When Life Coaching Doesn't Go as Planned

While life coaching can offer valuable guidance and support, not every experience is a success story. Some individuals have found themselves frustrated or disappointed after working with a life coach, leading to compelling stories of mismatched expectations, ineffective advice, or even conflict. These tales reflect the challenges people face when they put their trust in a coach, only to feel let down or misunderstood.

Many stories of life coach issues revolve around unmet goals, where clients felt their progress was hindered by poor communication or a lack of personalized attention. In some cases, people felt pressured into adopting strategies that didn’t fit their unique situations, leading to tension and dissatisfaction.

Other stories highlight ethical concerns, where boundaries were crossed or promises were not fulfilled, leaving clients questioning the integrity of their coach. These experiences offer valuable lessons for those seeking coaching services, reminding them of the importance of finding a coach who truly understands their needs and values.

If you’re curious about the potential pitfalls of life coaching, these stories provide insight into the challenges people have faced while trying to improve their lives through coaching.

recovering from an ed
Life Coach Issues Stories

I've struggled with weight issues and eating ever since I was 9, I'm 15 now and I'm now kinda of aware I ain't fat but I feel it. It was never that bad but now the last 4 months it's gotten so bad, i eat a bit and feel like I've js ate a whole buffet and I get so bloated I geniunely feel like I could explode, the smells of my fav foods makes me feel sick, the sight, smell, even hearing ppl talking abt food makes me feel sick, idk if I have an ed but im struggling sm rn, I barely eat cuz I just can't, I had some watermelon like 6 hours ago I still feel bloated and sick as fuck, this first started when I wanted to lose weight but now I've lost some and I feel okay in my body but I js can't bring myself to eat. and then my mum she never understands istg she said "u cant js starve urself for 10+ hours (she said this bc from the time I wake up to coming back from school (5pm) I don't eat anything) and then go n drink energy drinks n chocolate" I bought chocolate today. it's been weeks. she's js making me feel worse saying I need to eat protein n not stuff my face in chocolate like what. she used to be so understanding n now she says this? ig what I'm tryna say is what can I do to feel normal again and be able to eat? even water makes me sick. idk what to do anymore.

I'm just at the absolute end of myself. Now I believe and follow God, but "giving it to God" feels a lot like sitting here doing nothing. I'm a single mother (1 kid) in my late 20's, working a burned out 9-5, desperate for supporting my roles as a mother, friend, and individual. My job is a blessing in the sense that I can bring my kid to work, attend field trips, all the sorts, but it's always at the expense of my paycheck. And that paycheck is very important because even though I only make ~$20,000/year, I've accomplished homeownership (first generation homeowner), a Christian school for my kid, a paid off hunk of junk car, and only about $3,000 worth of debt (not including the mortgage obviously). Of course I'm on subsidy, but we don't abuse the system nor do we live luxuriously. I made a $175/month grocery allowance work but it's now been cut back to $23/month. I feel successful despite my circumstances, but man.. I'm tired of just "beating the odds", "overcoming the statistics". I want not more, but better. I want to start cleaning houses, but start up for materials is out of reach and I've had 6 surgeries since 2019, my body is wrecked. I'd push through it though if it meant I could afford my bills and still meet friends at the park at 2pm on a Tuesday. I'm very handy, but I'm more Jack of all trades, master of none. I built my own shoe racks and fix my own car, but I can't diagnose or blueprint. I don't have my own tools. I'm washing my hair with dish soap to make sure my kid has their ends met. I have no family where I live, and while I do have friends, why should I expect them to hear the burden of my predicament? For me, venting=asking them to fix the problem. And the problem feels unfixable. And that leaves me clinging to the fact that God is bigger than these problems. He's bigger, but I still feel like I'm being suffocated. I don't want a bigger house or a newer car. I buy almost everything from second hand stores. I just want to be a mother and a friend, and have a job that will leave me confident in my ability to pay bills.

