Partner Article

How Does Online Counseling Coaching Work for Expats?

The coaching I’d like to talk about is Life Coaching or Transformational Coaching, as I call it.

“Coaching” has become one of those terms that can refer to so many different processes that it’s almost meaningless. And many people still associate coaching with sports and nothing else.

It’s interesting that coaching did begin with sports, to give athletes strategies for their best performance along with encouragement, accountability and sometimes, tough love along the way.

Life or Transformational Coaching also gives the ‘coachee’ strategies for getting what they want in their lives, specific actions steps, and accountability measures for completing these steps.

It differs, however, in some major ways. First, the coaching is always based on what the client wants, and what having that will do for her.

Secondly, if someone wants something they don’t have, or feel they can’t have, it usually means there are some limiting beliefs they have about themselves that may be getting in the way.

Typically these beliefs were learned in childhood, from well-meaning parents. For example if a child is told often enough that he’s not doing well in school, he may come to believe that he’s stupid and can’t do any better, even if there’s evidence to the contrary.

Susan, an expat coaching client of mine, had a younger sister who was psychotic. Her parents repeatedly told her it that her sister’s illness was Susan’s fault, as she didn’t want to play with her. Of course, Susan believed her parents, and consequently felt bad about herself, and withdrew, as it wasn’t safe for her to share her feelings.

She became timid and shy and was afraid to express herself. This made sense as a strategy when she was growing up, in the context of her family, but as an adult this belief, that she was bad and responsible for others’ problems, was getting in her way.

We had to untie this knot and Susan needed to look at what was really true for her in the present. Now she wanted to establish an online business, but was afraid that she wasn’t good enough and wouldn’t get the help she needed, as she never had as a child.

Once we were able to eliminate Susan’s limiting belief that she was bad and responsible for her sister, (which wasn’t true and had never been true) and now other people as well, she was able to move on with what she wanted to do in life.

Being an expat can afford a wonderful opportunity to re-invent yourself, and do something new and completely different that anything you’ve done before. Being around new people who don’t know you can sometimes be a blessing in disguise.

Moving to a new country, or even community, can allow different parts of yourself to flourish, without the restrictions of friends and family seeing you in an old and limited way.

Online Counseling Services can assist you in discovering what it is that you want, what having that will do for you, and what’s stopping you from having it. We then together come up with an action plan, with specific action steps to be taken each week.

I have found that this process lends itself beautifully to working online, either with Skype or on the phone. It enables expats who may be in a country where there is no access to a trained professional to get the help they need to achieve their goals.

If this sounds intriguing to you, I’m happy to arrange a free introductory Discovery Session to begin the process. Simply go to www.expatcounselingandcoaching.com and hit contact us and we’ll get back to you within 48 hours.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Dhyan Summers .