Coaching is a powerful tool for helping someone reach their goals. It is a collaborative process between the coach and the client, where the coach does not provide direct answers, but rather helps the client to uncover their own solutions. Through coaching, individuals can activate their inner potential and discover hidden capabilities, enabling them to achieve success in both their personal and professional lives. The Cambridge dictionary defines coaching as providing training or helping someone to prepare for something.
However, this definition does not fully capture the essence of coaching, which is about helping and supporting someone on their journey to achieving their goals. The principles of coaching were first outlined by Gallwey in relation to sports coaching, but they can be applied to other areas of life as well. Coaching and mentoring both strive to help the client grow professionally or personally. The coach does not give direct advice, but rather helps the client to find the answers to their questions using their own skills.
The roots of coaching can be traced back to ancient schools of philosophy, where knowledge was not directly transferred from teacher to student. In recent years, coaching has become applicable in all areas, from business to sports. Both coaching and psychotherapy have similar objectives: helping the client understand their true motives, values and emotions with respect to the current topic. However, therapy and counseling are more likely to involve understanding and working with past experiences than counseling.
