A complete guide to life coaching certification & training with a list of accredited schools costs & requirements necessary to become certified:
What is a life coach?
Life Coaching is a process that takes place in a strong and collaborative relationship between a trained certified coach and a person who seeks to achieve a goal and to improve their life in some way. It’s considered a relationship because it relies heavily on both the coach and the client’s personal investment to make the process work.
A Life Coach is someone who has been trained to ask the right questions, to offer the appropriate tools, and to guide the client to maximize their potential and to achieve their long-desired results. To do this, they have been educated and continually seek to improve themselves in order to create greater outcomes with their clients.
Certified Life Coaches use a range of tools to challenge their clients to change their lives for the better. They have learned how to do that in specialized schools that need to achieve high standards of operation to be considered adequate in the work of training these professionals.
These schools provide the necessary tools and skills for their students to enhance their emphatic skills of interpersonal intelligence to go around helping people to live a fulfilled and happier life.
What does a life coach do?
A Life Coach advises, encourages and guides their clients on their varied issues, both personal and professional. This can include, but is not limited to, specific personal life changes such as habits or beliefs, relationship problems, specific professional projects, emotional independence, spiritual evolution, better physical health, better financial health… There are several reasons why a person seeks the service of a Life Coach.
The coaching process consists basically in analyzing the specific issue of the client, identifying and overcoming possible obstacles and drawing a plan based on the person’s preferences so that they can achieve their goal and make changes or shifts in their life.
Often the client comes to the professional without even knowing what exactly they want to change in their life, just feeling they are dissatisfied. So it’s up to the Coach to clear the area and find, in partnership with the client, what exactly this one wants and needs.
There may also have situations in which the person has the belief, for example, that they need a romantic relationship to be happy and complete. It is also the coach’s role to use their coach expertise to modify goals as needed. In that case it would be up to him to show the person that, actually, they need first to feel happy and complete to, only after that, build a healthy relationship with someone.
The process of coaching is also – and especially – a process of self-knowledge and self-discovery. It is the Coach’s job to encourage clients to self-analyze, reflect on their deepest desires and understand where they came from, why they exist. This process empowers the client and improves their self-esteem and self-love, which generates the strength, the essential power to achieve good results with Coaching and in life.
How much money can you make as a life coach?
To understand what the average salary of a life coach is, you first need to understand that there are many factors that need to be considered. There’s no doubt that the Coaching industry is thriving. In 2012, there were approximately 47,500 professional coaches on the market that bring in a combined $2 billion in revenue. Perhaps this boom is due to the insecurity caused by the recent times economy, perhaps by the increasing demand of people in pursuit of their purposes in life, fact is that the profession is finally and definitely gaining respect.
As the Coach is a self-employed professional, meaning they own their own business, it’s them who decide how much they will charge for their hour. And that number will change a lot, according to some specific factors like the area of expertise, skills, other services provided and experience.
After deciding that they want to pursue coach’s career, the essential thing to do is to discover the subarea in which they intend to act. Many, trying desperately not to lose any potential client, end up becoming generalists, while clients seek out experts, professionals who understand exactly what context and moment of life they are in.
The coaching industry is divided into basically three areas of practice: executive coaching, business coaching and life coaching. Choosing a specialty puts the professional in an expert position, which puts them above the competition, guaranteeing a greater income.
In addition, diversifying income is also very relevant for anyone looking to thrive financially in this industry. Giving lectures and seminars, writing books, offering trainings, creating online programs, exploring social networks, there are several ways to make money as a Coach.
Speaking in numbers and about average salary of those professionals, a coach can earn from $25 per hour to $300+ per hour, depending on their experience and their abilities. A coach coming out of a certification program charges typically from $ 100 to $ 150 per hour. Per month, it can vary from $ 200 to $ 10,000, depending on the services offered. From $zero to $15,000+ to speak at an event.
Of course, these numbers depend on the coach’s demand, experience, ability, expertise and skill. To achieve success in this career requires talent, professional training, the courage to put yourself out there, seeking strategies to sell your services, and the skill to grow and flourish as an entrepreneur.
Life coach legal requirements
Many people choose to be Life Coach as the first and only profession and many Life Coaches have a background in another profession. It is very common Life Coaches with backgrounds in mental health or counseling, for example. Unlike other professions, however, there are no legal standards required to become a life coach, but you’ll want the certification provided by the International Coach Federation.
The ICF offers three levels of coach credentials. The first of these is the Associate Certified Coach, which requires at least 60 hours of training and 100 hours of experience as a Coach. The second is the “Professional Certified Coach”, which requires at least 125 hours of training and 500 hours of experience. And the third, the “Master Certified Coach”, title that only those who have a minimum of 200 hours of training and 2500 hours of experience can boast.
