About the coaching partnership
Coaching is a partnership between a coach and a client for the purpose of producing extraordinary and fulfilling results for the client. Generally, a client will hire a coach when he or she has a goal or objective to be achieved, be it personal or professional. Coaching uses a dialogue process to move the client forward to the accomplishment of the client's desired outcome. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance the quality of their lives.

Accelerate your progress with focus
Coaching often begins with gaining clarity of the client's goals and objectives: what the client wants to accomplish or achieve. Goal-setting, exploring, taking action and reporting are all part of the process of coaching. Coaching often accelerates a client's progress by providing greater focus and awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where a client is today and where the client wants to be in the future.

Coaches bring out your strengths
Professional coaches are trained to listen and observe, to customize their approach to the client's needs, and to elicit solutions and strategies from the client. Coaches believe that the client is naturally creative and resourceful. The coach's role, therefore, is to bring out the strengths, capabilities, creativity, and resourcefulness of the client to facilitate the client's achievement of desired goals or objectives.

How to hire a coach

When you are considering hiring a coach it is important to keep in mind:

• Find a coach you feel comfortable with and can trust
  
• Experience sample sessions with several coaches before making your decision
  
• Be clear about what services and support are being included
  
• Do you feel supported as a whole, creative and resourceful person?   

Why hire a coach whose training has been certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF)?
Anyone today can say they are a coach. That is why it is important that you hire a coach who has been trained and certified by a reputable organization. Coaches certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF) have at least 60 hours of coaching training. When you hire an ICF certified coach you know you are hiring a well-trained coach.

The International Coach Federation is a nonprofit organization formed by professionals worldwide who practice and/or teach business and personal coaching. There are over 4,000 members in 25 countries with 172 chapters.

Why is coaching for me? 

People hire a coach to produce extraordinary results in their personal or professional lives. Coaches work with individuals or teams to help them achieve goals or desired outcomes. Some examples of situations where coaching has been helpful are:

• starting or expanding a new business;
  
• making a career choice or transition;
  
• leadership development;
  
• evaluation of life choices or purpose;
  
• getting aligned for promotion at work;
  
• improving personal effectiveness;
  
• enhancing communication skills;
  
• finding or developing an intimate relationship;
  
• having more fun!
  

This list is merely a starting point of applications for coaching since a coach works with a particular client according to the client's goal or objective. If you are looking for a partnership that can help you produce fulfilling results in your professional or personal life, you've come to the right place.

Coach bios and contact information

The following coaches are members of the International Coach Federation (ICF). ICF has established Standards of Ethical Conduct for all coaches to ensure consistent professionalism. Narrow your search to a group of coaches who have certain credentials, and specialties that meet your requirements. Then contact a coach from that group.

Find a VICA/ICF Coach

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