Wellness: What is a life coach?
Thomas: I assist people going through a life transition, such as a career change, divorce or a move to a new city, or those who want to make a change in their life, whether that be starting their own business, becoming healthier physically, or finding purpose. We take stock of where they're at now, achieve clarity and then focus on where they want to go. Together we look at the story of their life, and how they can create a life of satisfaction and meaning. In my business of Co-Creative Consulting, I also act as a facilitator and educator. I do not do any in-depth analysis or therapy for a major life crisis or personal issue. If there is a mental illness involved, or symptoms of severe anxiety or depression, I would definitely refer someone to a professional qualified to deal with those issues. I often say that the effects of life coaching can be therapeutic, but it is NOT therapy.

Wellness: Please outline your services.
Loudin: I am a licensed professional counselor. WomanCare is a 22-year-old business where I work with individuals, both women and men. Plus I specialize in couples' therapy, from pre-marital through the many stages of marriage or a divorce.
Thomas: The basis of my service is self-understanding. We progress through a variety of personality assessments, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), plus value and belief assessments like the Enneagram. We work toward establishing a clear goal, short term or long term. Then, we develop a realistic action plan.

Wellness: What is IMAGO therapy?
Loudin: IMAGO is a Greek word meaning “image.” As a therapy, it's a structured approach that focuses primarily on couples. When Harville Hendrix wrote the book, “Getting the Love You Want” in the late '80s, it prompted a movement that became an international certification program. I am a certified IMAGO therapist, using exercises to facilitate the individual or the partner to better understand themselves. We create a dialogue, an emotionally safe environment in which couples can listen to each other and communicate their needs. The goal of IMAGO is to help each person become a more conscious partner, acting with intention rather than just being reactive.

Wellness: What is the Enneagram?
Thomas: It is a system of human dynamics that describes nine fundamentally different ways of viewing the world. The word is Greek for “nine points,” and has evolved for centuries as a path to self-understanding. I consider it an accurate tool for investigating a person's belief system and how their beliefs influence their actions.

Wellness: Who comes to see you most often, men or women?
Thomas: Most frequently, my clients are women, from their early 20's to mid-50's, though I work with men as well.
Loudin: A typical client would be female because most men are still reluctant to ask for help or go for therapy. Most typical is someone going through a loss, dealing with grief, a death, divorce or other life transition. There's quite a range in my couples' therapy. I see those who are unmarried, in their 20's and just beginning to consider marriage. Others may be in long-term relationships, in their late 50's or 60's and extremely unhappy.

Wellness: When working with your clients, how much is YOU and how much is THEM?
Thomas: That's a very good question. The reason I named my business Co-Creative is that I believe it is a partnership and that we create results together. I can't divide it up into a percentage because the effect of coaching hinges on the individual client. My role is not to give advice or tell them what to do. I provide insight to hold them accountable for what they really want in life. I encourage and support them. I am there as an assistant, a coach.
Loudin: They do the work. They need to develop their own skills. My role is to help them deeply explore what has brought them to this point. That's the main difference between counseling and coaching. I help them understand why they do the things they do, or why they feel a certain way, or act and react. Then we explore what they might need to do differently in the future. In couples' therapy, my job is to teach and facilitate, to provide a safe environment in which the partners can communicate.

Personal growth and development. Dealing more effectively with difficult situations or life changes. Healing from hurt. It's your individual path to wellness and restoring that holistic sense of mind, body and spirit, well connected. It's your choice. We hope we've given you some vital information and clues to continue your internal investigation. Safe journey.