While life coaching has grown dramatically as a field over recent years, there’s still a lot of misconceptions about what a life coach does, and does not do. Many people still think that coaching is synonymous with therapy. Even potential clients might not have a clear picture of what a life coach can do for them.
With more and more people enlisting the help of a life coach, the idea of coaching is becoming more familiar to people across the world. However, as a new life coach, you’ll probably find yourself explaining your profession quite often.
Are you thinking about becoming a life coach? In this post, we are going to explore what life coaching is, and what it isn’t.
What is Life Coaching?
Life coaching is all about empowerment. Empowering your clients to address some of their most urgent, challenging or important life situations.
Clients may seek coaching to determine how best to deal with an impending career or relationship change. Other clients may be seeking help to create a clear plan for establishing a work-life balance, more successful relationships or a career transition. Coaching helps people to gain clarity on their goals and create next steps to achieve a life they love.
Life coaching is about moving clients to a future that excites and motivates them. It is action-oriented and focuses on lovingly pushing clients forward in their lives. Coaches help people to envision their ideal futures and figure out strategies for creating it. Life coaches act as accountability partners, unbiased listeners who can help clients navigate life’s tricky situations.
- Coaching is a positive and encouraging space for clients to create goals for the future they want.
- Coaching helps clients identify how they want to feel in the future and supports their journey to achieving those feelings.
- Life coaches listen and ask questions to help clients get a better understanding of their deepest desires for their lives.
- Coaching helps clients to create actionable steps for achieving their chosen goals.
- Life coaches hold clients accountable to the goals they set out to achieve.
What Life Coaching is Not
Life coaches are not therapists. Coaching does not focus on the past; rather, life coaching focuses on the present and creating the future that a client hopes to achieve.
Life coaches are not consultants. A good life coach will not tell clients what to do or prescribe specific courses of action based on their own desires. Instead, the coach-client relationship is about empowering the client to create goals that light them up, with the coach acting as a guide, motivator and facilitator to reaching those goals.
A life coach is not a mentor. Mentors typically use their own life or career experiences to provide knowledge or to advise clients on a course of action. A life coach may utilize the wisdom and guidance from their own personal experiences, but it is to allow clients to gain different perspectives as they embark on their own life coaching journey.
Life coaches are nonjudgmental. Their job is not to determine if a client’s choices are right or wrong, good or bad. A life coach accepts who the client is and helps them achieve their goals and improve their lives, in whatever way the client wants.
Life coaches are not client’s BFFs. The coaching relationship is quite personal and intimate due to the vulnerable nature of client-coach interactions. Although it is normal for coaches and clients to establish a good rapport and care about each other, a coach does not interact with clients as a best friend or family member might. Coaches support clients while still remaining impartial and holding clients accountable in a positive way.
Are You Interested in Becoming a Life Coach?
If you are interested in becoming a life coach, learning what a coach is and isn’t is a great way to start your research. At Life Purpose Institute we have plenty of great resources that provide insight into the field of coaching, including steps to becoming a life coach and the salary of a life coach.
We encourage potential coaches to read through our blog and other resources on the website and then contact one of our enrollment specialists to learn more about the life coaching certification programs offered at Life Purpose Institute. We have a reputation for being one of the most personalized life coach training schools in the country and we pride ourselves in providing the best curriculum and the most experienced instructors.
Ready to learn more about life coaching?
Contact Life Purpose Institute today for a Free Online Life Coach Training Class to learn more about our programming and what a career in life coaching can mean for you.
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Can Anyone Be a Life Coach? Discovering the Path to Becoming a Life Coach
The Balancing Act: Fewer Clients, Higher Rates – Why Is Life Coaching So Expensive?
The Balancing Act: Fewer Clients, Higher Rates – Why Is Life Coaching So Expensive?
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FAQs
Life coaches are nonjudgmental. Their job is not to determine if a client's choices are right or wrong, good or bad. A life coach accepts who the client is and helps them achieve their goals and improve their lives, in whatever way the client wants. Life coaches are not client's BFFs.
What is the difference between a life coach and a life purpose coach? ›
What is the difference between a life coach and a life purpose coach? A life coach's focus is more general, and while it may include elements of life purpose coaching, their primary concern is helping clients live a happier and more fulfilled life, whatever that entails.
