A 6-Step Template to Deliver a Powerful Life Coaching Session

October 27, 2024
By Team Simply.Coach

Table of Contents

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Delivering impactful life coach sessions involves much more than simply guiding your clients through their challenges. Clients who struggle with staying focused, keeping up their motivation, or overcoming obstacles can greatly benefit from your guidance as a life coach. The individualized support you give empowers clients to improve themselves and lead more fulfilling lives.

As a life coach, your role is to unbox potential, drive accountability, and ensure that every session sets your client in motion toward their goals. With the right structure and preparation for sessions, you can help clients with their pain points and difficulties, and work through unique solutions. 

In this guide, we will help you plan, organize, and conduct sessions using a 6-step template that enables you to deliver powerful life coaching sessions and make a lasting impact on your clients.

What is the Goal of a Life Coaching Session

A life coaching session is a focused, results-driven meeting designed to help your clients achieve their personal and professional goals. As part of an overall coaching package, each session is a valuable opportunity to provide tailored support that moves clients closer to their objectives.

When clients engage one-on-one, they receive personalized support that boosts their chances of success. Indeed, studies show that individuals who share their goals with those they perceive as successful are more likely to achieve them. 

The goal of every life coaching session is to plan and execute with a focus on outcomes. By planning and executing each session with a focus on these outcomes, and guiding clients toward their next steps, you ensure that every meeting is productive and directed toward substantial progress. With a clear focus, you empower your clients to build momentum and stay accountable, creating a pathway for sustained growth and achievement.

Establish the purpose of the session

As for the primary goal of a life coaching session, it is to facilitate your client’s progress and success in a focused and structured manner. Each session is designed to help clarify and achieve specific objectives, all within the broader framework of your client’s personal development plan. 

Before getting into techniques or advice, define the outcomes both you and your client are aiming for during the session. This clarity not only helps direct the flow of the meeting but also ensures that both of you are aligned with the session’s purpose. 

One effective way to establish this clarity is by asking your client, “What would you like to walk away with today?“. This question sets a clear intention and makes the session’s direction collaborative. When both you and client are on the same page, the session becomes more productive, with actionable outcomes in sight.

A successful life coaching session pivots on helping set actionable goals, offering tailored guidance, and maintaining accountability, thus helping clients to tackle challenges and refine their strategies toward their aspirations. 

The process involves engaging in deep conversations, using questions and feedback to push clients beyond their comfort zones, and ensuring that each session tangibly contributes to their overall journey, keeping them on track toward their larger life goals.

We know that managing multiple clients and running a coaching session is never easy, which is why using a coaching management platform like Simply.Coach is a smart way to simplify and streamline the process. Sign up for a free trial to see how the platform’s features can make your coaching smoother.

How to Structure Your Life Coaching Session? A 6-Step Guide

Use this 6-step structure as a template for your first life coaching session with a client to guidehis/her progress and personal growth.

  1. Set a great rapport

Rapport is the foundation of effective life coaching. It’s what makes clients feel comfortable, understood, and open to sharing their deepest concerns and aspirations. Building rapport starts with active listening, empathy, and a non-judgmental approach.

Every session should reinforce this connection, as a strong rapport ensures more effective coaching outcomes. Adjust your rapport-building techniques based on how well you know the client.

You should also read: The blog post on other important life coaching skills you need to know.

For ongoing relationships, you can build rapport by referencing previous interactions, asking about reflections after the last session, and doing a brief check-in on personal updates or recent progress, creating a sense of continuity and care.

For new clients, spend time understanding their background and their coaching expectations. If it’s your initial session after the discovery phase, begin by expressing gratitude for their trust and affirming your commitment to collaboratively achieve their goals.

See this simple 4-step process posted by Simply.Coach on LinkedIn to build rapport with your clients.

  1. Dedicate the first 5 to 10 minutes to discuss accountability

As a coach, you have to be ready for challenging conversations that might be uncomfortable. 

For instance, if a client asks, “Why isn’t this easier for me?”, hold them accountable by responding, “You want this goal, but this isn’t the way to achieve it.”

