How to become A Life Coach

A Life Coach gives people an opportunity to take their life from good to great. They facilitate growth and progress by lending a helping hand to their clients in improving relationships, careers, health, and other aspects of human existence. Life Coaches empower their clients with mental frameworks and regulatory strategies to lead fulfilling lives and remain mentally, emotionally and spiritually healthy.

• Certified Life Coach

• Executive Coach

• Enrichment Specialist

What do Life Coaches do?

A Life Coach would typically need to:

• Empower clients to progress towards overall wellness and balance; facilitate them to make lasting and constructive changes in their lives by creating and using strategies that optimise their strengths and talents 

• Evaluate clients to ascertain their requirements and how coaching can fullfil them

• Arrange for a coaching contract for a specific number of sessions, discuss confidentiality and work according to a Code of Ethics

• Build a healthy and trustworthy working relationship with clients to allow them to communicate their values and beliefs; stay empathetic and non-judgemental

• Use coaching skills to develop the clients’ self-awareness so that they can better understand their beliefs and how it impacts their feelings and actions

• Enable clients to identify and use their unique qualities and gifts and pinpoint and overcome their weaknesses or external obstacles

• Collaborate with them to set goals to improve their day-to-day lives, careers, health and relationships

• Devise action plans depending on the clients’ beliefs; work with them through various techniques and help them achieve their goals

• Teach clients self-help tools and techniques to manage their emotions and behaviour, such as mindfulness that helps destress and enhances productivity

• Regularly review the progress that clients make, realigning goals and strategies as needed

• Continuously motivate clients on the path of goal realisation; use creative ways to keep them focused

• Understand and apply coaching frameworks and theories of positive psychology to help clients

• Suggest supplementary treatment, if needed, to help their clients attain the goals established during consultations 

• Reflect and build self-awareness to improve as a practitioner; stay current with new theories and techniques

Freelance or self-employed Life Coaches enjoy some flexibility in deciding their work location and environment. They can work in an office, at home, in a rented space, over the telephone or through video coaching. Coaching online and over the phone extends your clientele to different locations, even overseas. 

However, if you are employed or contracted to an employer, you will typically work from an office.

You may need to travel to other locations for networking events or training. 

Since Life Coaches typically work independently, they can schedule their own working hours. You may also need to work evenings or weekends to accommodate clients who are busy on weekdays.

Your professional body may advise a maximum number of hours of client contact every week because of the emotionally stressful nature of your work. Some coaches work part-time to supplement other similar work they do such as counselling or careers consultancy.

In addition to client appointments, you will need to devote time to build your reputation, expand your network of agencies, employers and potential clients, and engage in professional development and supervision.

Finding clients or a new job might seem challenging. Life Coaches can build their clientele by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly for executive coaching, putting up online or magazine ads and distributing flyers, leveraging social media, and hosting meetups. They may boost their job search by using job search platforms, going to job fairs, and inquiring at staffing agencies. 

Life Coaches are generally employed by: 

• Higher Education Institutions

• Prisons 

• Schools 

• Charity Sector 

• Health, Wellbeing & Professional Services

Professional associations and organisations, such as The International Authority for Professional Coaching and Mentoring (IAPCM), are crucial for Life Coaches interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Emotional stress due to stubborn clients who are resistant to change

• Thinking on your feet about alternative strategies to suit the client’s needs

• Adverse weather conditions while working outside the office

• Encountering emotionally disturbed people and the need to separate your emotions from work 

• Lack of work-life balance and a feeling of isolation

Any academic program that a potential Life Coach takes up typically requires a period of supervised experience, such as an internship. However, where you intern may depend on your major since your degree program may be in a related area, such as psychology, instead of life coaching itself. 

You could begin by volunteering to coach friends and their acquaintances. You would also need to fulfil the requisite training hours as part of your life coaching training program. You may get to hear countless stories from more experienced professionals and obtain valuable hands-on experience when they manage to turn seemingly routine incidents into unique learning moments.

However, life coaching is a field wherein a degree may be helpful, but life and professional experience are more significant. Coaching institutes typically give preference to candidates with voluntary experience. You can join forces within the charity sector in community centres, care homes and prisons to start chalking up invaluable firsthand practise in supporting people from diverse backgrounds. If you are training in life coaching, you may be accepted at educational institutions.

Think ahead and aim to gather experience in your chosen specialisation. If you plan to take up leadership coaching, try to acquire management experience. Having worked as a teacher, coach or paid mentor/trainer at an educational institution is also helpful.

Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experts working in coaching to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers. 

While there are no specific or mandatory educational requirements to become a Life Coach, it is helpful for candidates to hold at least a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social development or a similar field. A psychology degree prepares you with the theoretical knowledge and practical and research skills you need to help your clients foster lasting and positive psychological changes. 