The truth is that the coaching industry is still poorly regulated despite its tremendous growth. While no formal education is required to be Life Coach, accredited coaches are already much more valuable on the market. Such certifications are offered by the International Coach Federation to any interested professional, not only Life Coaches and there are, currently, over 150 ICF Accredited Coach Training Programs in the world.
Life coach certification accredited
A few years ago if you decided to call yourself a Life Coach two things could happen: either the person would not know what you were talking about, or they would have a vague idea in mind and be sure that you were someone esoteric doing mystical and mysterious work. Rare were the people who really knew what the Life Coach work was about.
Over time, more people have seen the Life Coaches’ work, more coaches have emerged, and nowadays Life Coaching is already considered a serious and respected profession. Most people already know what it is all about and pretty much everyone has heard about the profession.
The problem is that with this recent boom of Life Coaching industry, many people who are simply empathic, possessors of strong interpersonal intelligence and leadership traits, good ears and good advice to give could decide to wake up and call themselves a coach. It’s like waking up one day and naming yourself a doctor just because you know how to do some wound dressings.
The profession has not yet been regulated to the point where it is forbidden for you to call yourself Life Coach without being certified by a licensed school. Anyone may call themselves a Life Coach and many potential clients can hire a service from an unlicensed Life Coach.
Of course these unlicensed coaches can help their clients in some way, many have studied a lot on the subject and already possess valuable skills and tools. The point is that a coach who attended licensed school programs is potentially a professional incomparably superior to those who are self-taught or licensed by non accredited schools.
But what’s so special about licensed schools?
The International Coach Federation certification makes all the difference. ICF is the global pioneer organization in the field, its mission is to lead the global advancement of coaching profession, and facilitate a community formed by these professionals. They offer the knowledge and support that coaches need and, above all, set the standards required for a school to be accredited.
To become an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP), the program must achieve the standards set by the International Coach Federation and they are rigorous. According to the ICF accreditation guidelines, each Accredited Coach Training Program must offer at least 125 hours of coach skills training, competency and code of ethics training, six sessions in observation by an experienced coach while you coach clients, at least 6 observed-coaching sessions with an experienced coach, a comprehensive final exam, and of course, credentialed trainers by the ICF.
That’s why to get your education from an accredited school makes all the difference.
Life coach certification cost
To give you an idea, the average cost in the Accredited Coach Training Program ranges from $1,500 to $10,000, and may cost even more. Those are costs of tuition only, not included books, supplies, materials and other fees. This number varies greatly depending on some factors such as location, whether the program is online or presidential, length of training and the area of specialization in which it is intended to act.
Yes, it will cost a significant amount of money to graduate as a Life Coach but, keeping in mind that the earning potential as a life coach is upwards of $100,000 a year, the investment will be worth it. It only takes you to be sure of what you want for your professional life and the wisdom of patiently researching the Life Coach School on which it is worth investing.
What can you do with a life coach certification?
Just as you would not do your knee surgery with a self-taught doctor and would not take care of your teeth with a dentist who has never been to college, more and more potential clients are seeking for certified coaches.
Years ago it was common for people to consult with unaccredited coaches simply because the other option was much more remote. With the natural evolution and growth of Coaching as an increasingly regulated profession, now the well informed clients are looking for accredited coaches simply because they know those professionals are well prepared to help them with their issues.
By choosing a program with ICF-accreditation you will be equipped with the tools, knowledge and skills to achieve the best possible results with your clients. You will be really prepared to deal with the different types of personalities and with the specific obstacles of each client of yours. In addition, you will boost your credibility in the market due to your credentials and thus will attract more people interested in your work.
Something really important that your life coach certification provides you with is the permanent status of membership of the International Coach Federation, which gives you access to publications and research, discounts on events and conferences, as well as keeping you in touch with other professionals in the area. That facilitates partnerships and opens many doors with numerous opportunities for you.
Every life coach is someone who, first and foremost, has as their life purpose to touch someone’s life and make it flourish and thrive. Having a certification provided by a good accredited school, more than a diploma, more than a status, more than any benefit, it gives you the certainty that you have sought the best you could for your training. You can go to the world well aware of your value as a professional, knowing that you will really make a difference in many people’s lives.
Life coach certification reviews
It is a privilege to be part of this family and community of world changers! More than the quantity, they are after the heart and the quality of the people that they produce. This profession is really life changing! I am excited to learn more from this family of world changers and continue to bring change wherever I will be.
