Training to become a life coach is not just about the end goal. Diving into your courses with true intent, combined with a passion for your studies, is what will help you become a next-level coach. Students who pursue a life coaching certification through Rhodes Wellness College will receive experiential learning opportunities, which have been proven to be ideal for student success (Hawtrey, 2007).
Many life coaches utilize three levels of listening – listening to oneself, listening to the client’s words and listening to the scenario as a whole (Occupational Health Journal, 2008). Through experiential and practical-based teaching methods, you will acquire the skills necessary to manage coaching conversations, lead with professionalism and engage in empathetic listening. Read on to discover the three types of listening and how your courses at Rhodes Wellness College can allow you to implement these tools as a life coach.
Encourage Your Clients to Engage in Level 1 Listening
The act of listening to yourself, or Level 1 listening, may seem obvious but you will find in your life coach career that many clients struggle with adequately listening to their inner thoughts and understanding their own agendas and shortcomings. Studies show that many individuals, especially women, fail to grow to their full potential in personal and professional situations due to self-limiting beliefs (Chovwen, 2007).
When you pursue a career as a life coach, you will become comfortable teaching your clients how to engage in Level 1 listening so they can identify any negative thought patterns that may be holding them back. When your clients are honest with themselves, they will be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses in order to pursue real growth in the areas of their lives they are looking to improve (Occupational Health Journal, 2008).
During your life coach career, teach clients to listen to their inner voice to better communicate their needs
In the life coaching program at Rhodes Wellness College, you will learn how to help clients build confidence. One method that you can use to help your clients listen to their inner voices is developing a daily practice that facilitates awareness (Carter, 2011). Once they understand how to listen to their mind on their own, they will be able to use those skills confidently when speaking to others. Becoming more receptive to these challenges will allow you to make better progress with each client, resulting in mutual success.
Utilize Level 2 Listening to Focus on Your Clients’ Needs
Graduates of our program will know how to listen to and question their clients with empathy. At the same time, they may need to teach their clients how to do the same for effective communication. Once a ground level of understanding has been established through Level 1 listening, the work falls more onto the coach than the client. Level 2 listening refers to focused listening and requires you to pay close attention to every word the client is saying to you (Danby, 2009).
At Rhodes Wellness College, you will be able to tap into your own real-life experiences to create a deep understanding of the course material. With a stronger focus on experiential learning opportunities, you will begin to think critically about human behaviour in your training to become an effective coach.
As a life coach, you will want to engage in active listening so that clients feel you are understanding and encouraging them to share more
One way to utilize Level 2 listening that has been proven to be very successful in communication efforts is to use minimal responses such as “Yes,” “Right,” and “Okay,” to encourage continued efforts from your client (Danby, 2009). Additionally, you can paraphrase what the client has said in order to demonstrate your engagement with what they have communicated (Danby, 2009).
The Key to Using Level 3 Listening After Life Coach Training
Finally, Level 3 listening will allow you to “hear” anything that the client may have a hard time communicating through verbal cues. Level 3 listening takes into consideration body language and thought patterns that can give further insight into the client’s thoughts and feelings (Faimberg, 2019).
The key to Level 3 listening, which you can practice while pursuing life coach training, is to try to fill any gaps that the client is creating. According to a psychoanalysis study performed in 2019, active and aware listening can help identify any misunderstandings (Faimberg, 2019). When misunderstandings are identified in this way, they are not seen as large obstacles that the client must overcome on their own, but rather a means to pursue further growth and understanding between the coach and the client (Faimberg, 2019).
Life coach training at Rhodes Wellness College will provide you with the structures and professional curriculum needed to succeed in your own life and to teach others how to do the same. The unique teaching methods and top-tier accreditation at Rhodes Wellness College will set you up for a successful coaching career, whether you decide to pursue your own business or make your services an asset to another private practice.
Interested in starting your life coach certification?
Contact Rhodes Wellness College for more information.
Works Cited:
Carter, S. (2011). Listening to the Inner Voice: Establishing a Daily Discipline. Choral Journal. Retrieved Jan 20, 2022, from https://ezproxy.callutheran.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/listening-inner-voice-establishing-daily/docview/918004775/se-2?accountid=9839
Chovwen, C. (2007). Barriers to acceptance, satisfaction and career growth: Implications for career development and retention of women in selected male occupations in Nigeria. Women in Management Review. Retrieved Jan 20, 2022, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09649420710726238
Danby, S., Butler, C. W., & Emmison, M. (2009). When ‘listeners can’t talk’: Comparing active listening in opening sequences of telephone and online counselling. Australian Journal of Communication. Retrieved Jan 20, 2022, from https://ezproxy.callutheran.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/when-listeners-cant-talk-comparing-active/docview/883676711/se-2?accountid=9839
Faimberg, H. (2019). Basic theoretical assumptions underpinning Faimberg’s method: “Listening to listening.” International Journal of Psychoanalysis. Retrieved Jan 20, 2022, from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207578.2019.1589384
Hawtrey, K. (2007). Using Experiential Learning Techniques. The Journal of Economic Education. Retrieved Jan 20, 2022, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30042762
Occupation Health Journal (2008). HOW TO… find your strengths and weaknesses. Occupational Health. Retrieved Jan 20, 2022, from https://ezproxy.callutheran.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/how-find-your-strengths-weaknesses/docview/207326999/se-2?accountid=9839
