Coaching is about results – the client’s results. If a client doesn’t get the results that they came into coaching for, they’re not likely to continue with that coach. This is not necessarily true when coaching singles, however.
I have found that single clients usually hire a relationship coach because they want to find a life partner. They might be tired of being alone; or maybe they’re feeling pressure from family and friends to get married; or perhaps they think they’ll be happier if they just found someone to date. Sometimes a single client finds a life partner… and sometimes they don’t.
Does that mean the coaching wasn’t a success? Definitely NOT!
One of the unique things about being a relationship coach and working with singles is that there’s frequently a wide gap between the reason clients hire me initially and what they actually get out of the coaching process.
I recently asked one of my single clients to recall her intentions when she hired me, and if the outcomes of coaching matched those intentions. She told me: “My first thought was that you will fix me, then Mr. Wonderful will come knocking on my door. What actually happened was that I realized I could fix myself! I had the power to change what I didn’t like about my life. And as I started to make those changes, I found a new sense of peace in every area of my life. I’m still single and I’m really happy with my life!”
The results single clients think they want – just to meet someone to fall in love with – and what they actually experience – being happy now whether they’re in a relationship or not – makes the coaching process even more successful than they ever could have imagined!
Author Laurie Cameron is a is a Coach, Speaker and Catalyst and Trainer for Coach Training Alliance. She is the author of the Sage and Scholar’s Guide to Coaching Singles. Learn more about Laurie: http://wakeupenterprises.com/about/