I once had a preconceived impression of life coaching as a New Age concept, so I was quite surprised to discover that I knew a life coach. I have worked with Barbara Marchand on any number of projects that involved such decidedly down-to-earth organizations as the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Alameda Welfare Council.

I have always known Barbara as level-headed, practical and honest. When she asked me if I would be interested in trying some coaching, I had to re-evaluate my whole idea of it.

When I first started talking with Barbara about this, I had just learned that my mother-in-law had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The family was in the process of sorting out her living arrangements, medical care and financial situation, all the while grieving the future loss of a vibrant and brilliant woman. Because my mother-in-law had always been fiercely independent and (justifiably) proud, this turn of events completely sideswiped us.

I was unfamiliar with the process involved with consulting a life coach, I wasn't sure whether what I was going through was even an appropriate direction to pursue. My understanding of what I would address during the coaching process would be to try to organize my time and resources, or to try to get in the routine of regular exercise or eating right. How would those principles apply to processing the painful, frightening truth of what we were going through?

I have plenty of sympathetic ears and shoulders because we are by no stretch of the imagination the only people going through the ageing process with our parents. I consider myself to be extremely fortunate to have a support network to help with the unfamiliar emotional terrain.

I am discovering, however, that there are actually very practical, organizational facets to this process. For example, I was trying to determine what government programs might be available to my mother-in-law.

I discovered on the Internet that there are any number of government programs, but the qualifications for each of these programs differ in infinitesimal ways. I found the language on these site deceptive and unwieldy.

Before long I felt as if I would never make progress on this relatively small project I had been assigned, much like being the poor sap that catches the ball in the middle of the game, with no idea of what the rules are or what team I'm on.

Like any team coach, Barbara is not on the playing field. She is able to watch the "game" from a distance, and see the directions available to me. With a gentle nudge, she points out what she can see, and then the obstacles fade away. It might be a simple suggestion to call an organization to ask for help, or it might be a way to sort out the information that I have to be able to make heads or tails of it.

One of the most important tools that Barbara has given me is to write things down. I should I say she has reminded me that I already have this tool. This might involve a writing note about a conversation with a medical professional, or jotting down a question that has come up that I need to find the right person to ask. It might mean simply writing down the way I feel at any given time about the process.

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Facing Life Challenges with Life Coaching