Start your session by reviewing what was agreed upon in your previous meeting. If you established action steps last time, check whether your client followed through. Discuss the progress they made, and any challenges they faced, and celebrate their successes. Ask questions like: 

  • How did [action step] go since our last conversation?
  • What successes can you share since our last meeting?
  • What challenges did you encounter with the tasks we set?
  • How did overcoming these challenges make you feel?
  • What strategies worked or didn’t work for you?
  • Are you dealing with any current roadblocks?
  • What insights have you gained from these action steps?

This not only starts the session on a positive note but also encourages a habit of accountability.

Spending about 5-10 minutes on this in a one-hour session should be sufficient. Make sure to go through these 8 tips for improving client accountability!

  1. Deciding the main focus of the session

Once objectives are set and accountability is addressed, narrow down the specific focus for the day’s session. This could be a continuation of a previous topic or something new that has emerged.

You and your client should decide what to focus on during the day’s session. If you’re following a structured coaching program, you might already have a clear agenda.

If not, you could ask questions like:

  • What’s most pressing for you right now?
  • What would make today’s conversation most impactful for you?
  • What would you like to concentrate on in today’s session?
  • How are you feeling about [previously defined goal] right now?

Agree on the session’s focus to ensure you’re aligned. Remember, you can’t address every challenge in one session, so set realistic expectations for what can be achieved within the time available. This will also help you decide which coaching tools and techniques to use to make meaningful progress.

4. Reframe the challenges your client is facing

Effective coaching often involves helping clients see their challenges from new perspectives. 

Once you’ve identified the challenges and goals for the session, take time to break down the issue and explore different ways to view it. Help your client gain a new perspective on their situation by distinguishing between the objective events and the meanings they might attach to them.

Encourage clients to consider questions like:

  • What would this look like from another person’s viewpoint?
  • What’s another way to think about this situation?

If this process brings up strong emotions, acknowledge those feelings and support your client in accepting them. This approach can help your client tackle their challenges with a clearer mindset and find more effective solutions.

5. Guide your client through proven strategies

Based on the session’s focus, collaboratively explore potential strategies and solutions. This is where your expertise and experience can guide your client toward actionable insights and decisions.

Work together to find solutions and strategies for the issues your client is facing. While you can offer your suggestions, remember that your role is to guide and empower them, not to solve their problems for them.

Guide your client’s thought process with questions such as:

  • How have you handled similar challenges before? What worked for you then?
  • What options haven’t you tried that might be effective?
  • Is there someone who could assist you with this issue?
  • What resources or strengths can you use in this situation?
  • How can you turn this challenge into an opportunity?

This approach will help your client move forward with their goals and build their self-reliance for the future.

6. Create an action plan

Every powerful life coach session should conclude with a clear, actionable plan. 

Create a concrete action plan with your client to ensure they have clear steps to take after the session and make progress. Set a clear timeline for the steps they commit to, whether it’s by the next session or within a month.

Help your client build their plan by asking:

  • What’s the smallest step you can take right now to move forward?
  • What specific action will you take to reach [goal]?
  • When will you complete this step?
  • How will you measure your progress or know when you’ve achieved your goal?

Make sure your client is fully on board with the plan. Be attentive to any hesitation or resistance and adjust the goals and timeline to something they are comfortable committing to.

What to Do After a Life Coaching Session

After a life coaching session, your role as a coach doesn’t end when the conversation does. The time immediately following the session is important for reinforcing progress and setting the stage for continued growth. Here are some steps you can take to ensure your clients stay on track:

