Tag: Balance

What Does a Life Coach Actually Do? A Guide to Coaching for Clarity and Growth

What Does a Life Coach Actually Do? A Guide to Coaching for Clarity and Growth

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Many people have heard of life coaching, but few truly understand what a life coach does. Is it like therapy? Mentoring? Advice-giving?

In reality, life coaching is something quite different — and potentially transformative.

At Spirit Bear Coaching, I help people find clarity, balance, and purpose in their lives. This guide will help you understand what life coaching really involves and how it might help you move forward.

What Is Life Coaching?

Life coaching is a collaborative process designed to help you clarify your goals, overcome obstacles, and create meaningful change.

Unlike therapy, which often explores your past to promote healing, coaching focuses on the present and future — identifying what you want next, and how to get there.

A life coach doesn’t give you all the answers. Instead, they help you uncover your own — by asking powerful questions, offering reflection, and holding space for growth.

What Does a Life Coach Actually Do?

A good life coach acts as both a mirror and a guide. During coaching sessions, we might:

  • Explore what truly matters to you — your values, priorities, and sense of purpose.
  • Identify patterns or beliefs that might be holding you back.
  • Help you set clear, realistic goals.
  • Provide tools and strategies to stay accountable and motivated.
  • Support you through transitions, challenges, or uncertainty.

Life coaching is a partnership — one that’s focused entirely on your development, confidence, and well-being.

Areas Where Life Coaching Can Help

People seek coaching for many reasons, including:

  • Life transitions such as career changes, relocation, or relationship shifts.
  • Burnout or stress when you feel stuck or overwhelmed.
  • Work-life balance, especially when you’re juggling too much.
  • Confidence building and personal growth.
  • Finding deeper meaning or direction in your life or career.

Whether your goals are practical or deeply personal, coaching offers space to pause, reflect, and move forward with intention.

What Happens in a Coaching Session?

Each session is a conversation designed to create clarity and progress. A typical session includes:

  • A short check-in on how you’re feeling and what’s changed.
  • Focused exploration of a current challenge or goal.
  • Reflection and insight — uncovering what’s beneath the surface.
  • Practical action steps for the week ahead.

At Spirit Bear Coaching, my approach blends mindfulness, reflection, and action, helping clients connect inner awareness with outward change.

Benefits of Life Coaching

Clients often describe coaching as both grounding and energizing.

Some key benefits include:

  • A stronger sense of clarity and purpose.
  • Improved balance between personal and professional life.
  • Greater self-awareness and confidence.
  • Clear, achievable steps toward your goals.
  • Renewed motivation and emotional well-being.

How to Choose the Right Life Coach

When choosing a coach, look for:

  • Professional training and credentials (for example, I hold an MA, PG Dip, MAC accreditation and
    a Master Member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).
  • A personal connection — you should feel comfortable and supported.
  • A free consultation, so you can explore whether the coach’s style suits your needs.

The best results come from a trusting, collaborative relationship.

Getting Started with Spirit Bear Coaching

If you’re ready to create positive change, I invite you to explore Life Coaching in Tunbridge Wells or online.

You can book a free consultation to discuss your goals and see if coaching feels right for you.

Book your consultation →

Final Thoughts

Life coaching isn’t about fixing you — it’s about helping you discover what’s already within you.

Through curiosity, reflection, and action, you can uncover a clearer path forward and live with more purpose and balance.

If you’re based locally and looking for life coaching in Tunbridge Wells, you can learn more about working together here

Support This Work

If this reflection has offered insight or comfort, and you’d like to help sustain this work and help make coaching accessible to others, you’re welcome to contribute here.

Support Spirit Bear ☕ →

Do You Have A Difficult Question Or Decision To Make About Your Future?

spiritbearcoach

Do You Have A Difficult Question Or Decision To Make About Your Future?

March 16, 2012 By Johnathan

Have you got a burning question that you just can’t seem to find the answer to? It could be a simple question, such as: ‘Should I go on holiday with this hunky guy I only just met?’ Never an easy one, when it’s all expenses paid! Or, should I accept this job offer or that one?

Divination can help. Complete the following exercise, using a pad and pen, to find the answer. The whole exercise should take about 20 minutes.

1. Go for a relaxing walk outside. (If you are self conscious, you can do this exercise in your living-room, but a walk is more fun). During the walk, find a place of balance and stand on the dividing line. For example, where a pavement meets a road or where sunlight creates a shadow.

