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With the Labor Movement growth in the 1800’s, the eight hour
work day was created. These union strikes, such as the Haymarket
and Pullman , ended in much bloodshed as workers united against
business and the government. Some might ask what need do we have
for Life Coaches? Starting in 1996, many corporations discovered
the high threshold for workers to double their productivity at
the cost of hiring fewer employees. With the initial cost
savings in Medicare, social security, and Unemployment
insurance; employers seen the benefits of reversing the popular
stopgap on overtime. Unlimited overtime and unemployment was on
the rise. For those still employed love the conditions when
others found new trades. Along with this fact and withdrawal of
society into work since 911, Life Coaches are needed more than
ever.

But if Life Coaching is to grow and sustain as a bonafied
profession, some standards need to be created. Albeit, not
governmental, but along some manner of guild system. Granted we
have some schools that accredit coaches, but the real problem
lay in the fact that no real state or federal body accredits
these organizations. The other fact that remains with these
schools is that no one knows if they stick or follow to any form
of standards in pricing, codes, or activities. Some my say that
there is more Life Coaching schools than Life Coaches.

But for Life Coaching to remain viable in the left brained
financial word, we as coaches must form some standard ourselves
along with education materials and group marketing of what our
profession is. For when most people hear of Life Coaching, they
shrug their shoulders. Or for the others they get the impression
of Tony Robbins or the Nip and Tuck Character, Ava. Some may say
that any press is good press, but is it really? So in
coordination, either privately or group orientated, we must push
forward the marketing and education of the public to this field.
But we need some standards first.

Take pricing. I tried initiating a sliding scale based on income
level checked against pay stubs or W-2’s. But I felt like I lost
clients due to presumed value. If everyone else in the field was
charging a higher premium than I, without garnering trust, my
services was held as unscrupulous . For the average of pricing
per month, not hour which I was going by, was between $250 to
$500 a month for 4 45 minute calls. The price per hour was
between $25 and $500 dollars at the most. Now I was coaching
clients up to 3 times a week at hourly rates, but I find out
this was not the norm. A guild would set up guidelines for such
issues.

Then what is the standard, Phone, email, or in person. What do
we as coaches do we want the public to think about first thing.
For many when you think of auction, they think online. When
others think education they think brick and mortar ivy league.
What do we want our customers to think of us first. In person
gives us the luxury to meat, joke, and share with a real living
person. But online gives us far more potential to reach people
around the world through email or on phone. Especially with the
advent of broadband VOIP services giving worldwide coverage for
minimum costs, we can bring our occupation to most barren
location of Alaska and still be viable entity on a fiscal map.
But we need to market and inform the public on validity of what
ever we choose.

Frequency, I did touch on this a little above, but let me give
this topic its full measure. How many times a month and for what
duration should be suggested? Should impromptu home calls
throughout the week be allowed, or just strict scheduling? How
far in advance should schedules be kept or fulfilled? With a new
field emerging and an uninformed public, we need to answer
questions like this collectively.

Marketing practices! Well so far we are all SEO experts fighting
a war with each other. With over 36,000,000 listings showing up
in SERPs for the keyword Life Coach, we are strangling each
other for a word few even ever heard of. My friends laughed at
me when I started, even though I had been advising them for
twelve years before I went professional. With only 1,000
searches on average a month, we are failing here! We need real
live marketing strategies with real people. But who? Trader Joes
and other whole food stores, tends to have mini seminars
promoting alternative health professions. Panera Bread cafes
have back rooms that have been used for Buddhist meetings and
other new age events for free or limited cost. Organized health
fairs. Possible meetings with the DA’s office and the probation
department along with prevention centers. How about human
resources of major local companies. On the Brain Brew there was
one coach who specialized in getting the lawyer who does not
play well with others to straighten up instead of firing him.
But How do we keep our internet presence strong and grow real
living connections at the same time?

One last note on the internet. Maybe we need a guild directory
that lists our profession by location and specialiality. A
natural linking directory for Goggle points, but also something
entertaining aesthetically and functional for the public. Niches
are always stronger than obtuse markets. This directory must be
promoted as the standard, for now we have too many that no one
can get through more than five listing before they give up. Very
few click throughs ever show up in my site reports.

