Volume 5 Issue 10 – December 2006

In This Issue:

Tomorrow's Life Coach (TLC) is a monthly online journal from the Institute for Life Coach Training (ILCT) that nourishes the intellect, intuition and inspiration of the personal and business coaching community.

Pat's Ponderings

A reflection of 2006:

It has now been ten years since my career has been involved full-time with coaching. Although I did executive coaching roughly 10 hours a week from 1990 to 1995, I still had a full-time psychotherapy practice mixed with consulting and coaching. In 1996, I began a full time career in coaching and have never looked back. In those 10 years, I have had the privilege of coaching hundreds of people.

In 1998, I started, (with the help of several colleagues) Therapist University, (which soon became the Institute for Life Coach Training. Our faculty at the time, Diane Menendez and Sherry Lowry, were instrumental in creating and polishing the first training manuals; and Lynn Meinke soon came in as a student and curriculum collaborator. They are all three senior faculty today! The Institute has been blessed with incredible teachers, students and supporters who think highly of us and refer quality professionals to our school. We have now trained over 1,700 in our Foundational program since 1999. In addition, the members of the faculty and I have provided seminars at conferences to another estimated 1,000 participants in 2006.

And we all know that none of this would have happened without the hard work and diligence of Edwina Adams, our Director of Operations, who keeps all this glued together and running smoothly. I also hired a new company coach this past year and Ernest Oriente works with Edwina and I behind the scenes on helping ILCT be more visible, reputable and world class.

In the last year, we have seen a steady increase in our advanced classes, both from ILCT students as well as students from other coaching schools. More and more coaches are serious about becoming certified and our graduate level classes meet that need.

In addition, the ILCT and Dr. Paul Jeong have trained over fifty Korean students. All materials have been translated into the Korean language. Charles Hamrick, ILCT Director of Asian operations, and I just completed a 30-hour training with ninety Occupational Therapists, who all work for the same hospital district, in Hong Kong. They plan to use Life and Wellness Coaching with their patients as an aftercare program called Lifestyle Redesign. This is for people who have had a stroke, a major illness, an accident, or any other disabling conditions who are undergoing occupational therapy. They are very excited about training twenty of their staff to become certified Life and Wellness Coaches.

Dr. Laura Cuttica Talice translated our course into Italian and has trained ten professionals in our foundational course with more coming in 2007.

ILCT also donated training of our foundational course to four men in Cape Town South Africa who provide coaching for the poor villagers who come to their Christian Center for help. They plan to expand this in 2007 and begin training other professionals.

ILCT has trained twenty professionals in Istanbul Turkey and we are negotiating with new partners to expand those opportunities in 2007 to more Turkish professionals.

In September , 2006, I was honored as the recipient of the first Global Visionary Fellowship from the Foundation of Coaching for my project called “Coaching the global Village” to take the coaching approach to third world or developing countries rural villages to help overcome major problems with the use of Coaching Wisdom Circle Process.

Diane Menendez and I have just completed the edited manuscript of our new book: Becoming a Professional Coach: Lessons from the Institute for Life Coach Training. This will be published in February of 2007 by W. W. Norton. This is my fourth book in the coaching field!!! I will be writing a second edition of Therapist as Life Coach in the Spring of 2007.

In closing I want to express my gratitude and sincere thanks to our students and all of you who are becoming part of the profession of coaching. For those of you who read this newsletter, I invite you to become a student by taking our Introduction to Coaching classes, our Foundational training, or one of our superb specialty classes if you have had previous basic training. If you are just now ready to join the ranks of qualified and well-trained coaches our staff would be happy to answer any questions.

Coaching can be a transformational process. It has been for me. What big intention do you have for 2007? What is holding you back? How can ILCT help?

Peace now and always.

Pat

Patrick Williams Ed.D., MCC
Chief Energizing Officer, ILCT
Director of Coach Training, Fielding International University
Department Chair, Professional Coaching, International University of Professional Studies
Biography

News

Free Coach Referral Service - NOW AVAILABLE!
ILCT has begun providing a listing of our Certified Life Coaches and graduates of our Accredited Coach Training Program. These are coaches who have completed at least 60 to 130 hours of coach training. This is a value-added service for those ILCT students who have reached this high level of excellence.