Is this. Normal life?
Life Coach Issues Stories

Is it normal to just have siblings who you can’t run to? For years, I’ve relived my mom and grandmother’s funerals. It pains me that God took away all the people that truly showed up for me. I don’t know how to get over this loss and my life isn’t getting better. I thought I’d finish school just to get a better job but Surely maybe I was born to not have anything. I can’t seem to get used to a life filled with delay. I hate everything about myself. There’s nothing valuable about me or my life. How does one take away their pain? What’s the easiest way to ease it? I have been trying but no luck. I just want someone to give me a solution to everything

Suicide
Life Coach Issues Stories

I just wish there was a way of dealing with delay, grief and unemployment other than committing suicide. I’ve spent the last 5 years being suicidal. I can’t even get a proper job and still didn’t get anywhere in life. All I am is living by the day, depressed, unemployed and everything in my life seems to be going wrong. Whatever I have been trying to get me somewhere, I failed terribly. Not I don’t know how to go on?

The Odd One Out.
Life Coach Issues Stories

For years I've always been... "different"

The tallest girl in class, the biggest girl in the room, the darkest girl in school, the girl with the deepest voice, the girl with a fiery temper, etc. Ive never found myself fitting into one mould or having someone that I can totally relate to. Even now I find myself lost as the only person in my circle of friends that does not want to uptake medicine or STEM subjects in general. It's always me... I feel like I'm cursed to always be the "odd one out" I feel inferior to others. Like as if I don't matter or I'll never be good enough because I'm not like "them". I'm not pretty, I'm not as smart, not as ambitious or studious, not as gifted. I'm just me but here's the case... what do I even have to offer to the table? Who am I even? What am I? What was I made for... what was I made to do. What does my future even look like... All these questions and yet I'm met with no answer. Just doubts piling on my brain like a bunch of incomplete assignments. Am I even worth it as a person?

idk wht category to choose for this

I am the 2nd youngest in a family of 6 siblings. ik i can be somewhat clumsy and forgetfull. but that doesn't make it okay for my mother to predetermine my future. i have things i like. coding, architecture, arts, musics, throw me whatever i like, i will somehow able to cram and learn. but hello???? why you're forcing me to take artificial intelligence course like ur life depended on it???? i mean, there's a lot whole of other things that i can willingly pursue?? in fact, i also excell and honestly love chemistry and physics. sure sure ai will prevail in the future etc. but i swear to god, i have wide range of interest and you gotta force me to take something out of that range????? this is a silly story honestly. but still the way my mom talk stressed me??? also the fact that she started to talk shit bout my school??? you see, i am kinda admitted into a gifted school that measures ur iq etc etc. and she's saying like "oh you're not gifted, in fact, the students in ur school are mentally unstable. that's why you're blablabla because you're exposed to them" YE I KNOW. but why you gotta phrase it like that? it pisses me off so bad bcuz some of my friends, no honestly, most of my friends have adhd, polar etc etc mental unstability. in all honesty, they're all very good friends. its just that they have radical thoughts and way of thinking. but they truly make me learn goddamn lot of things. i love them. so don't shittalk them on my face!!!!! gaaaaaaaaah!!!!!

aight thats all from me :)

Being Broken
Life Coach Issues Stories

They say

You can heal

You will heal

What is the meaning of a scar

It never goes away

Truth is we never heal

We just turn what we're going through into a scar

And all our life we will attract broken

Things and find peace in them

Because we are going through the same thing

Learn to be in pain

Appreciate it

Why should I go through it all
Life Coach Issues Stories

I am going through something ryt now

My clothes are stolen

All these emotions came flowing into my life 😪

Yeah

At the end of the day I know life is not about being happy at all times

But the question is

why me ??

That's the question

Okay fine

You had to go through it in life

It just concludes that we came her to suffer

if I say I don't deserve this

Who do I think deserved it

But I have been going through a lot tlhe already

I am tired 😫

Noo

Look at the good things too

Yeah

They are good cause they came after I struggled

My first bond with my mom came after I thought she didn't care about me

I am in tertiary

That's cause I had to read for it

Okay God was around paving the way

And I want him to continue 😢

I need him 😩 to keep me strong

Cause at this point

Now I know I have to go through bad things

I have to feel I am not worth it

I have to grow up without a father,

I have to not trust men

For the rest of my life

I have to believe I don't deserve

Cause when it comes

I feel I can't be too happy

I mean I am used to feeling all this

It feels weird when things go smoothly

I am not complaining or anything 😏

I just wanna acknowledge that

It had to be me

If not me

Then who

It's life

That's why I am listening to sad songs now acknowledging the fact that I am hurt and there's nothing I can do about it 💔 😔

Is it wrong to be happy??

