A life coach works with a client on goals, direction and change, whether in their personal life, their career, or both at once. Coaching is deliberately forward-looking: rather than spending time examining why something happened in the past, the work focuses on where someone wants to get to and what is currently standing in the way, with specific actions agreed between sessions to keep momentum going.
Common areas of focus
Typical areas covered include career direction, confidence, decision making at a point of genuine uncertainty, and adjusting to a significant change already underway. The relationship tends to be more collaborative and less clinical in tone than therapy, built around accountability and forward movement rather than deeper exploration of underlying causes.
An unregulated title, worth checking carefully
Life coach is not a protected title in the UK, and anyone may use it regardless of training, so it is worth checking specifically for relevant training and membership of a recognised body such as the ICF, EMCC or Association for Coaching. It is also worth being clear that coaching is not treatment for a mental health condition, and a good coach will recognise and name that boundary where it applies.