2. Close your eyes and state your intention, i.e. ‘My intention is to answer my question.’ Be clear with your intent as you state it, then ask your question: ‘My question is…’ Then, turn 360 degrees and stop. Open your eyes and write down one thing that catches your eye. This could be anything, a red sign, a tree, a bird etc.

3. Continue your walk until you find another place of balance and repeat the exercise in point 2.

4. Repeat again, for a total of 3 times. Make sure each time to state your intention and your question, and to stop at a different place.

5. Write a one paragraph story that includes the three objects that you noticed. Relate the story to your question, and like magic, you have your answer. Not sure how? Here’s how it works.

Using the above example, let’s say your 3 objects were: A plane, the colour red, and trees.

Your story could go: One beautiful day I was walking along when all of a sudden a PLANE crashed in front of me and ploughed into the TREES and burst into a RED ball of flames.

How does this relate to the question: Should I go on holiday with this hunk? Try and have a think.

Spirit Bear says that it doesn’t mean that the plane you catch together will crash and you both die, just that the holiday romance probably will crash and end in disaster.

We all know the answers to our questions at a deeper unconscious level, and this exercise simply allows the unconscious to direct our story, informing our conscious mind of the answer, which seemingly appears to us ‘as if’ it were magic. And you thought you chose the objects and wrote the story!

When we don’t listen to the answers and do what we want to do what ever, that is when our ego (personality) interferes with our core-self. This is when problems arise in our lives and we wonder why it always happens to us.

Have fun and enjoy the walk and just go with the flow.

Til we meet again.

Walk in Peace;

Walk in Beauty.

Johnathan

What people have said who have tried this:

The answers lie inside me!

“(Above Exercise) It reminded me that the answers lie inside me, as do the tools to get to them, I just need to make myself stand still for long enough for them to come to the surface.”

~ RH.

It was just right for me!

“I used Johnathan’s exercise to address a long-standing question and found a straightforward, comforting and gentle answer came to me, based on my deep core identity! Right at that moment in time, it was just right for me!”

~ Georgina, Counsellor and Psychotherapist ~ South Wales.

 

– Spirit Bear Coaching

 

Ego

spiritbearcoach

Ego: What Is It And Is It Important?

April 2, 2012 By Johnathan

Ego Self, or Local Self our Human Nature

Ego = Personality = Thought, Emotion and Physical levels.

The personality is also called the Egoic Self. There are many sub personalities within the ego self – fear, anxiety, jealousy, possessiveness, lack of self worth etc.

The Ego is not destroyed it is TRANSCENDED.

“Find me somebody who has detached his emotional and psychological ego from the real Self, without having to deny the place it plays in the scheme of things and without slaying any part of himself because the transcendence is there….a direct pathway to the Soul.” ~ Ernest Holmes

There is nothing wrong with ‘ego’ itself if we definite it as ‘personality’. Having a personality is fine and makes for some interesting characters and choices in life. It is not bad either, but patterns of reactivity (habits) have become ingrained over many incarnations because it (the ego personality) suffers from the illusion that it is separate from the Source of our Being.

Problems arise if we only operate from our ego alone as our personalities are unreliable and our ego is not all that we are.

We are body, mind, spirit, soul, emotions as well.

Walk in Peace;

Walk in Beauty.

Johnathan

 

Do You Have A Difficult Question Or Decision To Make About Your Future?

March 16, 2012 By Johnathan

Have you got a burning question that you just can’t seem to find the answer to? It could be a simple question, such as: ‘Should I go on holiday with this hunky guy I only just met?’ Never an easy one, when it’s all expenses paid! Or, should I accept this job offer or that one?

Divination can help. Complete the following exercise, using a pad and pen, to find the answer. The whole exercise should take about 20 minutes.

1. Go for a relaxing walk outside. (If you are self conscious, you can do this exercise in your living-room, but a walk is more fun). During the walk, find a place of balance and stand on the dividing line. For example, where a pavement meets a road or where sunlight creates a shadow.

2. Close your eyes and state your intention, i.e. ‘My intention is to answer my question.’ Be clear with your intent as you state it, then ask your question: ‘My question is…’ Then, turn 360 degrees and stop. Open your eyes and write down one thing that catches your eye. This could be anything, a red sign, a tree, a bird etc.

3. Continue your walk until you find another place of balance and repeat the exercise in point 2.

4. Repeat again, for a total of 3 times. Make sure each time to state your intention and your question, and to stop at a different place.

5. Write a one paragraph story that includes the three objects that you noticed. Relate the story to your question, and like magic, you have your answer. Not sure how? Here’s how it works.

