Ep24: The Gift of Coaching

In this episode of The Craft of Coaching, Kate shares an exciting announcement: she’s written a new book—The Gift of Coaching.This book is a bold response to the widespread misunderstandings about the coaching industry—misconceptions about qualifications, ethics, legitimacy, and what coaching really is. What sparked it? A podcast where startup founders (with no formal credentials themselves) dismissed coaching with a condescending wave. That irony lit a fire.Kate unpacks the deeper issue: coaching is often unfairly compared to therapy or judged by its worst examples—while other industries are given the benefit of the doubt. She speaks candidly about how her dry, academic therapy training lacked the vibrancy and aliveness she later found in coach training—and how Irvin Yalom’s The Gift of Therapy helped shape her values as a coach.The Gift of Coaching challenges clichés like “coaching is only about the future,” while advocating for a deeper, more present-centered approach that integrates systems thinking and social awareness. Kate argues that coaching has the potential to become a powerful paraprofessional support to therapy—like community health workers in medicine—if coaches lead with integrity.This episode is a call to action and a reclaiming of what the gift of coaching truly is.Coaching + Courage + Community = CLCC. We're a life-changing program, for you to become a life-changing coach. Our Level 1 ICF-Accredited program has worked with graduates from around the world. The first life you change? It'll be your own. We're the Credentialed Life Coach Collective, or CLCC, and we're here to give you a powerful coaching skill-set mixed with profound personal and professional growth.Head to https://TeamCLCC.com to get our catalogue and the free "Become a Coach" video series to learn more about becoming a life coach, choosing a coaching niche, how coaches make money, and more.Social:LinkedIn