Does God exist
Life Coach Issues Stories

Tell me an incident which makes you believe in god

Wrong decisions
Life Coach Issues Stories

I keep on taking nonstop wrong decisions even though at the time of taking them I don't realise the potential cons everytime. Some decisions I surely know that were wrong and some I am confuse that whether it was right or wrong. But I am never make decisions which are absolutely right for me ( or so I think).

I get anxiety attacks due to this.

At this point I think I should take any decision that I think are right, and out of say 3 decisions, if atleast 1 is right then I would be satisfied.

life: good or evil?
Life Coach Issues Stories

what makes being too good or being too evil a bad thing?

i had a therapist for 5 years who last year was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. initially they said it was really abnormal and slow growing and they were confident they could perform a whipple and chemo and hed be saved. 2 months later post whipple the cancer had spread to his liver and he was diagnosed terminal.

all of this was devastating of course, im familiar with his family, something we bonded over was our children and how similar we were as parents and the way we cared about people. watching him be torn away from his 2 young girls is so awful and i feel so deeply for his partner.

2 weeks ago i had sent a regrettable message raising the awkwardness of the time we met because i was completely emotional and i didnt want him to think i was falling apart without him, because despite devastation 5 years of therapy gave me some great tools to accept emotions as they come no matter how large or overwhelming.

this message was something that stressed him out and his partner then stepped in and said she would be a communication bridge. happy for that i obliged only asking once to apologise realising the mistake id made. she had told me as he deteriorated i would be invited to say goodbye, and in the interim she would reassess whether me and said therapist could reestablish contact. given that now that i could recognise that i asked her whether it would be okay to message him some more, she said no as he was in hospital and i replied that was okay but i was more meaning in general as this is not how i wanted to remember him. i was happy to leave is as he was recovering and needed rest. i made a comment in reference to her recognising how hard it must be not having contact by saying yeah i dont know any other relationship where not only am i not allowed to visit but not even talk to someone whos dying. somewhere in the message sent she replied saying that the relationship was to be terminated as the ethical boundaries are clear in that once he stopped being my therapist our relationship ended. she stated they had tried to be accomodating of my needs but how i wasnt able to be appropriately boundaried and that i am no longer ever be able to contact my therapist again.

not only had she said about a reassessment of boundaries but my therapist the last time i saw him told me that was likely not going to be the last time i saw him, she has also stated about me seeing him when he was close to the end for closure. the level of betrayal here is massive. i feel lied to, disrespected and above all else heartbroken i may never get to say goodbye to my therapist. he hasnt contacted me either.

it not just this that infuriates me. for the last 5 years i have been in almost a constant communication with my therapist. i was lucky enough to message him day to day to establish rapport and safety and a sense of trust i do not hold in alot of people from childhood as most adults did not care to care. as an adult now with my own kids i struggle to see how anyone could treat their kids that way and still struggle with closeness with other adults as i constantly think theyre going to leave.. ironic.

i have had multiple letters from my therapist every time he went away to bridge any abandonment feelings as most times he had holidays it was around key events of trauma. he has continuously told me i am worthwhile, how much he cares about me, offered hugs (sensory regulation) and sessions like walks in the local park to ease the feelings that came up with being in rooms.

ethics dont begin to cover the gray areas he stretched to help me heal and throughout this by no means have i felt like he did anything wrong as i truly felt a sense of safety and ease and like i could manage without him because he believed in me.

that was up until his partner messaged me. we are 2 months after his terminal diagnosis, and after research the 2 year wait of ethics is technically in a gray area because he is dying. its a bit late to pull the ethics card.

now i know likely all of her message is because she is struggling to let go too of her partner, as would i be. i hold such a great compassion for her situation right now and of think about her very fondly.

this however has been handled so poorly. there have been constant moving expectations, and boundaries and i feel as though over the years i have put up with many instances where maybe as a client i shouldnt have had to. (a medical proffesional telling me once that its completely innapropriate the expectations that have been out on me.) all because i pushed to have it mimic a real relationship so i could learn how to navigate.