Education, education, education, and education. For us is more
important than location. I suggest writing free content for
syndication through sites like Go-Article, Ezine, Article Hut,
Article Marketers, Article City, and Self growth. Also writing
free content to your local news papers and creating flyers to be
hung at food stores and town bulletin boards. Even Local or
State government offices. They are always trying to get brownie
points for informing the public on services. Get a State or
county Rep to back you in a community project, or at least
inform them of your existence. Maybe befriend your local high
school guidance counselors. For clients or career options for
the youth. But education, education, education, education is a
must at this time!

So I presented many challenges to our growing profession that
need to be looked at and addressed collectively in some fashion.
I hope we do so. For Colonel Sanders had a more daunting task
traveling with a pressure cooker in his truck around the nation,
or Edison powering a Manhattan neighborhood with the first light
bulbs, or the Wright brothers receiving any money to build
flying machines when they only built bicycles for children. We
can get through these birthing pangs, but we need some
collective effort to do so.

If Any be of interest, I can be reached at docspond@yahoo.com if
anyone would be of like mind. Cheers, Chris

Major depression can greatly affect a person’s ability to function at home and/or at work, and inhibit the enjoyment of life in any way. Some people suffer depression only once but others may experience it several times in their lifetime.

Answer the questions below to determine if you are experiencing depression. If you answer True to at least four (4) of the following statements, you may be suffering from depression. If you answer True to the majority of the following statements, you are certainly experiencing depression and you need to seek professional help. See a doctor or a counselor before the depression gets worse.

T or F - I feel sad and blue most of the time.

T or F - I feel like crying more than I did six months ago.

T or F - I feel hopeless and helpless most of the time.

T or F - I have no motivation.

T or F - I’m not interested in things I used to enjoy.

T or F - Recently I have wondered if life is worth living.

T or F - I am not sleeping well, or I want to sleep all of the time.

T or F - I have lost my appetite.

T or F - I am easily irritated.

T or F - I am more anxious about things than I used to be.

T or F - My energy level has dropped recently

T or F - I dread the morning. It is hard to get up.

T or F - I have been thinking about myself a lot recently.

T or F - The face looking back at me in the mirror is sad.

T or F - My self-concept needs improving.

T or F - I worry about the past, the present and the future.

T or F - I’ve had more headaches, upset stomach, constipation, rapid heartbeat, etc. in the last six months than usual.

T or F - I think that people have noticed that I am not working as well at my job, or enjoying life like I used to.

Is Depression A Sin?

Christians often ask this question. The answer is Not necessarily! While harboring sin or sinful attitudes in your life can certainly produce depression, other possible causes include experiencing a significant loss or having a physical problem that causes body chemistry to be imbalanced. Great men in the Bible, such as David (in many of his Psalms), Elijah (I Kings 19), Moses (Exodus 18), and Jonah (Jonah 4) experienced depression. In each of these situations God sent someone to help the suffering individual but He did not condemn him. Psalm 23:18 says, The Lord is close to the broken hearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Whatever the cause, God cares about the person experiencing depression.

Some Interesting Facts

- One in four women and one in ten men will develop depression some time in their life.

- Men experience depression differently than women. Men tend to get angrier.

- Depression can affect children as well as adults and the elderly.

- Suicide may result when depression has not been treated successfully.

- Depression has been called the common cold of the mind.

- Between 80-90% of the people seeking treatment get well.

What Are Some Symptoms
Of Depression?

Everyone feels sad sometimes due to a significant loss such as a death, a divorce or losing a job. Anger turned inward can also cause sad feelings. When these feelings are not dealt with properly and they continue over a long period of time, a person usually experiences a major depression.

Look For These Symptoms

- Feelings of sadness for over two weeks

- Not wanting to spend time with friends and family

- Increased irritability

- Changes in sleep and appetite patterns

- Frequent crying spells

- Difficulty concentrating

- Forgetfulness

How Can You Help A Depressed Person?

