Spiritual Direction and Life Coaching

An effective coach goes in the direction the client chooses. The client sets the agenda. If your client is a person of faith and wants to bring their spiritual development into the conversation, it is wise for the coach to follow their lead. As a person of faith, spiritual reflection may be the way that the client processes life experiences. We have identified the focal area of coaching as “the client’s whole life.” Does this not include their spiritual life?

A recent conversation with a pastor who is a coaching client dealt with personal clarity about goals for her ministry. She identified part of this as a spiritual challenge. She was already aware of some spiritual disciplines and suggested that one of these might give her additional insight. One of my favorite International Coaching Federation core competencies is titled “Evoking Awareness.” In this core competency, the coach is encouraged to help the client “facilitate insight and learning.” Applying insights from spiritual practices and discernment certainly fits here.

I have also been involved recently in conversations with coaches who do not necessarily embrace a Christian faith tradition but acknowledge that there is a spiritual dimension to their clients’ lives and seek to incorporate that into helping the client become more aware and receptive to motivations, concerns, and values. The coaches may do this through suggesting mindfulness or imaginative meditation exercises.

So where does coaching end and spiritual direction begin? We might say that spiritual direction is about being with God; coaching is about doing and designing actions that arise from who the client is as a person of faith. While there are other distinctions, these are the most marked.

I suggest that a coach refer to a spiritual director in these situations:

First, it is clear that the primary concern of the client is personal spiritual development and a desire to listen to and respond to God in their daily lives. They want to be immersed in an experience that will bring them closer to God. A spiritual director can provide this.

Second, if the client struggles for spiritual insight but is not already aware of spiritual practices that will provide this clarity, a spiritual director will help them become familiar with and practice these disciplines. Spiritual directors may suggest such exercises as lectio divina or bring them into a session with a directee. They may also assign classical spiritual disciplines, such as The Prayer of Examen or Ignatian Prayer, to directees as a means of opening themselves to God.

Certainly, there can be some overlap between the two practices, especially when addressing issues that have both practical and spiritual dimensions. Life coaching and spiritual direction can be complementary approaches to personal growth, and some individuals may benefit from both. The coach must ask himself or herself, “What are my capacities in this area?” and “Can someone with more expertise help my client achieve what they are seeking?”

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