How to tell if a Coach or Therapist is a going to be a Good Fit for You?

Before you part with your hard earned money, taking time to ascertain whether or not you and your proposed coach or therapist are a good fit should be considered an important first step. 

 The quality and depth of the bond formed between a client and their chosen professional can quite literally be the make or break of any personal transformation work.  A good working partnership is a key element for any successful outcome from coaching or therapy.

There are quite literally thousands of potential therapy or coaching suitors out there all vying for your attention so, before you get caught up in any marketing glitter or hard sell, it’s important to first ascertain, as best as possible, if you and your perspective transformation specialist are going to be a good fit.  After all, you want to get amazing results from your investment in yourself, and as swiftly as possible!

So, how do we even begin choosing which professional to entrust ourselves with?

 Personally, I’m a fan of the rule of 3s and would advocate that you do 3 different discovery calls, with 3 different therapists or coaches at first.  That way you can gain a broader perspective of the different personalities and different styles of working out there.  These all important calls will also give you the opportunity to play the detective and look out for any warning signs at the first point of contact.

 While there are specific questions you can ask, it’s also particularly helpful to keep an eye on one’s self during a discovery call.  Experiment with noticing how this person makes you feel internally. So much valuable insight can be gleaned by checking in on your own internal responses to this person. Any hunches or bodily sensations should be taken note of.  Hunches or inklings come from your instinctual or gut response and are important factors to take into account in your decision making process.

Here are some internal responses you might take note of during a discovery call.

•  Do you feel comfortable articulating your difficulty to this person?

•  How easy does it feel to open up?

•  Do you feel an immediate warmth towards this person?

•  Does their personality align with the type of person you naturally   feel comfortable with?

•  Does it feel easy to ask more in depth questions?

•  Is there an open response to your questions?

•  Do you feel judged or criticised at any level?

•  Do you wish the discovery call could last a bit longer? 

•  Do you feel drawn to this person’s energy?

 If after answering these questions you are getting a good feeling in your body, that’s a great sign.

Some of us, however, may find that nervousness and lack of familiarity may cloud our ability to check in on a gut level in the heat of the moment.

 To help you, here are some important observations to take note of when you first meet a potential coach or therapist.

•  Is he or she showing a keen interest in your issue. Are they asking interested questions and do they appear keen to gain a cumulative overview on your situation?
•  Has he or she paraphrased back to you, indicating that they have heard you and have understood some of the difficulty you are facing?
•  Are they able to communicate effectively how they work and what   working with them entails?
•  How is the conversation going. Do you feel you can speak as equals, or are they using speak or jargon? 
•  Does the coach or therapist appear emotionally healthy themselves.  Do they appear as if they walk their own talk?
• Do you feel inspired in their presence.  Have they offered realistic hope that they can help you with your issues?
•  Have you been actively encouraged to take some time to think before you make a decision?

 Is there a hard sell?

 Nowadays, with so much competition around, occasionally prospective clients may face pressure to opt in. Watch out for feeling pressured into making a decision about your health. 

If you are feeling bulldozed to invest take that as a sure sign you need to exercise caution.

 A positive outcome from any therapy depends on many factors and at the end of the day, no one person will be a 100% match for you ( unless you are super lucky!) but there is for sure a very good match out there, and I would encourage you to keep checking in on the above criteria for each call and keep searching until you reach that “inner knowing” that you’ve found a close match for your individual needs. 

 Take your time.

 Who you choose to share your personal growth journey with should be a very careful and well thought through decision.  You deserve to make the best choice possible for yourself in this regard and your future growth depends on it.

 I hope you have found value in this short article and if you feel it might helpful to someone else, please do share – you just might be instrumental in someone make a better decision for themselves!