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Is a Life Coach Right for You?

Major life decisions have hatched in Laura Neff’s office, a sunny outbuilding flanked by organic gardens at her north Charlotte home.

One woman, feeling she wasn’t living the life she imagined, moved to England. Another decided to trade her corporate job for full-time jewelry design. Still others have followed longtime dreams or, especially in these daunting economic times, sought Neff’s help navigating layoffs, financial instability and other heartaches.

Neff, a life coach, is part of a growing community of coaches in the Charlotte area who guide clients on everything from careers to communication skills to personal relationships.

“Coaches help people really identify where they want to be and are not,” Neff says on a balmy afternoon in her office, surrounded by inspirational quotes and potted plants, an overflowing bookshelf and a ledge full of organic teas. “My whole thrust is to get you empowered in every part of your life.”

As the recession has deepened, leaving many wondering whether they’ll have a job — or whether their work is meaningful enough to make up for the stresses that come with the times — interest in coaching is higher than ever, some local coaches say.

Because coaches know potential clients have tightened their belts, they’re responding with free workshops, group sessions and reduced individual rates. So now could be a better time than ever for some professional soul-searching.

Life coaching, a relatively new and largely self-regulated industry, evolved in recent decades from executive coaching. Coaches develop a relationship with clients in a series of in-person or phone sessions, asking questions and encouraging personal discovery to help people realize their visions or goals.

Coaches, many of whom have a corporate background, say they’re organizers, cheerleaders, sources of accountability. They’re also careful to say what they’re not: mentors, consultants or therapists.

Typically, the process consists of 30- to 60-minute sessions several times a month. Costs range from $250 to $1,000 per month.

Kym Motley, 38, calls it a personal investment. She has worked in marketing at a major Charlotte bank for a decade but has long dreamed of something more — designing jewelry for a living.