Stephanie Allen helps people reach their goals

By Tonya Facey

With the economy continuing its downward spiral, many people are finding themselves without a job and looking for a new direction. A life coach may be able to help them with that. Stephanie Allen is a Toronto-based life coach and founder of Anew Life Coaching Services and has been in the coaching and consulting field for more than six years.

Sway: What is a life coach?
Stephanie Allen: A life coach’s job is to assist clients in determining and achieving their goals. I love having the ability to help someone become more confident, energized and content in their lives.

How did you get into the industry?
I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto in psychology. I enrolled in a school in British Columbia and later took classes to become certified by the Certified Coaches Alliance.

How do you help people?
My process is a two-tiered one. The first tier has to do with self-discovery. I help clients determine what they actually want versus what they think they want. I use tools like checklists and questionnaires [among other things] to draw out their actual desires.

The second tier is the action plan, which has to do with self-fulfillment. It’s a goal-setting stage to help people ultimately get to their pinnacle of success.

What are some of the biggest challenges that people have to overcome while working with you?
Issues of self-doubt and self-limiting beliefs. Some people have gotten so used to the idea that they can’t achieve certain things because they haven’t been able to for years.

What type of people do you help?
A lot are people that tend to put off change and are looking for a way to stop dreaming their dreams and start living them. I see a lot of young professionals in their early thirties who are looking to stretch themselves to do more.

What is one of the most interesting career reversals you’ve seen?
I worked with a gentleman who was a security guard or bouncer for many years. He wanted to do something more with his life and had this idea that he wanted to be in the mortgage business. He now works for one of the subsidiaries of a major bank.

What type of person should think about working with a life coach?
If you’ve tried going at it alone and it hasn’t worked out for you, try it a different way. The person might have a need for the specialized skills that a life coach might have such as conditioning techniques and techniques to move you forward.

- To contact Stephanie at Anew Life Coaching Services, email: [email protected].