Aspiring Life Coaches often approach the career with experience and qualifications in diverse fields, such as business, counselling, human resources (HR), or social care. A degree relevant to the type of coaching you wish to take up allows you to work as a specialist. For example, expertise in finance, financial markets and taxes would facilitate coaching in the corporate world. You could also specialise in areas ranging from career coaching or interpersonal relationships to physical fitness or substance abuse.

Keep in mind that since there is no prescribed degree, you may enter the field of life coaching with any level of postsecondary education, an associate, bachelor’s or master’s degree or even with a PhD. Life Coach training organisations offer programs in the field, but without accreditation, they have no authority over the industry, coaches and other training organisations.

Certification demonstrates a Life Coach’s competence in a skill set and in-depth knowledge of the field, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. When acquired from an objective and reputed organisation, it can help you stand out in a competitive field and allow you to become an independent consultant. 

Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics. They also enable you to understand different coaching methods, work with diverse clients and approach their issues with deeper empathy and understanding. 

You may apply for certification by organisations, such as the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the International Association of Coaching (IAC), which require you to demonstrate expertise in your field and excellent work standards.

Life Coaches typically do not need a licence to practice. 

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high performance levels may be eligible for promotion every two to three years. 

If you work in executive, health or career coaching, you may be able to join organisations that specialise in these areas. With experience, you can even progress to management roles. 

As you gain expertise, you can begin running workshops and supervising other coaches. Uploading vlogs, writing blogs, books, or articles,  and participating in radio and television programs will allow you to reach a wider audience, build clientele, and perhaps charge higher consultation fees.

Candidates with the necessary work and life experience, interpersonal skills, relevant education and certification have the best job prospects.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Life Coach build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, 

formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to upskill continually, regardless of your age, job, or level of knowledge. Keep in mind that your development is typically self-directed. 

Certification by a professional coaching body requires you to meet continuing professional development (CPD) requirements. You could choose the certification that matches your career goals or current expertise. You could also study further and advance to the level of Master Coach. 

Depending on your professional body, it is mandatory to receive a certain number of hours of supervision every year. As a member of a professional body, you will be regularly updated about the workshops, masterclasses, relevant conferences that may contribute to your CPD and allow you to expand your network. 

In addition to life and work experience and education, guiding clients towards overall wellbeing and goal achievement requires specialised training. Aspiring Life Coaches learn the psychological and ethical concepts of coaching, assessment procedures to evaluate clients, and communication skills during the training. Examples of training courses include learning how to lead workshops, teaching public speaking skills to clients, or coaching them in entrepreneurship or sales strategies.

Build your business acumen and take formal training in financial management and sales & marketing to grow your business.

How Was Life Coaching Born?

Although life coaching is a new career field, its roots go back to older disciplines, particularly psychology. It derives its principles and technique from the human potential movement of the 1960s, leadership training, adult education, and personal development.

Life coaching formally evolved during the 1980s and gained traction throughout the 1990s and 2000s. While earlier forms of life coaching pivoted around life planning, the field has grown to incorporate various areas of life, such as relationships, finances, careers, health and general wellness.

Some Areas That Life Coaches Help Clients Deal With

Life Coaches can guide clients in planning or advancing their careers or business, setting life goals (such as losing weight, adopting a healthier lifestyle, becoming more organised, finding a passion, or creating work-life balance), building or improving relationships, dealing with a divorce, overcoming barriers and fears, getting out of a rut, enhancing communication skills, and living a more fulfilled life by meeting personal, emotional and financial needs. 

Types of Life Coaches

Some Life Coaches work with a generalised, all-inclusive approach to diverse clients, while others specialise in helping people in particular areas. Specialist fields include coaching in addiction & sobriety, business, executive & leadership, careers, diet & fitness, family life, divorce, health & wellness coaching, financial security, life skills, mental health, spirituality, and sports. 

Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment

Freelancing Life Coaches have more flexible work schedules and locations. They have full ownership of the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.

On the other hand, a full-time Life Coach has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.

When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.

Life Coaches often use the four-step GROW model to help clients set goals and problem-solve, where G stands for goal, R for reality, O for obstacles and options, and W for the way forward. 

As we grow, life gets complex. While education, career and family are all meant to make life pleasant and successful, they can generate challenges that impact an individual’s overall wellbeing and mindset. Successful Life Coaches are professionals who do not exercise judgment but arm their clients with innovative strategies, tools, and techniques to tide over rough patches in life and achieve their goals on their own steam. 

Get an edge over competition by researching and trying new marketing & sales techniques, including digital marketing. When you contact prospective clients, be courageous to face rejection and occasionally impolite responses from people who do not know about or appreciate life coaching. Practise resilience and be determined to keep trying, which is also what you teach your clients.