This list is being offered as a free service to assist individuals in identifying and selecting coaches best suited for their particular situation.

Click here for more information.

New Book Featuring Pat Williams: Speaking of Success - World Class Experts Share Their Secrets

Speaking of SuccessSEVIERVILLE, TENNESSEE— Patrick Williams, keynote speaker, author and professional life coach, has been selected from a nationwide search to be featured in the first edition of Speaking of Success; a highly successful book series from Tennessee-based Insight Publishing. The book features best-selling authors Stephen R. Covey (Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager) and Jack Canfield (Co – creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul). Patrick Williams, Blanchard, Covey and Canfield, are joined by other well known authors and speakers, each offering time-tested strategies for success in frank and intimate interviews.

Read more.

Dr. Patrick Williams' Coaching Symposium In Sorrento, Italy — 2007

Transforming your Practice: Life Coaching Skills for Therapists: This symposium has been designed to provide participants with an understanding of the theory, historical perspective, and practical methodology of the profession of personal and professional coaching and how it has evolved. This symposium will clarify the distinction between therapy and coaching and participants will learn skills that are transferable from the field of therapy while identifying skills that need to be "unlearned." This symposium has been designed for participants who would like to further understand the field of coaching and how they may incorporate it into their practice, or evolve their practice into one entirely focused on coaching.

Live coaching and video demonstrations, audio sessions, practical experience, and interactive worksheets will be utilized extensively to illustrate coaching principles and techniques.

Enjoy this interactive seminar, in a beautiful part of Italy, have fun and (if your tax professional agrees) write off the cost of the trip!!!!

Date: Sunday, September 30th to Friday, October 5th, 2007 (six days, five nights - 16 CE credits pending)
Place: Sorrento, Italy

More information

Monthly

Pat's Coaching Forum
Pat's next coaching forum will be on January 23, 2007. His guest will be Karin Bauer of Guidance Coach. She will talk about the use of visual abstract art as a way to elicit a client's inner wisdom.

This free call is open to all individuals and we invite you to share this invitation with others. The call will last 60 minutes.

Date: January 23rd
Time: 4:00 p.m. Eastern (3:00 p.m. Central, 2:00 p.m. Mountain, 1:00 p.m. Pacific)
Click to register

ILCT Alumni – Spotlight on Susie Strauss

Susie graduated with a Masters in Social Work from the University of Georgia in 1978. After moving to Birmingham, Alabama she became the director of the Senior Adult Program for the Jewish community and then had a short stint as the owner and operator of The Yarn Spinners, a local knit shop. During those early professional years, she and her husband birthed and raised three children. She then had a private therapy practice for over 19 years, which she closed in 2004 to focus on her life coaching practice and the formation and operation of a non-profit organization called One to One Women Coaching Women.

Susie is a Certified Life Coach, having graduated from ILCT and Life Coaching from Falling Awake. She also has training in Creating Your Ideal Body with Terri Levine. Along with her private coaching practice and One to One, Susie has conducted several workshops and seminars entitled "Falling Awake: Creating the Life of Your Dreams" based on Dave Ellis' book and tapes of the same name. She conducts life visioning sessions with her coaching clients to assist them in identifying the life of their dreams. Susie is an avid knitter and now has become passionate about weaving. Presently, she is training for her very first half marathon.

How do dreams begin – with a detailed plan, a feather floating by, a taste or glimpse of something vague and yet alluring in the distance, or a passion and a sense of life purpose– or perhaps, some of all of these??

My dream about "giving away" life coaching started with a 3X5 card written at a Dave Ellis' Falling Awake Workshop (sponsored by Pat Williams) in 2003. Under the category of careers, I wrote that I wanted to "give away" life coaching to two women a month. I laughed as I wrote the card, for I was a therapist, not a coach, and I had very little interest in dedicating myself to a coaching career at the time. But I was dreaming about the life I wanted to create and this card showed up. I also gained clarity about my life purpose, which is to assist others in creating better lives – either as a therapist, mother, volunteer, board member or life coach. As time passed and I became more involved with life coaching, I began to see first-hand how lives could be changed from the inside out and made better. I also saw that when an authentic person shows up in your life and holds your dreams sacred, there exists a magic which helps transform lives into better and even fabulous lives – the lives of your dreams. I wanted to bring this gift to as many people as possible.

