If you’re interested in becoming a life coach and in the process of selecting life coaching courses, here are three things you need to know before you go to any life coaching training program.
1. What kind of life coach do you want to become?
Life coaches have many sub-specialties including business, career, finances, health and relationships. Through a specialized process, life coaches encourage their clients improve performance and achieve results their clients would not have achieved on their own. Your goal as a life coach is to assist your clients set goals, take smart action, make wise decisions, and more fully use their natural strengths. The life coaching courses should have the area in which you want to focus on. What need are you trying to address?
2. Determine if the life coaching courses are certified.
Why is finding accredited life coaching courses essential? The reasons are:
1) You want to be confident you are getting quality training that has been approved through a standardized process. A life coach who has been certified by the International Coach Federation (ICF) for example has met ICF’s tough requirements of coaching. An ICF accredited coach has obtained very specific coaching instructions, has completed a set number of experience hours and has been coached by a mentor coach.
2) You have another weapon in your marketing arsenal when you are ready to start your practice. Place yourself in the mind of a prospective client. What would they be doing after your initial conversation with them? Chances are, they will go to your website, investigate and check out your qualifications. A life coach that has an industry recognized accreditation has a much higher chance of landing that client than one that has none. An accredited life coach has an easier time justifying higher fees for his or her service.
3. Know if the course instructors have the necessary experience and aptitude for training life coaches
While a program may have been certified by an institution, the learning experience can vary depending on the ability of the trainer to teach and guide the student. In the ideal case, you would want to get the training from someone who cares about developing great life coaches. In addition to researching the curriculum and accreditation of the life training programs, you should also investigate the life coach instructors as well. How long have they practiced life coaching? Get references from current and past students. Search for references in trade journals or in press reports.
Becoming a life coach is a noble pursuit that brings tremendous professional and personal satisfaction. Getting the right life coach training is an important step in your journey so consider these important points before committing to any life coaching courses.
