One topic I won’t coach

As a life and career coach, clients come to see me for a whole range of topics: forging a new career, making friends, communicating more effectively, boosting confidence, saving money, exploring identity, finding motivation, making a big decision, improving relationships. So much good stuff.

In the past clients have also, occasionally, come to see me for help with this: losing weight.

This coaching has sat uncomfortably with me for a very long time. And yet I have felt it my responsibility to help clients with whatever they bring to our sessions. Now, however, I have decided, for two main reasons, that I will no longer coach on this topic.

My Own Morals

I know [of course I know] the massive pressure, on women in our society, to look a certain way. In my mind, if I am coaching someone to conform to those ideals then I am implicitly supporting unrealistic and oppressive expectations that I absolutely reject.

I can’t do that.

Effectiveness

In my professional experience, coaching for weight-loss doesn’t work, long-term.

Clients come to me and say: I just need to eat ‘cleaner’ and exercise more and stay motivated! But it is never, ever just about that. Every person that has ever come to me to lose a significant amount of weight is really trying to address something much deeper. Something that requires counselling not coaching.

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I know that lots of people want to lose weight and there are countless professionals out there who will take their money to help them with it. I also know that in order for me to coach authentically and honestly [the way I ask my clients to] I just can’t be one of them.

Tags: life-coaching, Melbourne