Using the above example, let’s say your 3 objects were: A plane, the colour red, and trees.

Your story could go: One beautiful day I was walking along when all of a sudden a PLANE crashed in front of me and ploughed into the TREES and burst into a RED ball of flames.

How does this relate to the question: Should I go on holiday with this hunk? Try and have a think.

Spirit Bear says that it doesn’t mean that the plane you catch together will crash and you both die, just that the holiday romance probably will crash and end in disaster.

We all know the answers to our questions at a deeper unconscious level, and this exercise simply allows the unconscious to direct our story, informing our conscious mind of the answer, which seemingly appears to us ‘as if’ it were magic. And you thought you chose the objects and wrote the story!

When we don’t listen to the answers and do what we want to do what ever, that is when our ego (personality) interferes with our core-self. This is when problems arise in our lives and we wonder why it always happens to us.

Have fun and enjoy the walk and just go with the flow.

Til we meet again.

Walk in Peace;

Walk in Beauty.

Johnathan

What people have said who have tried this:

The answers lie inside me!

“(Above Exercise) It reminded me that the answers lie inside me, as do the tools to get to them, I just need to make myself stand still for long enough for them to come to the surface.”

~ RH.

It was just right for me!

“I used Johnathan’s exercise to address a long-standing question and found a straightforward, comforting and gentle answer came to me, based on my deep core identity! Right at that moment in time, it was just right for me!”

~ Georgina, Counsellor and Psychotherapist ~ South Wales.

 

 

Shamanism

spiritbearcoach

How Does Soul Retrieval Relate To Practical Psychology?

June 19, 2012 By Johnathan

“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” ~ Jesus Christ

People are not linked up with their Soul, as their personality is not being fully self-expressed, as the Soul is the bridge to Spirit. All therapies try to make people ‘whole’ by linking people with their Soul, whether it’s mental work bringing the person to their Soul or intuitive work, the Soul to the person as in Soul Retrieval.

The way dis-ease manifests:

PHYSICAL LEVEL

▲

MENTAL LEVEL

▲

EMOTIONAL LEVEL

▲

SPIRITUAL LEVEL

Everything is energy, and the different vibration rates of energy are what distinguish ourselves and all manifestation of life around us. We are born with enough energy, what acupuncturists call ‘Inherent’ energy (energy ‘within’), to last us through life. It is said that a body has enough energy to power the national grid for a city for a week. But along life’s path, we can become attached to significant traumatic events, or relationship difficulties that we end up giving our power away, or it can be taken from us. When the power leaves, it creates a ‘vacuum’ in our energy fields, a type of ‘aura leakage’, through which our own soul energy leaks away. This is called Soul Loss.

Soul Loss can happen at any time when we are traumatised, physically abused, suffer from accidents etc that a part of our soul energy splits off and leaves the body and physical world from shear shock, pain and discomfort as an act of healing and preservation, the result of which over time has detrimental effects shown up by any dissociation symptoms like depression, fears, phobias or addictions. At which point the soul energy part needs to be unified with the body again.

Retrieving the power and sense of ourselves, that we gave away or had been taken from us is called Soul Retrieval. And it is the Shaman’s job to seek and return the missing soul from the ‘Otherworld’ or what the Aborigines call the ‘Dreamtime’ where the soul has been trapped, allowing the client to move forward with their life now.

To understand how soul retrieval works, we need to understand the difference between ‘Western – Left brain’ and ‘Native – Right brain’ views.

Some Left Brain or Western Beliefs that lead to separation:

¨      Time is a straight line    Now  ——————–> Future

¨      God is separate from us .i.e. God in Heaven

¨      We are separate from Nature

Some Right Brain Native/Shamanic Beliefs:

¨      Time is in the here and now

¨      Time is a circle    (Medicine Wheel, Circle of Life)

¨      Space is a Dot

¨      Nature has Rhythms

¨      God is a part of us

¨      Everything is connected

Drumming/Rattling/Dancing/Chanting/Praying are rituals to access the ‘Higher Self’ by slowing the brain down. Drumming induces ‘Theta’ brain waves and therefore produces profound changes of awareness.

If reality is a subjective experience, which is the greater reality, the physical world or dreamtime?  What of the Past? Then that could only be a mistaken subjective experience.

If a traumatic event happened to a person many years ago, for that person it is still happening, as they are re-living it in their mind with all their senses. Therefore, the Shaman journeys outside of linear time to the place where that traumatic event is still happening, in another parallel world and find and bring back the soul to the person.

