How Do I Become a Life Coach?

Can you become a life coach?

Pursuing a career as a life coach sounds attractive. Success in this field could bring you wisdom, admiration and the potential for a lot of income, but with these alluring perks come responsibility and effort. Before you tackle the task of transforming the lives of your future clients, you must first prepare yourself as a guide, mentor, sage, counselor and partner.

Instructions

1. Learn about philosophy and other world views by reading two or more books on the world's major religions and philosophies. Pick from Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Objectivism, Agnosticism, Atheism, Naturalism, Communism, Socialism and others. Note that this list is neither mutually exclusive nor exhaustive. This creates your foundation for establishing your approach to managing both your life and the life of your future clients.

2. Read books written by life coaches. You can pick from the top coaches and programs, such as Tony Robbins, Meredith Haberfield and James Ray. Every one of these authors is either happy to sell you media content to spread their message and teach you as much as they can in written, audio and video format, or share snippets of their learning for free on their websites.

3. Attend seminars given by established life coaches or life instruction programs. Most coaches and programs have introductory level courses that cost under $2,000 and require an investment of no more than a long weekend. Examples are Tony Robbins, Landmark Education and Dale Carnegie.

4. Use a life coach to learn the personal lessons they offer. You will need to internalize these concepts before becoming a life coach yourself. There are thousands of life coaches, and they are easy to find online using the search terms "life coach" and your nearest city. It's best to seek a referral, if possible, so that you have secondhand evidence of your future mentor's effectiveness.

5. Earn a career coaching license or certification. There are many types of certifications, and it's difficult to know which ones carry the most credibility. This is a good question to ask the candidates you examine while searching for your own life coach. Also, check your state's laws for recruiting and career coaching requirements as the line between life coaching and career coaching is blurry. Some states will require you to have a state-recognized certification in coaching while preventing you from operating as a recruiter due to potential conflicts of interest.

References

• Tony Robbins
• Meredith Haberfield
• Dale Carnegie
• Landmark Education
• Certified Career Coaches: Certifications