i have cried so much these past few months and before the terminal diagnosis was considering leaving therapy as i felt hugely capable without him.

this is such an abrupt was to end this half decade of my life trusting this man who in his dying days seems not to give a shit. or is maybe just running with his partners mistake in support. im not sure. but this is so devastating to have it end like this. its such an awful memory of him and now a shame because everywhere reminds me of him because of his involvement in my life. im sure later on this will be lovely but right now its painful. there was no goodbye.

its crazy to me because there was one time we had a fight because i said i cared more about him and he was going to reply, later told me,that i didnt know that so i couldnt say that to him.

this whole thing is fucked i know. but not even a goodbye after 5 years. like that is so shit. just so sad. its all so unfair.

please comfort me
Life Coach Issues Stories

if i was your daughter, what would you say so that she doesn't keep on thinking of self-harming more than she has so far and give up on life? i'm starving for someone's love and it doesn't matter if i sound overly desperate anymore. pls?

i feel like a stupid fool
Life Coach Issues Stories

My intelligence is in decline, and it shows through my dropping grades and my sudden inability to form a single thread of rational/coherent thought, nonetheless converse properly with others. This might have been because I withdrew myself for the past few years, isolating myself from all social contact like a fool because I couldn't handle relationships anymore and pitied myself for being part of a broken home---it might've been because all the pain I felt back then messed up my brain.

I can't think clearly anymore, and my head feels stuffy all day every day; it doesn't stop. I've said so many hurtful things to this girl I recently came to care about, because I didn't realize what I was saying as my brain short-circuited every second and automatically rushed to the first (and often inappropriate) thing that came to mind. I'm so frustrated with myself right now. Before my withdrawal I used recognize and manage people's emotions really well and be able to navigate my interactions with others with a degree of emotional intelligence; now I'm simply an airhead who's too stuck up in the clouds to concentrate on her words.

I also used to excel in school and was basically the "smart kid" in class. Now I've built up a reputation of holding her head in front of the whole class, crying, "I'm sorry; my brain is short-circuiting"; stupidly staring at her textbook with a blank stare when the teacher asked her to answer a question about what we read; and responding to "What American history topic do you want to write a poem on?" with "Bloody Mary."

I went to a doctor last November in search of answers, and it was confirmed that I had an iron deficiency (but not anemic yet). I took pills regularly afterwards, but even now that my iron levels are in normal range, I still experience brain fog. I told my doctor about this, and it just seems everything points to a mental problem. Yet I can't check with a psychologist because of circumstances that can't be helped. I can't do this anymore. I feel like an utter failure and feel so alone right now.

i think i need help.
Life Coach Issues Stories

Claiming someone else’s work isn’t just unfair—it’s deeply indoctrinated in our society as morally wrong. Whether it’s copyright infringement, theft, plagiarism, or cultural appropriation, taking credit for something that isn’t yours is something everyone has confronted. But why are parents excluded from the equation? Why do they violate the very first rule they teach into their children?

I owe a lot to my parents; not just for clothes, food, and education, but also the opportunities they’ve given me. There’s much to appreciate, and even more to give back. All my life, they’ve given me the resources I needed to thrive. A prominent example is school. I was privileged enough to be driven in bad weather, and to own a bike on sunny days. My desk was always fully stocked with calculators, notebooks, and computers, granting me access to a limitless world of knowledge. I owed them all my happiness, success, and achievements. Until now.

A single Google search on one unparticular afternoon shattered the illusion I had lived in for a decade. “Tiger Parenting”, coined by Amy Chua (an American author and law professor), prioritizes the academic performance of a child over anything else. As I scrolled down the article, puzzle pieces that seemed to fit teared themselves apart and rearranged themselves into a grotesque, rancid truth.

Suddenly, all the words and phrases and speeches my parents gave had a new meaning. I didn’t own my life. They did.

Here are a few examples:

School.

I’m high achiever at school. That’s something I can state confidently and without doubt. My short-term memory was close to photographic, and I could spell Erlenmeyer without having a stroke.

