Life is not an easy path, and some people need a map. A Lifestyle coach helps them find that map, but only after a few counseling sessions. While most life coaches have a particular belief that helps them direct others, others have a variety of different tools that help them to help others decide on some sort of path. As no two people make the same decisions, even using the same information, it is unlikely that the same solution would work for two different people; thus the best lifestyle coaches are the ones that have a variety of tools in their toolbox. It is just a matter of finding the right tool for the person in question.

A lifestyle coach is not supposed to figure out the path of those he helps. As he is not the one that will walk the path he is there merely to point out the path; like the oracle of Delphi he merely points out the path and leaves it up to the person to decide if he wishes to walk it. It usually takes a person a few tries to figure out the best path for them, and so it usually takes a lifestyle coach a few tries to figure out which path to suggest to someone. It can take several tests and a few interviews, but sometimes the best path becomes apparent within a few meetings.

For others knowing the right path is not the problem. The problem is that the person has other issues that must be dealt with, and until those issues have been dealt with the person is going to be essentially holding themselves back. In that case it is important to find out what obstacles are in the person’s path before they can be properly dealt with, and so there may be a few sessions of just figuring out what those obstacles are. When the problems have been discovered, it is just a matter of figuring out how to deal with them. This can mean either dealing with them as part of the counseling sessions or referring the person to a proper psychiatrist.

A lifestyle coach is all about helping a person to get back on the path to a better life. In some cases the person just needs someone holding their hand, while others need a good swift kick. As not everyone is the same there is no way to tell which method will work best until it is actually tried. As long as the lifestyle coach and the person are working together, however, the path can be discovered and walked down.