If you plan to become a life coach with a thriving practice, you will inevitably work with clients going through a divorce. For most people, divorce can be earth-shattering and life-changing, so it makes sense they would turn to life coaching. If you are dealing with a client going through a divorce, here are three tips for helping them through it.
3 Tips for Helping Your Clients through a Divorce
- Listen more than you speak. First, like any life coaching client, you need to allow your client to be open and honest about how they’re feeling. You want to create a bed of comfort that allows your client to open up on their own time about the struggles they are facing. Not only does this develop confidence, but it can also make your client feel more understood and seen.
- Realize where they’re coming from. Next, it’s important to understand where your client is coming from before you try to help them. If your client has been with the same person for 50 years, ending a relationship and rediscovering themselves will be overwhelming. On the other hand, some clients may be coming out of short, whirlwind relationships.
- Parent them if you have to. Finally, you may have to parent your client during the divorce process. With all the emotional things going on, your client may become reckless, childish, and destructive. They may want to take drastic measures during the divorce process or even blame their ex-partner for everything that went wrong. Neither of these are healthy coping mechanisms, so you may have to be the voice of reason while they recalibrate themselves and their lives.
For most people, a divorce is a life-changing event. Getting a divorce is not just about ending a relationship with a partner, but it also comes with completely recalibrating life. If you are passionate about helping others through the hard points of their lives, you may be ideal for the life coaching profession.