Before you hire anyone
What does a life coach actually do?
A life coach meets you on a regular call, names the pattern you keep repeating, and checks whether you did what you said you would do. She does not diagnose you, parent you, or run your week for you.
Inside a session
What the hour is for
You talk. She listens for the story you tell yourself, not only the facts. Then she asks questions you would not ask a friend, because a friend is trying to make you feel better.
A useful session ends with something concrete: a conversation you will have, a boundary you will keep, a job application you will send, a calendar change. If every call ends in think about it, you are chatting.
Between sessions you do the work. That is the part people skip, then decide coaching did not work.
Scope limits
What a life coach does not do
She is not your therapist. She does not treat depression, trauma, or addiction as a clinician. If that is the work, start there. We wrote the coach-versus-therapist page for that fork.
She is not a consultant who hands you a slide deck and leaves. Advice is cheap. The job is helping you use the advice you already have.
She is not a friend on retainer. Warmth is fine. Collusion is not. If she only agrees with you, find someone else.
The money question
Are life coaches worth it?
Coaching is worth it when the cost of staying stuck is higher than the fee, and you will do the work between calls. It is a poor buy if you want someone to want the change more than you do.
Is it legit? The industry is uneven because it is unlicensed. Some coaches are rigorous. Some sold a certificate last month and now sell certainty. You tell them apart by how they describe the first month, not by the font on the logo.
On Coachivas you can read a specialty, a rate, and reviews when they exist, then book a private online session. That is more signal than a stranger DMing you a free breakthrough call.
Same title, different work
What they do depends on the niche
A career coach spends the hour on work, identity, and the next role. A confidence coach spends it on self-trust and the voice that talks you out of asking. A divorce coach spends it on the practical and emotional mess of a split.
If you cannot name the problem, start on the directory and filter. Or read how to find a life coach and use the questions there.
See the work by specialty
Women coaches on Coachivas
These hubs are listing pages, not essays. Open one, read a few profiles, and see how each coach describes the work.
Shorter pieces under this question
These posts were already on the blog. They belong here more than they belonged alone.
Related
Scope, price, hire
Once you know what the job is, decide whether you need a clinician, then pick a person.
If this sounds like what you need, meet someone
Browse women coaches on Coachivas, or read how to choose one if you are still comparing.
If you might need a clinician instead, read life coach vs therapist before you book.
What coaches do: questions
What does a life coach do for you?
She helps you name the change you want, notice what keeps interrupting it, and keep the agreement you made in the room. The results still come from what you do between sessions.
What is a life coach supposed to do?
Run a regular conversation with structure. Ask harder questions than your friends. Refuse to do the week for you. Refer you out when the work is clinical.
Is life coaching legit?
It can be. There is no state license, so quality varies. Look at specialty, how they describe a first month, and whether they stay out of diagnosis.
Are life coaches worth it?
They are worth it if you will use the sessions. They are not worth it as a substitute for therapy or as a way to buy motivation you do not intend to spend.
What does a life coach do vs a therapist?
A therapist treats mental health under a license. A coach works on goals and decisions that are safe to work on without a clinic. Read the comparison page if you are unsure.
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