  • Send a summary: Provide your client with a brief summary of the key points discussed during the session, including any action steps or goals they’ve committed to. This helps reinforce clarity and ensures they have something to refer to between sessions. To smoothen this process, consider using Simply.Coach’s note-taking feature. This tool handles all your note-taking, storage, and management needs in one place, making it easier to keep track of important details and maintain organization.
  • Follow-up on accountability: Remind your clients of the tasks or goals they committed to and set clear deadlines. Regular follow-up emails or messages keep them engaged and accountable. To make this process even easier, consider using Simply.Coach’s Action Plans feature. This tool helps you and your clients record and track tasks—known as Actions—towards your goals. You can view upcoming and overdue actions on the Actions Dashboard, allowing you to monitor progress and send reminders with just a click!
  • Provide resources: Offer any relevant resources, whether articles, books, or exercises, that align with the session’s topics. Tailored resources can help your clients stay motivated and continue learning. With Simply.Coach’s Resource sharing, you can share links, media, documents with clients and have them stored in that one place for easy access!
  • Encourage reflection: Ask your clients to spend time reflecting on the session and their progress. Encourage them to journal or take notes about any additional thoughts or breakthroughs that occur after the session. To streamline this process, make use of Simply.Coach’s Self-Reflections. This tool helps clients reflect on what they learned, their successes, the challenges they faced, and the goals they want to set moving forward. It is perfect for your clients to build a reflection habit and keep track of their challenges and progress in one place.

These steps help turn the progress made in each session into practical actions, helping your clients stay engaged and continue growing.

Example of an Effective Coaching Session Template

Here’s a simplified breakdown of a coaching session template to help clients achieve results:

  1. Recap and transition (10-15 minutes): For ongoing clients, review progress from the previous week. For new clients, outline what the session will cover.
  2. Set a goal (5-10 minutes): Define the goal for the current session.
  3. Reframe challenges and ensure accountability (20-30 minutes): Collaborate with your client to address and resolve challenges. Hold them accountable, especially if they face resistance.
  4. Provide a vision (10-15 minutes): Maintain and support your client’s vision, even if they’re unsure of it themselves.
  5. Recap the plan (5-10 minutes): Summarize the action steps and set clear deadlines.

Give this guide a read to plan a productive coaching session with your clients.

Conclusion

Conclude your life coaching session by reflecting on what was discussed and ensure your client feels confident about the plan moving forward. Reiterate any resources or additional support you can offer to help them succeed.

End the session by scheduling the next meeting if applicable, and encourage your client to reach out between sessions if they need guidance or support.

We believe these strategies will help you create powerful transformations that keep your clients engaged and committed to their growth journey.

If you want to elevate (we’re sure you do) your coaching to the next level, make Simply.Coach your go-to coaching management software. It offers a comprehensive host of  features, including form templates and online coaching tools that you can adapt to your needs.

Ready to take the next step and empower your clients through life coaching? Sign up for a 14-day free trial on Simply.Coach today! You can also schedule a demo today to discover how Simply.Coach can help you save up to 30% of the time spent on administrative tasks. Experience how to manage all your client engagements and interactions from one platform, streamline your day, and focus on enhancing client outcomes.

FAQs

  1. How do I ensure clients achieve their goals? 

If a client is putting in the effort but still not seeing results, it often points to a misalignment in strategy or mindset that needs adjustment. For example, imagine you’re working with an entrepreneur who’s struggling to scale their business despite following the same strategies that previously brought success. After reviewing their sessions, you realize that the entrepreneur’s mindset hasn’t adapted to the new challenges of running a larger business.

Regularly evaluating and updating strategies is essential to keep up with the client’s evolving needs and market conditions. If a client isn’t fully engaged, it’s important to work together to uncover and address the obstacles. However, as a coach, you can only guide and support them—ultimately, they need to be as committed to achieving their goals as you are.

  1. What do I do when I don’t know the answer to a client’s question? 

Facing a question you can’t answer is a common concern but it is manageable. It’s important to maintain honesty and openness with your clients. If you don’t know the answer, you can relate the question to a similar scenario you are familiar with, or assure the client that you will research the topic and provide a detailed response later. This approach helps maintain credibility and shows your commitment to their growth.

  1. What pricing strategy do I recommend for my life coaching sessions? 

Offering packages instead of individual sessions is often the most effective approach. As a new coach, you might start with a three-month package priced at around $1,500. This structure encourages clients to commit to a process that fosters meaningful change. You can consider raising your rates as you build experience and gather positive testimonials. This strategy simplifies pricing and helps create a more long-term relationship between you and your clients.

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