Sep 09
15
Becoming a Life Coach
With the ever increasing popularity of Life Coaches where more and more people are turning to them to look for more stability and organisation in the life. The upturn in demand for Life Coaches coupled with changes in attitudes to working patterns and a desire to become self employed people are also considering the option to train as a life coach as an alternative to the pressure laden environment of the corporate world and the day to day bind of office life.
There are a number of establishments where you can train to be a Life Coach; some of them specialise in Life Coach training while others include the training in a suite of programmes they offer.
So besides the reasons above, why do people really want to become a Life Coach? How do they decide and what do they have to do to actually become a Life Coach? Is there any kind of certification process? Is a license required? Who are the best trainers? How do you become a professional life coach? How long does it take? How much do I charge? Lots of questions to ask.
Why do people really want to become a Life Coach?
Other reasons why people decide to become a Life Coach is they see it as an easier lifestyle and setting their own schedule with lots of free time as good option. Don’t be fooled by this myth.
Is there any kind of certification process? Is a license required?
To date, in the UK and the USA as far as I know there isn’t a requirement to become formally trained or follow a prescribed training course. The number of organisations, UK and USA, who are prepared to offer certification is numerous but the trick is finding the one that provides quality training and just isn’t after your cash whilst handing out diplomas. A few words of warning, the Life Coaching field is becoming highly competitive and you should always keep in mind the differences between Life Coaching and other similar professions such as psychologists, counsellors and mentors. Don’t market yourself or your practice as such. It may be worth consider developing your skills in similar professions to help you distinguish the difference and help you to understand more easily when to refer your clients to other professions.
Who are the best trainers?
This depends on your learning style so you’ll have to speak to the different organisations to find out what their delivery method is. My guess the coaching diplomas will contain elements to satisfy all learning styles so to select a best one will depend on a number of factors such as your experience with the individual trainers, admin staff and correspondence to mention a few.
How do you become a professional life coach?
To refer to them as a professional coach is stretching it a little bit really because there is no requirement for coaches to be qualified. Anybody can set up a coaching practice with or without a qualification and call themselves a Professional Coach. However I would suggest you acquire a qualification for yourself, probably a Diploma, to give yourself some credibility.
How long does it take?
The length of qualification will vary depending on the delivery method and whether or not the training takes place at fixed times or whether or no the trainee coach is left to collect evidence and undertake an element of self study.
How much do I charge?
This really does depend on how much you want to charge. I’ve heard of Life Coaches charging between £20 and £250 per hour (I’m not sure what the dollar conversion is). It’s totally down to you and how much you value yourself and the benefits you provide for your client. Also there is the sensitive issue of whether or not you should charge your clients when you are training.
Finally something else to consider is unless you have somebody to market you or your practice you’re going to have to do this yourself. It’s not always easy especially if you’ve never done it before. Don’t train to be a Life Coach and then expect ‘all and sundry’ to want to buy your services. You’ll need to learn how to understand your clients buying strategy and use a technique known as Educational Marketing. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself having to give away coaching sessions free of charge. It’s about relationship building; this is probably as important, if not more important than the coaching sessions. If you can’t build relationships your coaching practice is going to struggle.
Thank you for reading this post, please let me know what you think and share your experiences. While you’re here please take the time to sign up for the newsletter or alternatively you may prefer to subscribe for regular updates in your favourite reader or by email.
photo credit: kevinspencer
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View Comments "Becoming a Life Coach"
Very true comments Paul. It is tough as is any business but if you have enough passion, belief and commitment you can make it work!
Martin,
Thank you for your comments. Yes it’s true passion, belief and commitment are key to success in many things in life and will support you through any tough passages in life, whether at work or in your personal life.
Hey Paul,
Great advice on the strengths and pitfalls of taking this approach. There is a lot to think about and many places to sink a lot of money for very little real value. Homework, homework, homework…… before you make a decision.
Mick,
Thanks for adding your comment.
You're right there's a great deal to think about, however I enjoyed the journey and very pleased to have completed it.
Regards
Paul