Is Robbins Madanes training worth it? ›
The course gives me inner confidence and understanding when talking to others. I'm a much happier person. I Highly recommend it whether for personal development or career change. So much more is offered than just the training.
Is Certified Life Coach Institute legit? ›
But rest assured, the Certified Life Coach Institute is the real deal. The Institute has a proven track record of success for over 14 years in the industry and was accredited by the International Coaching Federation.
What life coaches do not do? ›
Coaching, however, is focused on personal and professional development. Coaches will help their clients build and utilize the right tools to reach their goals but don't (and shouldn't) offer clinical mental health care.
How much does a life purpose coach cost? ›
Personal life coaching typically costs $75 to $200 per hour, with an average of $120 per hour. Packages of four 30-minute sessions may cost $300 a month, while programs of eight 90-minute sessions can cost up to $2,000. Corporate life coaches typically have monthly charges of between $750 and $1,000.
Is a wellness coach the same as a life coach? ›
Life coaches are coaching professionals who focus on mental wellness and personal development, while health coaches help their clients reach their fitness and physical wellness goals. Both coaching professions promote client health while catering to different needs.
How much do Tony Robbins life coaches make? ›
There is a huge range of pay. Some coaches start at $50 an hour, and then there's the Tony Robbins of the world that charge $10,000 an hour. The average Life Coach charges $150 an hour. The average executive coach charges $250-500 an hour depending on which part of the country they are in.
Who is the best life coach in the world? ›
The Most Famous Life Coaches of Our Time
- 1) Tony Robbins: A Trailblazer in Life Coaching. ...
- 2) Rainy Rainmaker: Award-winning Life Coach in Singapore. ...
- 3) Robin Sharma: Mastering Leadership and Personal Mastery. ...
- 4) Esther Perel: Transforming Relationships Through Coaching.
A life coach can assist you with setting goals and creating an action plan to reach those goals. A therapist can help you achieve some of your goals too, but they can offer deeper self-exploration, plus cognitive tools for healing and managing mental health.
California does not have a specific state-issued licensing or certification requirement for life coaches. Unlike professions such as therapy or counseling, which have defined licensing requirements, life coaching remains largely unregulated in many states, including California.
Which coaching certification is best? ›
Who are the best business coaching accreditation bodies?
- MCC or Master Certified Coach. ...
- Co-Active. ...
- Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) ...
- Leader as Coach Executive Program at Brown University. ...
- Institute of Executive Coaching and Leadership. ...
- Center for Executive Coaching. ...
- College of Executive Coaching.
While it's not necessary to obtain a credential to start a career as a life coach, if you are going to participate in a certification program, it may be helpful to choose one that is approved by an industry-recognized certifying body, either ICF or NBHWC, in case you decide to pursue the formal credential in the future ...
What is the dark side of life coaching? ›
Often these coaches are charismatic leaders weaving elaborate narratives and creating tight-knit communities that can be difficult for followers to escape from. Some have resorted to blackmail, threats of violence and emotional manipulation to maintain control over their followers.
Can you be sued as a life coach? ›
Coaches also have been sued under tort theories including various forms of negligence, fraud, misrepresentation, and the infliction of emotional distress.
Are life coaches still in demand? ›
Is there demand for life coaches? Yes, there is demand for life coaches. After all, the coaching industry is a multi-billion dollar industry – and it's growing fast. According to IBIS World, there are 22,758 life coaches in the US.
What type of person needs a life coach? ›
You're facing a major transition
If you're about to change jobs, move to a new city or get out of a relationship, you need a life coach. You don't want to burn out your family and friends with discussions about your upcoming life changes, and you want to make your transition as easy as you can.
What is a life coach to find purpose? ›
Life purpose coaching is a transformative journey that helps individuals discover their true purpose and align their lives accordingly. This process involves several key steps, including assessing your current situation, exploring your passions and interests, and identifying your values and beliefs.
What is a life coach supposed to do? ›
Life coaches focus on an individual's future, including their aspirations and what they hope to achieve. They then analyze their clients' current situations to help them understand the steps people can take to create positive change in their lives and accomplish their goals.
Is it worth it to pay for a life coach? ›
They will challenge you to think in new and more resourceful ways, but a coach will not “solve” anything for you. Maintaining balance in your life takes a huge commitment on your part. A coach can bring some great tools and resources for success, but this isn't enough.