We often feel uncomfortable around a depressed person because we don’t know what to say or do for him. This may cause us to make some serious mistakes when we try to help them. So what can you do to help?
Let him be honest about his feelings.
Allow him to talk about his negative, depressed
feelings. Don’t say, You shouldn’t feel like that.

Be there for him. A depressed person may have lost someone important in his life. Let him know you care and will be there for him.
Be aware. A depressed person often tries to avoid
dealing with his feelings, or to pretend he is fine. If he fails to get help, he will only become more depressed. Help him get help.
Avoid saying . . .
Just trust God.
Just get over it.
If you would just do . . .
You have lots going for you. You shouldn’t
feel so bad.

When to Seek Help . . .
Major depression is a serious illness and can be fatal if left untreated. A person cannot face this illness alone. Seek professional help for yourself, or for someone you care for when you see . . .

- Three or more symptoms of depression

- Response to your attempts to help

- No family or friends there for support

- There are suicidal thoughts

- The person turning to substance abuse

- The individual cannot take care of his family or himself.

Dr. Ann Shorb is the founder of Christian Counseling & Educational Services, an accomplished professional speaker, and the author of A Light for My Path, a weekly email devotional. Visit her website http://www.ccesonline.com for a free subscription to A Light for My Path.

Here are some ideas to help you continue to make
a difference for stressed, maladjusted, troubled,
frightened, and vulnerable students during
school vacations. These ideas are all taken from
our web site, books,
e-books and workshops.

*** Extend Your Reach: For some kids, their
teacher may be the only sane, sober, caring
adult they know, and then summer vacation
comes. To extend the reach of teachers and
other school-based youth workers who
provide invaluable stability, safety, direction
and nurturing, use this intervention: Address
pre-paid post cards to the teacher (or other
key school worker) at school, and give them
to the child on the last day of school. Ask
the child to write or draw on the post cards
then drop in the mail. Studies show that
children who have a sense of connection to
the community do better on almost every
measure including graduation rates, teen
pregnancy, delinquency, etc. The post cards
can preserve a bit of that connection over
the potentially lonely and difficult summer.

*** Connect Back: Before leaving for
summer vacation, the teacher (or
other school worker) can write up
post cards from the teacher to the
child, and ask the school secretary
to send out the cards over the summer.
The post cards (or letters or small
packages) can offer suggestions for
summer activities, provide encouragement
or contain specific activities that the
child can do.

*** Find Linkages: Prior to the
summer break, research
community groups that will
provide a summer connection
for your neglected, troubled or lonely
students. Groups such as Boys
and Girls Clubs, the YMCA, YWCA
and Big Brother, Big Sister can
provide activities, mentors, camp
experiences and other key
linkages. As delinquency tends to
increase when youth are not
involved in school or similar
activities, it may be very important
to structure summer vacation for
youth who would otherwise be
largely unshepherded.

*** Leisure Time Management: Kids
chronically claim there is nothing
to do. Show that there is always
something to do. Divide your youth into 4 or 5 smaller groups. Ask each
group to imagine they have each been
given a small amount of money; one
group might be told they have $2.00,
the next group might have fifty cents,
etc. One group can be asked to imagine
they were given no money. Now, ask
each group to determine all the
activities, events and hobbies a person
could do with that small amount of
money. Provide access to phone books,
newspapers, the internet, etc. to
aid the groups to develop long lists.
Write up all the groups’ answers
and distribute to your kids. Include
a wide range of activities such as
visiting the library, playing hackey sack,
reading, internships, sports, utilizing
mass transit, volunteering, crafts, etc.
Your kids will be amazed how much there
is to do when there is nothing to do!

*** Reach a Dream: Discuss how Martin
Luther King Jr. worked to reach his dream.
Ask your students what they are willing
to do to reach their dreams. Suggest that
the summer months may be the perfect
time to gain or perfect the skills needed
to reach each dream.

Get much more information on this topic at
http://www.youthchg.com. Author Ruth
Herman Wells MS is the director of Youth Change,
(http://www.youthchg.com). Sign up for her free
Problem-Kid Problem-Solver magazine at the site and
see hundreds more of her innovative methods. Ruth
is the author of dozens of books and provides workshops and training.
For re-print permission for this article, contact the author by

email (dwells@youthchg.com.)