How to Become a Life Coach

The simplest answer to this important question is to complete the following steps:

1.     Complete an accredited training programme in life coaching.

2.     Complete How to Launch a Coaching Business and make money from it

Step 1.

There are a considerable number of life coach training-providers and one needs to choose carefully. Best way to do this is to explore their websites for information and the content of any courses offered.

Check for any student reviews posted on the website, and also – and more importantly - the reviews posted on independent sites such as Google my Business.

Look for a company that provides lots of hands-on training rather than one that is theory based. Also, do check the qualifications and experience of the trainers, here at Mindstream, we use trainers who are full-time professional coaches and have qualifications in delivering training courses.

Another point to consider is how long have they been in business. Here at Mindstream we are entering our twenty-first year of developing and delivering life coach training courses here and abroad, including training if the top management in two universities in Columbia.

Most courses are delivered over a period of six to eight months and the student needs to engage in lots of Pro Bono coaching sessions to build skill and experience. They are also expected to acquire the coachees for these practice sessions adding to the experience when they will be looking for paying-clients at some future time.

It is helpful to record these practise sessions and to get feedback from the Trainers with a view to building your skills. Permission will be needed from the Coachee to do so as to comply with GDPR regulations on privacy laws.

In addition to giving coaching sessions, it will be very helpful for the student to seek some coaching sessions from an established life coach. This will add to the students understanding of the coaching process from the point of view as a client.

When choosing your training provider, do ensure that their training include the skills you will need to become a life coach? What skills are required?

This is an important question and can be summarised as the following:

·       Great listening skills

·       Great questioning skills

·       The ability to inspire and motivate clients to take certain actions with the intention of manifesting a particular goal or perhaps to resolve some issue.

·       The ability to not jump in and offer suggestions or to feel they have to fix something.

·       The ability to draw from the client those solutions which are appropriate for that client.

·       Empathy and effective communication skills.

·       The ability to give honest and straight feedback.

·       An understanding of the psychology of coaching and why it is so effective.

Look for a trainer that takes an holistic approach to coaching, that is one that coaches the whole individual in mind, body and spirit. Spirituality is an important part of coaching and seeks to not only to empower the client to discover the greatness within, but also to impact positively on humanity. Again, this is part of the Mindstream course,

If you are lacking in any of these skills, the good news is that they can be developed through practise over the coaching training period and we at Mindstream include all of these aspects on our training course and much more.

Step 2. Marketing your business

Although some come onto our course for their own self-development the majority seek to create a full or part-time income as a life coach.  On completion of the course, it will be essential to familiarise oneself with marketing skills to promote your business. This is an area which is mostly neglected by coaches after graduation and many fall away from the intended career-path for the want of fee-paying-clients.

Online marketing provides an opportunity to establish your business providing you put the time and effort into it. Posting on the various platforms can be free-of-charge, you just need to be creative, entertaining persistent and consistent.

Developing a Niche

As your coaching business develops you may find that your clients come from a particular niche or you may have already decided that in advance. This offers a great opportunity for the coach to direct the marketing towards this area and to become known as an “expert” . There are probably hundreds of different specialities available for coaches and this area has grown considerably in the last decade and continues to grow as people discover new areas of specialisation. The opportunities are enormous for the creative coach.

Summary of How To become a Life Coach

Find an established life coach training provider with good reviews

·       Practice and develop your skills

·       Market your business online.

Let go of your “expectations” and “wants“ and see what happens to your life and your coaching business.

Create lots of fun.

Seann Farrell