As a DreamBuilder Coach, certified by the Life Mastery Institute, I am so proud to be part of such a beautiful and life-transformational program! Mary Morrissey is the real deal, and so is her staff!
One of the most professional educational organizations I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with. I received my Credentials 7 plus years ago. They’re supportive, inspirational, and warm hearted individuals. I highly recommend The Life Coach Training Institute.
Life Mastery Institute is a living example as an organization, of what they teach. The consistency of professionalism, caring, generosity of time, products, and customer support is superior. Each and every staff person lives the company’s mission statement. Life Mastery Institute is a transformational, educational, and service oriented company that is Life enhancing.
Life coach training is a great experience for anyone who enjoys learning and helping others. Just like anything in life you have to work at it if you want to succeed. I love the fact that these ladies are women of their word and will coach you along every step of the way. Thank you!
Just this weekend I got certified as a Life Coach. The staff (Andrea, LaKendra, & Cherese) & the individuals I took the course with were nothing but amazing.. I didn’t know what to fully expect going in. But this whole experience was very informative and fulfilling.. I look forward to my future of being a Life Coach!!!
I just became a Dream Builder Coach / Life Mastery Consultant – when I entered the room 6 days ago, I honestly didn’t know what to expect – when I left the room 6 days later – I knew my life would NEVER BE THE SAME! I feel like a brand new creature! I feel like a new creation – I FEEL GOOD! Mary Morrissey is the real deal – she is truly a TRANSFORMATIONAL COACH! I thank God that I followed my intuition and took a chance on me! I am looking forward to my future because I know what it looks like!!!!!! Thank you Mary!
A Life-changing experience and high quality training. I felt totally comfortable starting my activity right after (I was a social worker before). I never regretted coming all the way from Italy to do it!
My experience with the Life Coach Training Institute has been amazing! I was trained having the one on one session which really allowed me to understand and share my personal skill set and even touch on areas of better growth. I extended a special thank you for my trainers who are approachable, compassionate and professional leaders.
I’ve been an International Head Coach / Trainer since 2005/6 and have yet to see a more comprehensive student friendly course which offers an easy to follow empowering programme which you can then use with your own clients to achieve phenomenal results, as well as flexibility and superb business support materials.
WOW! I just moved from Boston to Seattle to be part of this program and was super well received here. Richard and his facilitators are amazing! I’m learning a ton and feeling the love from my new awesome “family” in Seattle. I highly recommend the program if you’re looking into becoming a Certified Life Coach. Thank you guys for all the support and fantastic energy in class!
This program far surpassed my expectations. The facilitators are all master coaches and incredibly professional, dynamic and knowledgeable. The cohort of students were all high quality individuals sharing the same collective calling to steward the remembering of our own inner wisdom to live a life that is congruent with our hearts deepest callings.
I just graduated last night and still amped up about it. This institute was amazing. Any questions that I ever had were answered promptly and thoroughly. Paul hit a grand slam with this. I look forward to furthering my education with these wonderful people.
Cindy was wonderful and very passionate about equipping me to become an awesome Life Coach. She has years of experience in coaching and partnering with others to achieve their life goals. My classmates were full of knowledge, love, compassion, empathy, and dedicated with assisting others meet their life goals.
SLCT has become a second home. The love and warmth that fills that room is unexplainable. Richard, Jenny and Sherra put in the time and guidance to help you sift through the muck so that you can stand and be at your highest self and then shine your light onto others. I recommend this training full heartedly, to better yourself and become an amazing coach!!
At the age of 47 it seemed somewhat daunting and unsettling taking a decision to move on from 25+ years of corporate management with a desire to become a life coach. However, in choosing to train with and become certified by New Insights Life Coach Training, I only briefly look back, and only with pride, on how far I’ve come, as my vision is now firmly focused on my life purpose which I found on this journey to become a Certified New Insights Life Coach. The New Insights Life Coach Training program stretched much beyond my expectations and far beyond any other Life Coach training program I have researched. The quality, structure and support are unmatched. I don’t say lightly that I will forever be grateful for the transformational discovery and personal development that New Insights have enabled me to achieve. I am now equipped with knowledge, skills and confidence to live my own best life and look forward to serving and helping many many others to do the same. With immense gratitude.
I have watched New Insights over the years before enrolling this year as trainee coach. This is an excellent company which values quality and consistency. The course I am doing is real value for money and I get so much more than I bargained for. Thank you so much for being such an inspiration. It is a pleasure to be affiliated with this company. I have only had 5 star service so far and if I could I would give you 6 stars! 🙂 May our relationship be a long and happy one!
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