The grade was 73%. On that Tuesday, I had written a narrative essay and had an upcoming biology test (which I received 100% on). The quiz was on quadratics—something I could do in my sleep with one left hand. Yet when I received the results, the entire second page was bleeding with red ink.

My parents were outraged, to say the least. Mind you, this was the beginning of the second semester, and the second quiz we’ve had (the first being a review). Last semester, my average was an unweighted 98%. But my parents were having none of it. Bad day? Just an excuse. You are unworthy of college, and don’t even think about university. You’re going to end up homeless like those kids who vape at your school.

No joke. This is the direct translation from Chinese-English to full English. It didn’t matter what I said. The message was repeated for two hours. It discussed everything from carelessness to selfishness to lack of responsibility to lack of time management to stupidity to my future to other classmates. The purpose was clear: degrade me into never thinking about below a 95% ever again.

Robotics.

I participated in the FIRST Robotics Competition, an unforgettable experience that inspires students through competitive robotics, emphasizing teamwork, innovation, and real-world engineering skills. One of its most prestigious honors is the Dean’s List, awarded to ten individuals who demonstrate outstanding dedication to FIRST. I was nominated as a Dean’s List semi-finalist for my commitment and leadership within my team.

I earned this recognition on my own. My parents weren’t involved—I applied myself, wrote my own essays, and highlighted my own achievements. To advance to the finalist stage, I was required to complete an interview at an upcoming event about two months later.

Somehow, through a connection (probably another parent), my own folks heard about my nomination. And suddenly, it felt like they were the ones preparing for the interview. Every evening, I was pressured—forced to answer practice questions, take notes, and rehearse over and over again. Whenever I pushed back, things escalated.

"Write it, or you’re not going out with friends tomorrow."

"Prepare for it. Your grades aren’t enough, and this is something you need to succeed in life."

"You need to stand out from your classmates.”

"Why don’t you rehearse during your school lunch break? You don’t need the break anyways.”

It all had the same message: if you don’t prepare for this interview, you’re not worth anything to me or anyone else.

I hated the pressure. My reasoning was simple and clear: I found this opportunity myself, and I’m going to prepare for it myself. I’m not doing this interview for you—I’m doing it for me. So, I don’t need to prepare on your schedule or drop everything to do it.

And then came the counterarguments:

"If I hadn’t driven you to robotics every Saturday, you wouldn’t have had the opportunity in the first place."

"If I hadn’t paid for your lessons, you wouldn’t have had anything to write on your application."

“If I didn’t drive you to school every day, you wouldn’t have had good marks to brag about.”

Again, the message was the same: You owe me this, and you’re going to do it my way.

That’s not the end. At our first event, I was nominated as Safety Captain, responsible for promoting a safe working environment in the venue. I did not mention this to my parents. There was one award at stake—The Safety All-Star. It may have seemed small and insignificant, but the idea of having one thing that I could truly call my own, something I had earned through my own effort, was tantalizing.

Through my own hard work—hand-drawn safety signs, networking, and carefully prepared responses to interviews from the safety managers—the moment when my name was announced was nothing short of unbelievable. My cheeks ached from the grin that stretched across my face, and I couldn’t remember the last time I had smiled so widely, so genuinely. At last, I had earned something all on my own.

But a few days later, as we drove home, that sense of accomplishment quickly deflated. Through another parent, my mom had heard about the award and, once again, tried to take the significance from me.

“If I hadn’t driven you to those lifeguarding lessons, you wouldn’t have been able to demonstrate those skills and win.”

“Without me signing the consent form, you wouldn’t have gone in the first place.”

“It’s only because I paid for your art classes that you could’ve made those signs so well.”

Again, the same message: You’re only worth who you are because of me.

Conclusion.

So, this is my haunting question. If everything I accomplish—achieve, contribute, design, make, write, or win—belongs to my parents and was only possible through them, what is my own life worth? If I don’t own anything, even my own life, then who am I?

This is not the first existential crisis I’ve had, yet every time I’m able to answer what the meaning of my life is: I’m going to make an impact on this world, whether I like it or not, so I’m going to make it better than it was a minute ago.

But this time was different.

What are you supposed to do when your own meaning of life is stripped away from you, by the ones who supposedly love you the most?