What is this life coach business really about?

What is a life coach?
There are a lot of people out there claiming to be life coaches and we define what we do differently so this is really a great question.  Typically I assist people with life goals by helping them identify how they’re getting in their own way. This usually means visiting childhood "issues" to look at what kind of family environment created your early belief systems.  Belief systems are ways people answers questions in their mind.  For example, you might have been born the last child in the family. You felt ignored, alone and you were jealous of the relationships your older siblings had with each other.  The question in your child's mind might have been  "Why does everybody ignore me?" and your answer might have been "Because I'm not interesting."

How do we meet and how often?
I help my clients in person, or via telephone, email or Skype, a free online program that enables you to talk to others from around the world at no cost to you. Two to four times a month is usually often enough but real change doesn’t happen overnight; to get something out of this process, you really need to make a commitment of three to six months depending on where you are in your spiritual growth, how far along into your challenge you are, how quickly you can identify what you want out of your life and how resistant or adaptable you prove to be. 

How much do you charge?
Unlike a chunk of cheese at the market that has a set price per pound on its label, my services are difficult to set at a flat rate. I don’t have as much overhead as someone who works out of their own office nor am I paying hundreds of thousands of dollars back in post graduate school loans so I’m not as expensive as a therapist, but neither did I acquire what I know from thin air.  If your situation requires that I do research for you, I will build that time into my rate. If you work with me periodically/inconsistently as opposed to regularly for several weeks, my rate will also be a little higher.  What I have to offer is valuable but I will allow you to determine if you feel that what I offer is worth my fee by offering a free consultation.

Do you have any free services?
Yes I do. I have a business page on Facebook where I send out “Happy Life Tips” on occasion and generally encourage people to think about what keeps them from adopting a stronger position in their lives.  I also email a bi-monthly newsletter at no cost to anyone interested in what I do. And finally I write a blog that I post about every two weeks which incorporates some of my methods along with writing exercises.  A free consultation (maximum one hour) is available for individuals who are serious about my services.

What qualifies you to do this work?
Ah, I left the best until last didn’t I?  I am not a certified coach.  There are a lot of agencies, organizations and individuals both on and off line that claim to qualify a person to do life coaching.  Many of them are scammers.  They teach systems that involve hypnotism or some form of mental-manipulation, or, at the very least, they teach basic methods certainly not worth the upwards of several thousand dollars they charge.  Most don’t teach the business practices needed to become successful as an entrepreneur and while they do promise to offer exposure, that usually involves listing you on a website with thousands of other life coaches.  

I have a degree in the humanities and in the arts. I graduated from The City College of New York in the top ten percentile of my class and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious honor society for a liberal arts undergraduate degree holder.  This means that I am exceptionally good at critical thinking but I am also a creative thinker; both are key to becoming a good problem solver. 

I am also passionate about the human condition.  I’ve read books by some of the greats: Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Thomas Moore, Anthony Robbins, Daniel Pink, Wayne Dyer, Leo Buscaglia, Reverend Michael Beckwith, Rhonda Byrnes and Esther Hicks (Abraham) to name just a few.  I’ve also studied with The Option Institute, an international learning institute known for their pioneering work with Autistic children.  I attended powerful experiential classes such as "Fearless," "Happiness is an Option," and "Empowering Yourself." 

I’m also a professional education assistant at Naugatuck Valley Community College in Waterbury, CT as well as a board member of a nonprofit organization called Church Street Community Services.  This means that I teach professionally AND I care about the well-being of the children in my community.  I can and will instruct you on how to become a better problem solver. I can also teach you how to stop being a follower and start believing that you are truly your own authority.  If this idea excites you, write me at Gizelle.Alexander@gmail.com.  Let's do some one-on-one work.  You can also add me to your Skype program: I am "Gizelle.Alexander" there.

Please, don’t let fear and confusion stop you from being your best self. Reach out.  I am here to help you become who you were meant to be.  

Gizelle Alexander

Waterbury Life Coach