, assess your values’ current fulfillment level, and begin to implement your values in life.

• Personal values
• Value system
• Value fulfillment

MY SELF: WHO AM I?

You engage in introspection, reflect on your self-image and all the elements that define your identity. This includes the unique life phase you're currently experiencing. You organize your inner voices and check in with yourself to determine which step in your personal relationships or professional journey is the next one.

• Roles, identities
• Self-image
• Personal biography

MY PERSONALITY: HOW AM I?

You analyze your strengths and resources, and becoming aware of and enhancing your professional, social, and mental competencies. This also involves understanding how you navigate emotions or behave in social situations.

• Personality typology
• Individual needs
• Personal interests

MY CONCEPTS: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Everything we experience is influenced by our thoughts, which in turn are driven by our mental beliefs about the world. You assess these beliefs, evaluating their usefulness in achieving your goals and modifying them if necessary.

• Thoughts
• Core beliefs
• Cognitive patterns

MY KNOWLEDGE: WHAT DO I KNOW?

‍You identify the knowledge necessary to attain your objectives. This may encompass areas such as leadership, communication, relationships, or health, depending on the specific topic you bring. It could also involve preparing for a challenging conversation or managing stress.

• Communication
• Team leadership
• Health

MY ENVIRONMENT: WHAT IS MY CONTEXT?

In essence, you address all these aspects within your personal context. This includes not only family and friends but also your societal and cultural environment, as well as your organizational context, such as your company or team.

• Personal environment
• Society
• Organization, team

Perhaps one particular question captures your attention right away – it serves as an excellent starting point for your Personal Coaching. Throughout the coaching process, we’ll delve into additional areas, supporting you to discover your answers.

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You know best whether coaching would be valuable for you. If the three questions I mentioned earlier, "Who am I?", "What can I do?", "What do I want?" resonate with you, that's an indication! Also, if the other areas pique your interest.

As a coach, it's important to me that you answer for yourself if you really, really would like to change and develop. It’s the important prerequisite for effective coaching! Ask yourself:

• Do I really want to develop, change and grow?
• Am I interested in exploring myself on a deeper level?
• Am I willing to reflect on my beliefs, thought patterns, emotional reactions and behaviors?
• Am I open to developing new ways, strategies and solutions?
• Am I ready to try new things and experiment?
• Am I open to many questions, feedback, and impulses?

If you answer these questions with a clear yes, Personal Coaching seems to be a fitting format for you. Otherwise, it might be valuable to consider what the reason might be – and what potentially currently stands in your way.

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In Personal Coaching, my clients focus on aspects that are significant in their personal and professional growth, inspiring their personal development. They gain clarity regarding their self-image, career, relationships, health, productivity, and creativity. These insights empower them to lead fulfilling and purposeful lives, aligned with their core values and aspirations.

In these YouTube shorts, I've highlighted some benefits of Personal Coaching. The final point is so pivotal that I'll delve deeper into it later.

Every success story is unique. For each person, successful coaching means something different. Nevertheless, I've observed certain recurring themes among various clients. Could these aspects of coaching also resonate with you?

Here are some gains from Personal Coaching:

• In coaching, you reflect – and take decisions and action.
• You achieve your goals – and surprise yourself with more.
• You get to know yourself better, accept yourself, and feel confident.
• You adopt new perspectives and see things in a different light.
• You develop your personal repertoire for new challenges.
• You feel joyful, energetic, peaceful, and calm again.

In 2022, PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted the ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study, revealing the positive impacts of coaching across various aspects of clients' lives. Clients frequently reported improvements in communication skills, self-esteem/self-confidence, work-life balance, productivity, well-being, individual/team work performance, professional career opportunities, and business management strategies.

Now that we've delved into the experiences and achievements of clients in Personal Coaching, let's move on to the coaching process itself, beginning with my role as a personal coach.

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I often say, "Everyone needs a coach!" with a playful wink – and I mean it wholeheartedly. Because whether it's about career, relationships, health, or business: our feelings, thoughts, or behaviors often stand in our way.

This doesn't allow us to reach our full potential. What do I mean by that?

Why I am a Coach

For me, living up to our potential means recognizing, developing, and utilizing our abilities, personality, and passions. Not just concerning professional success, but also in relationships, personal growth, and overall well-being.

In this process, we're not isolated. We are all interconnected within a family, a group of friends, or a team at the workplace. Any change that occurs within these systems also impacts the bigger picture!

Imagine changing your behavior, emotional reactions, or mental interpretations. Undoubtedly, this will affect the entire dynamics, your relationships, and structures.

I firmly believe if every person does what they excel at and genuinely desire, we would live in a better world. Coaching, for me, is the means to support people along this journey, encouraging them to unleash their full potential – and in doing so, making the world a slightly better place.

When we live up to our potential, we utilize our skills to create something meaningful, be it for ourselves or for the community. We strive for personal excellence, authenticity, and experience a sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Qualifications and Coaching Approach

I hold a Master's degree in Psychology with specializations in Continuing Education and Business Psychology. I have completed training as an Integral Coach and Business Coach, accredited by the International Coaching Federation.

In Personal Coaching, we embrace a multifaceted approach, considering various perspectives describing your situation, including:

• Biological perspective
• Social perspective
• Organizational perspective
• Psychological perspective

We consider your subjective experiences and behaviors, as well as your collective experiences, such as cultural and systemic influences.

My work as a coach is inspired by music. As a longtime saxophonist, I understand how improvisation can enhance our capacity for development and transformation. I shared my coaching philosophy and concept in my TEDx Talk, 'Coaching and All that Jazz'.

Now, let's look at how the Personal Coaching process unfolds.

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The first step is for us to schedule a phone call. We arrange your free pre-coaching call, during which you explain your current situation to me. You provide me with an overview of your personal and professional background and share how you envision coaching as support.

This allows me to assess whether Online Personal Coaching is suitable for you and your needs. We also discuss the terms of our collaboration, such as the time intervals between our coaching sessions and your scheduling preferences.

Then we begin with the first coaching session. We schedule a video conference for this purpose. You start reflecting and addressing your area of development. Together, we develop the experiment on which you will work between our sessions.

I structure our collaboration and your process, providing feedback and asking questions until you have your answers. We visualize the key insights and continuously discuss your progress.

If you want to learn more about the Online Coaching process, check out my article "Online Coaching: Everything You Need to Know About Virtual Coaching."

Or, take action! I'd be happy to discuss what coaching can offer you and your situation. Schedule your pre-coaching call or send me an email at Mail@ChristinePaulus.com.