In referring to those persons I partner with in my life coaching practice, I have never been comfortable with the term client. Although Webster’s definition is perfectly appropriate, somehow the vernacular connotation of “client” seems too impersonal - too commercial – too contractual. Certainly, I serve as an advisor, and my “clients” pay a fee for my time and experience, but I’d rather like to believe that my relationship with them is more of an empathetic partnership than one of simply “providing goods and services” for a fee. I’ve searched for a more compassionate synonym, but the alternatives have even less appropriate connotations. Among the alternatives are customer, consumer, patron, user, buyer, purchaser, and punter (Yes, punter! Look it up!)

 

The term partnership is a very good description of my relationship with those persons I coach. But there are problematic implications with referring to my many clients as my “partners”.  This could be misunderstood as referring to a multi-co-owned business relationship or perhaps as a multiple indiscriminate “love-in”. The former is too corporate, and the latter is simply too risqué (and risky, too!) Even though “partnership” is a good description of the relationship, “partner” just doesn’t fit as the description of those that I partner with as a coach. Some synonymous alternatives to partner are cohort and associate.  But cohort refers to persons of some similar interest and commonalty in a large group. (Most of my life coaching work is with one person at a time.) And the term associate has been badly demeaned by the likes of Walmart, Kmart, and Jiffy Lube. I have no “associates” in my practice.

 

Just for the record, I never (nor should any life coach) consider my clients as my patients. That would be presumptuous and misleading. Life coaching is neither therapy nor medical treatment. Life coaches are neither licensed therapists nor physicians. We are, in a real sense, mentors in all of the various nuisances of living life.

 

Of course, that begs an obvious question. Are we coaches in the game of life? Would it be reasonable to call our clients our players? Well, perhaps that makes sense, but I think it’s a corny and overly obvious analogy. To a great extent, the game of life demeans the complexity and seriousness of many of the issues our clients face.

 

I build partnerships in my life coaching practice, but none of the terms client, customer, consumer, patron, user, buyer, purchaser, partner, cohort, associate, patient, player or punter (Really! Look it up!) are suitable descriptions of my “partnering clients”. Perhaps partnering client IS the most apropos description after all. It’s not singularly eloquent, but it works. My clients and I partner in a process of practical problem solving. We work together in a compassionate and empathetic relationship toward achieving personal goals.

 

 

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