Life Coach in Plantation FL

A life coach can help you get back on top & feel in control of your life!

What is a Life Coach?

When people see the words “Life Coaching” on my business card, they often ask “What is a Life Coach exactly?” A Life Coach is someone who is always in your corner and helps you achieve your personal goals.  Life coaches help you uncover what’s blocking your success and happiness in areas of your life such as relationships, career, friendships, personal growth, and more. A life coach can help you identify priorities and guide you to discover what your passion really is, how to achieve it, and how to remove the emotional and psychological barriers that are preventing you from reaching your goals.

Life Coaching Certification – What Credentials Should Your Coach Have?

It may surprise you to know that in the State of Florida there is absolutely no regulation or credentials required to be a life coach (I haven’t checked other states, but I’m fairly certain this is the case nationwide).  Any John or Jane, with no training or experience whatsoever, can hang up a shingle and call themselves a life coach!  Sure, you’ll see lots of people claim to be a certified life coach, or advertise some kind of life coaching certification.  But since there is no regulation of this profession or industry, a life coaching certification can be anything from a weekend training class, to an internet based two-hour self-study course.

I have to admit, this is a bit of a pet peeve with trained, licensed mental health professionals!  That’s because unless your life coach is an experienced psychotherapist, they likely have no in-depth training in human behavior, psychology, sociology and social interactions, personality theory, or emotional and mental health.  Perhaps you are not achieving your goals because you don’t have someone holding you accountable (which a life coach would do), but maybe you are not achieving your goals because you have adult ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).  Only a psychotherapist who is also experienced as a coach will be able to accurately evaluate that.

How Can a Life Coach Help You?

A life coach can help you:

• Achieve your goals and dreams;
• Keep you focused and on track;
• Give you new and more effective strategies to manage your life well;
• Help you with stress management;
• Collaborate with you to design a concrete plan to get you where you want to be in your life;
• Help you improve your relationships;
• Help you be more effective and productive at work;
• Teach you how to get more satisfaction out of life.

 Why is Dr. Gagnon an Effective Life Coach?

The simple answer is because I am experienced both as a psychotherapist and a coach, and what’s differentiates me from other psychotherapists (and certainly from other life coaches) is:

• I have extensive training in human psychology.  I have graduate degrees in mental health counseling, human development (developmental psychology), and social and personality psychology.

• I am experienced in working with people from all walks of life; I have help everyone from successful millionaire entrepreneurs to jail inmates improve their lives.

• Before becoming a psychotherapist, I had a ten-year career in business which included coaching and training, both at the individual level and in group settings.

• I am a results-oriented person. I know how to get great results in my own life, and I can teach my clients to do the same.

• I not only understand the human mind, but I also understand the human spirit: how emotional and spiritual wounds can keep us from being our best selves.

• Plus, I’m down-to-earth and easy to talk to.  Some days, I struggle just like you do.  So I won’t be judging, but together we can figure out what it will take to get you back on the path to wellness and wholeness, where you can Find Happiness, Be Healthier, and Live Fully!