Praying to each of the four directions helps us to get centred by coming out of trance and into ‘Alpha’ energy before going into an altered state of consciousness.

Each of the four directions has special energy powers and is represented by an animal. The powers from the East are represented by the Eagle, the South by the Mouse or Coyote, the West by the Bear, and the North by the Buffalo. To call upon these powers, stand and face each of the directions starting with the East and honour and pray for the animal in each direction. This allows us to become balanced and centred in the Alpha healing mode. When we are centred, then we are ready to call the helpers or guides. The Shaman becomes like a hollow bone, an instrument for Spirit to enter to communicate the Creators Will on Earth.

The Soul is the bridge between Spirit and Body. And only when the physical body is complete or balanced, which takes a life time, can we truly allow Spirit into our Body.

We tend to only express ourselves, not from our gifts of who we really are, but from our lower selves, the emotional level. Our life’s work is to unify Body, Soul and then Spirit. The Soul is sometimes called the reflection of the Spirit, and the personality is called its shadow.

How old is a Soul? Since we are working at soul level, there is always a chance that the significant event happened in a past life before the trauma in this life. You can recognise old souls by their eyes which seem to be illuminated from within. Watch babies and children communicate telepathically through the light of their eyes. Babies pick up adult thoughts by what the adult is imagining .i.e. images or symbols. As we get older we loose that skill as we learn language.

Is a New Soul ever born? Yes, sometimes.

When does the Soul enter the Body? An age old question that nobody can answer truthfully. There are theories that the soul enters at conception, after conception, at birth or shortly after birth. If you believe in a Divine plan, then you may lean towards sometime before birth. But there’s no real need to dwell on such questions as it serves no purpose.

’til we meet again,

Walk in Peace;

Walk in Beauty.

Johnathan

 

Do You Have A Difficult Question Or Decision To Make About Your Future?

March 16, 2012 By Johnathan

Have you got a burning question that you just can’t seem to find the answer to? It could be a simple question, such as: ‘Should I go on holiday with this hunky guy I only just met?’ Never an easy one, when it’s all expenses paid! Or, should I accept this job offer or that one?

Divination can help. Complete the following exercise, using a pad and pen, to find the answer. The whole exercise should take about 20 minutes.

1. Go for a relaxing walk outside. (If you are self conscious, you can do this exercise in your living-room, but a walk is more fun). During the walk, find a place of balance and stand on the dividing line. For example, where a pavement meets a road or where sunlight creates a shadow.

2. Close your eyes and state your intention, i.e. ‘My intention is to answer my question.’ Be clear with your intent as you state it, then ask your question: ‘My question is…’ Then, turn 360 degrees and stop. Open your eyes and write down one thing that catches your eye. This could be anything, a red sign, a tree, a bird etc.

3. Continue your walk until you find another place of balance and repeat the exercise in point 2.

4. Repeat again, for a total of 3 times. Make sure each time to state your intention and your question, and to stop at a different place.

5. Write a one paragraph story that includes the three objects that you noticed. Relate the story to your question, and like magic, you have your answer. Not sure how? Here’s how it works.

Using the above example, let’s say your 3 objects were: A plane, the colour red, and trees.

Your story could go: One beautiful day I was walking along when all of a sudden a PLANE crashed in front of me and ploughed into the TREES and burst into a RED ball of flames.

How does this relate to the question: Should I go on holiday with this hunk? Try and have a think.

Spirit Bear says that it doesn’t mean that the plane you catch together will crash and you both die, just that the holiday romance probably will crash and end in disaster.

We all know the answers to our questions at a deeper unconscious level, and this exercise simply allows the unconscious to direct our story, informing our conscious mind of the answer, which seemingly appears to us ‘as if’ it were magic. And you thought you chose the objects and wrote the story!

When we don’t listen to the answers and do what we want to do what ever, that is when our ego (personality) interferes with our core-self. This is when problems arise in our lives and we wonder why it always happens to us.

Have fun and enjoy the walk and just go with the flow.

Til we meet again.

Walk in Peace;

Walk in Beauty.

Johnathan

What people have said who have tried this:

The answers lie inside me!

“(Above Exercise) It reminded me that the answers lie inside me, as do the tools to get to them, I just need to make myself stand still for long enough for them to come to the surface.”

~ RH.

It was just right for me!

“I used Johnathan’s exercise to address a long-standing question and found a straightforward, comforting and gentle answer came to me, based on my deep core identity! Right at that moment in time, it was just right for me!”

~ Georgina, Counsellor and Psychotherapist ~ South Wales.