Several months later, I was on a plane out to California to attend another Falling Awake workshop, when I read about a program that offered transitional training to women in Kentucky to assist them in successfully entering the workforce. I realized that this was the group of women I wanted to work with. What if I could make life coaching available to women who have had struggles and challenges in their lives – struggles with drugs/alcohol abuse, homelessness, loss of employment, loss of spouse/partner, mental illness, single parenthood, health problems, or other things that have gotten in the way of having the life of their dreams? What if I could make available pro-bono life coaching to some of these women? In sharing my dreams with two other coaches, who also believed in the magical and transformative power of life coaching, the seeds for One to One Women Coaching Women were planted. We recognized that we were among the fortunate who are able to afford life coaching, but what about those women who cannot afford to hire their own life coaches? What if we invited other committed coaches to join with us? Then we could provide life coaching to many more women. After many discussions and the development of a clear business plan and service delivery model, One to One was formed to provide pro-bono life coaching to these deserving women.

It’s now two-and-a-half years later and One to One is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is entirely staffed by volunteers and funded solely by individual donations. Our coaches are women who believe in the power and magic of coaching and who are committed to making this world a better place – "one woman at a time." Clients who can’t afford to pay for life coaching are offered twenty-six weekly life coaching sessions over a six to seven month period with their own life coach. Forty women from fourteen states and Canada have received life coaching during the past two-and-a-half years. Our trained coaches represent thirteen states and Canada. I continue to take much joy in hearing from clients and coaches alike about how their coaching relationships have dramatically impacted and changed their lives.

In forming One to One, I was very committed to not only improving the lives of our clients, but also to enriching the lives of our coaches. One thing I loved about my coaching training was the sense of community that was created whether we were hundreds or thousands of miles apart. So a monthly coaching call (now called the Coaches' Community Call) was created to contribute to building a community of like-minded women coaches. On these calls, there are opportunities for connecting, deepening and practicing coaching skills, and sharing coaching experiences in a friendly and supportive space. We are planning our very first Coaches’ Retreat this coming spring, when we will come together in person for the first time. Another new component of One to One has been the addition of the Coach Referral System (CRS). When a potential client is interviewed and it is determined that she could pay something for coaching, she is given the names of several of our coaches who have agreed to take clients at reduced fees. Here again, we are demonstrating the commitment to providing life coaching to as many women as possible and also contributing to our volunteer coaches.

We have also just started monthly calls for our present and former clients, called "A Treasure Chest of Gems." During these calls there is discussion and application of one Falling Awake Success Strategy each month. Our intention is to add to the tools clients have acquired during their coaching. At the same time, they participate in a community in which they can continue to work on achieving their life dreams.

Yes, a lot has changed since I first lay on the floor of my therapy office and listened to Lynn and Jim'’s Foundational Class. I no longer practice as a therapist. I love looking for the wins and celebrations and the possibilities that are always out there. I have taken a dream written on a 3X5 card and now operate One to One. I continue to see the huge impact life coaching has on each woman’s life –both that of the client and her coach. And I truly feel that I am contributing to assisting people have better lives – the ones they dream about and design. My next dream is to become a master weaver… now where are those 3X5 cards???

If you are interested in finding out more about One to One Women Coaching Women – perhaps you know of a woman who might be interested in becoming a client, would like to make a donation, or volunteer your time – please check out our web site or contact me –

Susie Strauss
One to One Women Coaching Women
PO Box 530346
Birmingham, Alabama 35243
205.969.1223/205.266.3999
sestrauss@mindspring.com
www.onetoone.info

Expand Your Business! Deepen Your Coaching Skills!
Register For Upcoming Classes at ILCT

Additional classes, details and online registration at our course section. Some schedules may change; check listing or contact Edwina Adams, Administration/Registration, at edwina@lifecoachtraining.com.

Where In The World Is Pat Williams?

