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Case Study: Writing a Ten-Year Letter Assignment
Christy L. Lipps
Liberty University
LIFC201: Introduction to Life Coaching
Professor Brittany Hoyt
August 3, 2025
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Case Study: Writing a Ten-Year Letter Assignment
Client Progress and Session Overview
Since finishing her Graph of Life Jen continues the practice of writing and mapping
possible paths to help discover her strengths and gain greater clarity about her goals. She still
feels a sadness and loss of what used to be her identity as a full-time stay at home mom but is
beginning to develop a sense of hope and motivation about finding and applying for part-time
and flexible work that lines up with her values.
In our most recent session, I introduced Jen to the Ten-Year Letter exercise (Collins, 2009,
Appendix I). We discussed that through this writing exercise, Jen would imagine herself ten
years from now and then hold on to her desired identity. Jen was a little hesitant at first but
after some self-reflection and prayer, she began writing. She imagined her work as a
familyfocused career and seen that she stayed committed to her connection with the church,
and lastly, she imagined the connection she had with her children only grew stronger.
Rationale and Course Material
The Ten-Year Letter can be a powerful visioning and motivating tool. Clients who write
this letter gain a clearer image of what they want to become and have an idea of what they will
do to move toward that goal (Collins, 2009). Additionally, the Ten-Year Letter fits well with the
emerging trends in narrative coaching methods that support identity construction and
meaningmaking (Greer & Kirk, 2022). By writing this letter, Jen was also taking a step towards
reclaiming her identity as a mother, wife, believer, and future mentor in the community.
Research also shows that goal-related self-efficacy can be increased through guided coaching
interventions. For example, one meta-analysis of 93 experimental studies found that when
individuals are guided to imagine and celebrate their future selves, actual goal progress and
personal resilience can improve (Corbu et al., 2021).
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Learnings and Benefits
As Jen worked on her Ten-Year Letter, she had a clearer sense of the type of person she
wanted to be in the future. The letter helped her see who she wants to be (serving families and
mentoring others), what she wants to do (having her own practice and being involved in her
children’s lives), and who she wants to become (spiritually mature). She moved from feeling
confused to hopeful and described the exercise as energizing. She was more ready and willing to
take specific steps such as searching online for available positions and requirements, updating
her resume, enrolling in online classes or certificate programs, and looking to her church
community for support and accountability.
Biblical Integration
Jen’s Ten-Year vision was also in line with biblical concepts of stewardship and purposeful
living. I shared a scripture with her from Proverbs, “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord
determines her steps” (Christian Standard Bible, 2017, Proverbs 16:9). Jen understood that she
can take ownership of her future vision, but the connections she is building, like coaching,
church support, and prayer, are critical.
Personal Reflection
Writing my own Ten-Year Letter turned out to be incredibly powerful and moving, not
just for me but also for the person I read it to, my husband. It allowed me to reflect on the
person I am becoming and the dreams I hold close to my heart. I wrote with vision, hope,
determination, and a great amount of gratitude. This practice gave me clarity on my long-term
goals and helped me to see what a full and purposeful life could look like for me and my family.
In my letter, I wrote about graduating alongside my husband, both of us completing our
bachelor’s programs and walking across the stage together as a testimony to our hard work and
perseverance. I also wrote about being accepted into my master’s program for addiction
counseling at the same time as my little boy is transitioning out of his Birth-to-Three (BTT)
program. I see him continuing to receive services for his developmental delays, but I also have
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confidence that he will gain verbal abilities, do well in homeschooling, and become a respectful
boy who loves God and makes friends in our church.
I also see myself working as a service coordinator for BTT, while going to school, to
support other families going through what we had. My husband, who regularly shares his story
at the local MAT clinic, will have taken a formal role as an intake specialist. We will be
celebrating 14 years of sobriety ten years from now, active in our church, and finally be
homeowners after years of financial ruin and loan denials. This is not a list of hopes or dreams;
this is an act of faith, restoration, and purpose.
Completing my Ten-Year Letter allowed me to see and believe that restoration and
success are possible when coupled with intentionality and spiritual development. I recognized I
had to let go of some resentments, fears, low self-esteem, abandonment, and rejection. I also
visualized myself coming into a spiritual awakening by fully giving myself to God, choosing to live
out of faith and allowing Him to direct my path. I was able to respond with a renewed heart that
allows me to serve and help others, especially women in domestic abuse relationships and
those struggling with substance abuse and addiction.
Coaching wise I found this exercise to be extremely valuable. I was able to reflect on how
effective visualization practices can create motivation and set change in motion. I can absolutely
see myself using the Ten-Year Letter with future clients, particularly those going through life
transitions, who feel uncertain about their next steps, or are struggling with a sense of being
stuck.
Integration of ICF Core Competencies
The Ten-Year Letter exercise can be used to support and develop several ICF Core
Competencies in meaningful and practical ways. Most notably, this exercise addresses Creating
Awareness (Competency 8), Designing Actions (Competency 9), and Establishing Trust and
Intimacy with the Client (Competency 3). Each of these core areas is powerfully engaged when
clients spend time thinking through who they want to become and describing their ideal future.
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Creating Awareness is a fundamental step toward helping the client define practical steps
toward their vision. When I encouraged Jen to write from her future self, she was able to see
how she thought of her current limitations. Designing Actions is closely like creating awareness.
Jen not only imagined what her life might be like in ten years from now, she also started to set
some priorities to actively pursue that vision. And as the coach enters into a very personal
intimate space with the client, this exercise provides a way to demonstrate the competency
Establishing Trust and Intimacy with the Client. This is also demonstrated by respecting Jen’s
worldview and encouraging self-reflection.
References
Christian Standard Bible. (2017). Holman Bible Publishers.
Collins, G. (2009). Christian coaching: Helping others turn potential into reality. 2nd edition.
NavPress.
Corbu, A., Peláez Zuberbühler, M. J., & Salanova, M. (2021). Positive Psychology MicroCoaching
Intervention: Effects on Psychological Capital and Goal-Related Self-
Efficacy. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 566293.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.566293
Greer, T. W., & Kirk, A. F. (2022). Overcoming Barriers to Women's Career Transitions: A
Systematic Review of Social Support Types and Providers. Frontiers in psychology, 13,
777110. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.777110
