Response to discussion questions | LIFC 501 – Introduction to Life Coaching | Liberty University

Reply only to the subject:  The principles of trust and the obstacles to Coaching. How does trust influence the context of the coaching relationship both positively and negatively?

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Response to William L

Ethics and obstaclesCOLLAPSE

I have heard many analogies about trust and its importance in relationships. One of the best in my opinion is thinking of trust as a bank account. When someone comes into our lives, they begin with a certain amount of trust. This trust is precious. Someone is opening their lives and becoming vulnerable to a coach. Because of this, trust must be protected and nurtured if we want to be used by God to affect others’ lives.  

As they interact with us, they deposit or withdrawal on that trust. As time goes on if they invest that trust and deposit more than what was given the account grows. The reverse is true. If someone withdrawals trust and squanders it or makes a bad investment, there is less trust in the relationship. Once that account hits zero or goes in the negative, trust is lost. The best way to make sure we grow this account is to invest time and prayer into the relationship. We become transparent and authentic in our dealings and create an emotionally safe place for them. A place where they feel they are truly understood.

As a coach, there will be obstacles in handling the trust given us properly. The way to overcome these obstacles laid out in the presentation, Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standards in Coaching, starts with us and our attitude. We are not a law unto ourselves. We have a responsibility to God, the client, and ourselves to live with integrity. This means more than just following a code of conduct. It also means owning up to failures. Being transparent is an immutable part of being a responsible adult.  

It is important to keep clear boundaries with regard to the role we have in a client’s life. We must be careful and not take on the roles of pastor or counselor as well as life coach. We can only do one well. When we hold multiple roles, we are to intertwined in the client’s life and can hinder growth. It will lead to hurting the trust between coach and client.

It is important for a coach to work on themselves. While it is important for a coach to learn everything they about their field. We must also look to improve ourselves in all aspects of our lives. Being the christian God wants us to be, to have solid character and be spiritually strong, is the best tool we have.    

References

(2020). Retrieved 20 November 2020, from https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_670314_1&content_id=_43959593_1

Response to: Katrina B

     Trust is a major component of any mental health profession and coaching is no exception.  The client must fully feel a connection of trust and respect within the relationship and it should be a two way street in order to see some form of progress.  The nature of the conversation and the technique the coach uses helps facilitate trust.  There are many ways that coaches can build trust and they are as follows:  supporting rather than controlling, encouraging ideas rather than sharing them, yielding responsibility rather than taking it, processing decisions rather than making them, believing in the person rather than trying to fix them, and keeping appointments and honoring confidentiality (Webb, 2019).  It is stated that when a conversation comes from a place of trust and respect, people are engaged and ready to explore, learn and grow.  These attitudes and actions hold true throughout the coaching relationship. 

            According to Blackaby and Royall, trust-building is the ability to establish and maintain confidence and rapport with another person (2018).   For some people this come easily and for others, they have to work really hard to establish this type of relationship.  The authors also discuss four Cs that are necessary for building trust in a coach relationship that correlate very well with our other text.  They believe that trust would be established if the coach has Christ-like character, competence in what they do, commitment to the client, and care for the person that is genuine.  These are all factors that I believe would make a huge impact on building trust.  The client must feel a sense of ease as they work with someone who could potentially change their life.

 References

Blackaby, R. & Royall, B. (2018). Spiritual leadership coaching: Connecting people to God’s heart and purposes. Jonesboro, GA: Blackaby Ministries. ISBN: 9780692939000.

Webb, K. E. (2019). The Coach Model for Christian leaders: powerful leadership skills for solving problems, reaching goals, and developing others. NY, NY: Morgan & James Publishing. ISBN. 9781642793574.