If you’re feeling stuck and frustrated or are struggling to change, you may have explored many options for improving your life. One you may not have explored—thinking life coaches are only for spoiled celebutantes—is behavioral coaching. But you might be surprised at what life coaching really is.

What is Behavioral Coaching?

Behavioral coaching, also known as life coaching, is a method that involves a professional analyzing a person’s behavior and then guiding them to improve it. Typically, an individual will set specific, concrete goals a coach can help them to achieve. Individual certifications may differ, but most life coaches have some combination of a degree and additional coaching training.

Is Behavioral Coaching the Same as Therapy?

There may be overlap, but behavioral coaching differs from therapy or counseling in several important ways. Though these can be subtle depending on the individual approach taken by various professionals, in broad strokes coaches are future-oriented, while therapists are past-oriented; coaches are focused exclusively on the conscious mind, while therapists also deal with the unconscious; and the goals of coaching are time-limited with specific behavioral outcomes, while the goals of therapy are open-ended and less tangible. Some people may benefit from both coaching and therapy.

What Can Behavioral Coaching Help With?

Personal life coach training can help anyone struggling to accomplish goals, and life coaches are frequently employed in a corporate setting. But more specifically, one might consider organization coaching (ranging from one-time cleanup projects to long-term strategies) or time management coaching (particularly for students prone to procrastination). Coaching can also be very effective as an ADHD alternative treatment. This might be a good option for children who are difficult to diagnose or whose ADHD is too mild to warrant medication. ADHD coaching for adults can also be useful in boosting workplace productivity.

Have you ever tried working with a life coach? What was your experience? Share in the comments.