Can You Really Become a Life Coach?
Anyone can become a life coach as long as you have the skills and desire.
The coaching industry is unregulated and there is no need for any specialist qualification to start practicing.
If you trawl through Google you will see dozens of different courses offering training.
The course quality varies enormously as indeed does the cost.
At the lower end are the courses that will cost you around $400 (£200).
These are often called Diploma or Certificate in Life Coaching.
However, the title means little.
There are no recognised standards for training or qualifications in the sector.
There are then the courses that will set you back $1600 (£800) or more.
Some of these may involve a degree of face to face learning with a life coach.
Ultimately the information may be a little more detailed, but the broad course outline will be the same.
Whether you look at courses costing $400 (£200) or $1600 (£800) they will do little more, indeed in some cases less, than what you get with simpler guides which cost much less.
Once you are up and running and starting to earn a little I would certainly encourage further training, but do not necessarily assume that the more you spend on training the better the course will be.
Do not assume that a Diploma or a Certificate is worth any more than a low cost guide, which does not offer any kind of qualification.
Anyone can set-up a course in life coaching, they can issue any kind of qualification at the end of it and charge you whatever they want.
It does not mean you are any better trained than from reading a guide or a book on the subject.
So, anyone with the right attitude and desire can become a coach.
There are however a few personal skills that you could do with to make life a little easier.
The personal qualities I would look for in a life coach might be: Commitment - someone who is genuinely committed to coaching and improving me.
Someone who can fully focus on me during my life coaching sessions.
Knowledge - someone who has access to the knowledge, skills and tools to help me get more out of myself.
Approachable - someone who is approachable so that I am comfortable talking to them.
Open - someone who is open and accepts my view of the world as it is - albeit improvements might be made.
In other words someone who will not judge me for my actions and for who I am.
The issue you have is that if you have all of these personal traits will you take the plunge and become a life coach? How many times in the past have you had an urge to do something and then done absolutely nothing about it? Seize the opportunity and soon you will be telling others to seize their opportunities too!
The coaching industry is unregulated and there is no need for any specialist qualification to start practicing.
If you trawl through Google you will see dozens of different courses offering training.
The course quality varies enormously as indeed does the cost.
At the lower end are the courses that will cost you around $400 (£200).
These are often called Diploma or Certificate in Life Coaching.
However, the title means little.
There are no recognised standards for training or qualifications in the sector.
There are then the courses that will set you back $1600 (£800) or more.
Some of these may involve a degree of face to face learning with a life coach.
Ultimately the information may be a little more detailed, but the broad course outline will be the same.
Whether you look at courses costing $400 (£200) or $1600 (£800) they will do little more, indeed in some cases less, than what you get with simpler guides which cost much less.
Once you are up and running and starting to earn a little I would certainly encourage further training, but do not necessarily assume that the more you spend on training the better the course will be.
Do not assume that a Diploma or a Certificate is worth any more than a low cost guide, which does not offer any kind of qualification.
Anyone can set-up a course in life coaching, they can issue any kind of qualification at the end of it and charge you whatever they want.
It does not mean you are any better trained than from reading a guide or a book on the subject.
So, anyone with the right attitude and desire can become a coach.
There are however a few personal skills that you could do with to make life a little easier.
The personal qualities I would look for in a life coach might be: Commitment - someone who is genuinely committed to coaching and improving me.
Someone who can fully focus on me during my life coaching sessions.
Knowledge - someone who has access to the knowledge, skills and tools to help me get more out of myself.
Approachable - someone who is approachable so that I am comfortable talking to them.
Open - someone who is open and accepts my view of the world as it is - albeit improvements might be made.
In other words someone who will not judge me for my actions and for who I am.
The issue you have is that if you have all of these personal traits will you take the plunge and become a life coach? How many times in the past have you had an urge to do something and then done absolutely nothing about it? Seize the opportunity and soon you will be telling others to seize their opportunities too!
Source...