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Life coaching by video or phone, or in Toronto office

Life skills Coaching FAQ

Do life coaches require a six month commitment?  Some do. I work one month at a time. I do tell people that they might not be able to maintain their gains if they finish up too quickly. However, I have found that some people can achieve their objectives in two or three months and are still ahead of the game years later.

What is the difference between life skills coaching, counselling and psychotherapy? There are some overlaps. The term psychotherapy includes counselling or coaching about life skills and emotional and human relations issues. It also includes work with the unconscious, which falls outside the scope of counselling, and usually needs to be done in the therapist's office. Psychotherapy also can involve going back to the past to where false beliefs were formed in order to change them. This is sometimes spectacularly effective with ingrained false beliefs and the after-effects of traumatic experiences. Update: Ontario law has redifined the meaning of psychotherapy to mean clinical counselling--under Ontario law the difference between counselling and psychotherapy is not the depth, but whether it is for treating a mental disorder or disfunction. Thus, what would elsewhere be called psychotherapy for personal growth cannot be called psychotherapy here. By extension, it would seem that it cannot be called therapy either.

Life skills (or personal) coaching is a form of counselling, and is usually done by phone. Distinct from  what is sometimes called clinical counselling, it is an educational and consulting activity which is explicitly  not "treating" an "illness" or "dysfunction". Also, coaching is invariably goal-focused. Psychotherapy and counselling, including phone counselling, can be exploratory. For more information about phone counselling, see Telephone Counselling of Canada.

What should I look for when seeking a truly ethical coach or counselor?  The following would help. The coach or counsellor has studied ethics as part of his training; he belongs to an organization that has well-developed ethical standards and provides education on ethics and help with ethical deliberations; and/or he is a psychotherapist with an in-depth analytical type of training. The reason for the last is that unethical behaviour typically consists of relating to the client in a way that  is subtly destructive  rather than supportive, for example, through disguised put-downs or encouraging an unhealthy dependency. Such behaviour is usually unconscious. Someone with an analytical training is more likely to be too self-aware to do this and less likely to be motivated to do it.

Are there [further] advantages to having a life coach who is a qualified psychotherapist? Yes. A properly qualified psychotherapist (for example, a clinical member of the Ontario Society of Psychotherapists) has a much more extensive and in-depth training than is required for a coach. I have found my psychotherapy training invaluable when dealing with relationships and other human relations issues. The same goes for anything that involves motivation. It has also saved me a lot of time when dealing with practical issues by helping  me to see through diversions and cut to the chase.  Finally, a psychotherapist is best equipped to know when someone has an emotional block that requires psychotherapy.

If I do my life skills coaching with a psychotherapist will clinical records be kept? I don't keep clinical records of coaching sessions, and I do not think that other coaches would either.  But check with the person you are planning to work with.

--Beth Mares

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Personal coaching with Beth Mares and contact information

Life coaching is usually done by phone, but if you live in or visit Toronto there is an option of attending Beth's downtown office.

Sessions are 55 minutes in length. All appointments are made in Eastern Standard Time. You phone and leave a message at the appointed time, and Beth calls you back, usually within 5 minutes.

Payment needs to be received 24 hours before the session. Most people send an electronic funds transfer to Beth's email address. Instructions can be found on your bank's website if you have signed up for internet banking. (Be sure to send the password 24 hours ahead too.)  Alternatively, a cheque can be sent by mail. For this you need to request the mailing address, which is not published. Payments are not refundable, but one or two postponements can be made if 24 hours notice is given (in some cases with less notice, but that is not guaranteed). After the initial assessment session payment by the month is an option. Please note that Beth is a professional, and does not offer free introductory sessions to sell her services. All the time she is talking with you, she is working for you, and trying to figure out what would work best for you, whether it is her services or something else.

For information about Beth's current availability and fees, go to Fees, hours, office locations and current availability To register for an appointment, email  Beth, saying what times you are available, and whether you want to work by phone, by instant messaging, or in the office. There is an office near the Beaches as well as one downtown. beth.toronto(at)gmail.com   Please put coaching in the subject line so that your message is not mistaken for spam.)

Beth Mares B.A. holds a clinical membership in the Ontario Society of psychotherapists. She offers life skills coaching as well as other forms of counselling and psychotherapy. She has maintained a full time private practice in psychotherapy, marriage counselling, telephone counselling and personal coaching for 20 years. To find out more about her approach, training and experience, visit her Toronto counsellor website.

This website belongs to Beth Mares, clinical member, Ontario Society of Psychotherapists

Telephone: 416-699-5515

Please contact Beth by email. The above number is a voice message with the current email address.
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Copyright © 2001 Beth Mares

Serving Canada, including Toronto, Ontario; Northern Ontario; Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Banff, and rural Alberta; the Peace River Basin; Calgary, Edmonton, Alberta, Toronto, Ottawa, Moose Jaw, Winnipeg, the Yukon, Yellowknife, Whitehorse, and throughout Canada.   Phone counselling in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta, or telephone counselling in Northern Ontario.

LIFE COUNSELLING

BY PHONE:  throughout Canada, including Toronto, Ontario; rural and Northern Ontario; Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and rural Alberta.
IN-OFFICE:  East Toronto