January 5th -7th
Washington, DC
Coaching the Global Village Advisory Group

February 18th - 25th
Marco Island, FL
New England Educational Institute
Pat will be presenting his highly successful Therapist as Life Coach: A Natural Transition seminar. Pat was chosen as one of three presenters by NEEI.

March 7th - 27th
Africa
Pat, Richard Leider of Inventure Group, and nine other men are participating in a life purpose trip.
www.inventuregroup.com/Living/Expeditions.aspx

What Pat is Reading

SQ: Connecting With Our Spiritual Intelligence by Danah Zohar and Ian Marshall

As a measure of intelligence, IQ is well known and established. In 1996 Daniel Goleman published Emotional Intelligence; so now there is EQ, emotional quotient. Zohar, an Oxford teacher and author, and Marshall, a psychiatrist and author, now bring us SQ, spiritual quotient. The authors contend that while computers have IQ and animals can have EQ, it is SQ that sets humans apart. SQ isn't necessarily connected to religion, although it can be. It is about wholeness, flexibility, self-awareness, compassion, creativity, the ability to ask why.

Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success by Karl Albrecht

Karl Albrecht defines social intelligence (SI) as the ability to get along well with others while winning their cooperation. SI is a combination of sensitivity to the needs and interests of others, sometimes called your "social radar," an attitude of generosity and consideration, and a set of practical skills for interacting successfully with people in any setting. Social Intelligence provides a highly accessible and comprehensive model for describing, assessing, and developing social intelligence at a personal level. This book is filled with intriguing concepts, enlightening examples, stories, cases, situational strategies, and a self-assessment tool – all designed to help you learn to navigate social situations more successfully.

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn

The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local newspaper from a teacher looking for serious pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling delicately on a slender branch. "You are the teacher?" he asks incredulously. "I am the teacher," the gorilla replies. Ishmael is a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story to tell, one that no other human being has ever heard. It is a story that extends backward and forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth of time to a future there is still time to save. Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny possible for him -- one more wonderful than he has ever imagined?

Therapist as Life Coach: Transforming Your Practice by Dr. Patrick Williams, MCC, Deborah C. Davis

A book for mental health professionals considering a transition into the new and dynamic field of life coaching! Therapist as Life Coach explores life coaching as a profession, examines the relationship between life coaching and therapy, and details the variety of options for professionals considering either a transition into coaching or expanding their practices to include coaching.

This book is one-stop-shopping for the therapist wishing to explore the coaching field. Chapters include: The History and Evolution of Life Coaching; Therapy and Coaching: Distinctions and Similarities; Getting Started as a Life Coach; The Basic Life Coaching Model; Developing and Marketing Your Life Coaching Practice; Self-Care for Life Coaches.

Announcements

The ILCT has recently hired two individuals to support Edwina in order to enable her to work on more strategic issues. We are delighted to welcome Christina and Pam and hope everyone will have the opportunity to connect with them.

Christina Van Pelt - Business Development Coordinator
After 6 years in the financial planning industry, I realized that there was a need to help people work through the day to day choices that led to financial destruction or success. It was at this time that I decided to pursue my career as a coach - knowing that coaching was an effective way to influence the philosophy of my clients and help them produce the results that they desired.

Having completed the ILCT foundation course, I am a living testament to the success of the program, and have been given the opportunity to share my experience with prospective students. By working in the business development position for ILCT I hope to increase our visibility and competitiveness in the marketplace through research and feedback from potential students.

Pam Rittenberry - Operations Assistant
Pam Rittenberry has recently begun working with Edwina to assist with the daily operational tasks of ILCT. She will be in charge of developing a comprehensive list of all relevant conferences, seminars, workshops and be responsible for responses to proposals. This will enable Pat and other faculty members to provide information about the ILCT.

Pam has a diversified background with 18 years of experience in counseling, start-up operations for a small office, .COM company's and two mental health programs. She enjoys working with people in every situation and believes in the future of the coaching profession. She has completed the Foundational class and will shortly begin working towards certification.

Tomorrow's Life Coach™

Patrick Williams, Ed.D., Publisher
© 2006 Institute for Life Coach Training
www.lifecoachtraining.com
Phone: 888-267-1206
info@lifecoachtraining.com

If you wish to use any of our content in a newsletter, magazine or other media (whether public or internal), please request permission.