Monday, September 9, 2013

When does accountability turn into dependency?

I'm always very open with my clients. I tell them my ultimate goal is to get them the results they both want and need. With this, though, comes a graduation day. There will hopefully be a day that my clients feel they have learned enough and are strong enough to take on their new found healthy lifestyle head on without my help. 

I had a client a couple of weeks ago ask me about this very thing. What was my plan a year from now? Well I've had this husband/wife as clients almost two years, they have been excellent clients. We've seen amazing results, total life changes, attitude changes. I answered her honestly and said something like 'well I hope a year from now we've hit all of our goals and you guys are ready to graduate.' She looked at me very confused and surprised. So I explained to her having clients dependent on me to keep healthy lifestyles isn't healthy. Just like kids, they don't stay in school forever. They learn all they can to get ready for the world and then they graduate. She said she understood and it made sense. 

The following week when I saw her again (it was just her training that day) she rebuttled my explanation. She said something along the lines of she understood my explanation and it made sense to her but what about accountability? Isn't part of my job just simply being there for them as motivation? Why does that have to have a graduation day? As long as she can afford it she loves having me there because I'm her drive to work the hardest she can and get the most out of her hour. 

My response. "Oh. Uh.... Yeah I see that." 

I didn't have a response more than that. 

So my question still stands from the title of this entry. When does accountability become dependency? Or does it ever? Are they separate or the exact same thing in different forms? What is the healthiest relationship between client and coach?