Life Tips Daily

Ms. Lysanne Brault, Certified Professional Coach, was kind enough to grant Life Tips Daily an interview. Ms. Brault’s personal website, LB Coaching Vision, an easy to navigate site in soothing shades of blue, invite you to relax and feel at ease, and her friendly smile doesn’t hurt either. A life coach under the International Coach Federation, Ms. Brault has been a life coach for two years. After careers in urban analysis, real estate development, and organizational development, Ms. Brault herself sought the services of a life coach and it was through this process that she discovered her current career path. She believes that until one experiences the benefits (from a consumer point of view) of life coaching, one can’t truly appreciate it, and it is this very topic that we spoke about.

Life coaching differs from other fields in that the “client” is healthy, whole and resourceful. Unlike a relationship with a consultant who is there to tell you how to make things work better, a life coach performs “inside outâ€? work: Ms. Brault describes her role as “getting the juice out” of the individual, with the understanding that the expert is the client.

Ms. Brault’s website lists a number of reasons why one might consider hiring a life coach. Life coaches are helpful for people who feel there is a blockage in their life, something preventing them from reaching their full potential, or people who are unsure of what their visions and goals are, and whether their visions and goals are in sync with their personal values.

The majority of life coaching occurs on a one-on-one basis with individuals, although Ms. Brault also works with teams or groups. In the latter situation, her work is to help individuals realize the resources they have within themselves, and how these resources can best serve the larger group. In both cases Ms. Brault works with the individual to bring to fruit something already inside them: in a business-oriented environment, this may mean bringing out what will bring profit to the individual and the organization.
If you’re interested in meeting with a life coach, Ms. Brault is quick to reassure you that very little preparation is required: “Just bring your big luggage of courage and commitment!” she says with a laugh. She also stresses the importance of choosing a coach wisely, and being prepared to commit to a coach for at least three months, although a six month commitment is more realistic (most of her clients stay longer than six months).

Although clients are not required to provide their ages, Ms. Brault has coached a wide age range of clients (from approximately 18 to 65 years of age). She has a particular fondness for youth and is fascinated by how many new experiences youth have happening in their lives. She is working on a plan to reach out to local young adults from a life coaching point of view, since so few young adults are aware of what a life coach is, not to mention how a life coach could help them.

A common misconception about life coaches and life coaching is that the life coach has the answers and will release them when he or she is ready. However, the coach is there to ask deep questions: the client is in the driver’s seat at all times. Ms. Brault was quick to remind Life Tips Daily that nobody lets anyone have access to them unless they are ready to, and people will not see things until they are ready to see it. A good life coach can accelerate the process of self discovery; Ms. Brault describes this work as “manifesting their [the client, or individual's] magnificence”.

So what can you expect from your first session with Ms. Brault? First you’ll have a casual conversation approximately 15-30 minutes in length, in person or on the phone, where she explains what life coaching is and you explain what you are looking for. The goal of this conversation is for both parties to come to an agreement about whether this partnership is right for them. During this meeting, the type of life coaching needed is also discussed. The next meeting, or first session, is face to face, usually a couple of hours long, and involves a more in-depth discussion of where you are and what areas of life you would like to move forward in. A general plan of action is usually the goal of this session, some coaching is done at this time, and a contract is signed. Following this meeting, you can expect 30 minute weekly meetings with Ms. Brault, primarily by telephone. This allows you to fit coaching into your schedule as you can call from home, work or anywhere you are.

Ms. Brault explained that one of the special gifts that life coaches like herself develop is the ability to listen at deeper levels. Most people listen at Level 1: we listen to words and we process them and formulate a response based on what we’ve heard. Level 2 listening involves the listener (life coach) asking the client questions about what he or she (the life coach) is being told, clarifying questions to ensure the client and the coach are on the same page at all times. This allows the client to clarify for him or herself what they are saying, and works to answer other questions such as: “What do you want?” Level 3 is an even deeper level of listening. Ms. Brault explains that she listens with all of her being and at all levels, totally present to all synchronicities-mind, heart and body are connected. The goal in coaching listening is to discover the truth for the client and ensure that individuals are or remain aligned with their true values.

Despite her expertise, Ms. Brault admits that clients still surprise her. She comes to each client without any judgments or preconceived notions, only a heart that is ready to listen at different levels, and she puts the flashlight on the client. Some of the discoveries that come from this process are surprising: the impact of life coaching on a client can affect and run into other aspects of their life, including relationships with others and this can move the process of self discovery along very quickly. As self-awareness improves through regular coaching sessions, waiting a week to share and explore all that has happened can seem an eternity!

The goal of Ms. Brault’s brand of life coaching is to use each person’s own unique resources to help develop a solid, grounded person. Through life coaching, you will realize how you work. Who can resist such an offer?

Lysanne Brault, life coach, life coaching, LB Coaching Vision, personal coaching, personal life coaching

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