So what is a coach exactly? Well, there are many different types of coach offering help in many different aspects of business and personal life from financial or management coaching through to parent coaching and work-life balance coaching. But the basic principles remain the same whatever the field, using simple psychology and simple direction to help people to believe in themselves and to achieve their goals. The great thing about coaches is that not only do they help you to identify your goals and the obstacles to achieving them, but they stay there cheering you on from the sidelines. In other words, they always help the clients to look forward. This is very unlike traditional counselling, which tends to focus more on past events and mistakes and helping the person to get over these before they can move on.