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Do You Need A Degree To Become A Life Coach?

November 4, 2011 By 3 Comments

Do You Need A Degree To Become A Life CoachOne of the most common questions I get is, “Do you need a degree to become a life coach?” The simple answer is no, the IFC is not going to crack down on your coaching business for failure to have a degree, license or any other type of certification. Coaching is a relatively open field with few barriers to entry. Just hang your sign and start enrolling clients.

Why Do You Need A Degree To Become A Life Coach?

People are tighter with their money these days. They want more value for their dollar. If you want to become a life coach you will need skills. So why might you get a degree to become a life coach? You can pick up the skills you need and get credentials at the same time. Before you do this, however, you need to ask yourself why do you need a degree to become a life coach?

Don’t Get Sucked Into Getting A Degree For The Wrong Reasons

There are lots of reasons to get a life coach degree. But why do you need a degree to become a life coach? Is it because you want to improve your skills? Or is it because you just feel you want the credentials to prove that you are qualified to coach people. If it’s the latter, then you’re probably wasting your time and money.

Choosing a life coaching program is a monumental challenge. There are so many programs that the task can seem daunting. There are several musts, and of course there is room for personal preference. Some of the musts are:

    1. A program that gives you the opportunity to practice your coaching skills with feedback on your performance.
    2. A personal mentor to guide you so you maximize your results.
    3. Beyond coaching skills, you’ll need business skills to get coaching clients who are willing to pay you for your services.

Above all, be clear with what you want out of your coaches training program and take the time to talk to instructors, find out what previous participants say about the program, and find out what the curriculum entails. Do you need a degree to become a life coach? Of course not, which allows you to make a choice based on what results you really want.

Special Bonus – Learn 3 simple ways to become a life coach with the “30-Days to Become a Coach” video toolkit when you fill in the form at the top right and click the “Watch The Videos Now” button. You’ll learn how to change your client’s life in 45 minutes.

Colette Seymann
JTS Advisors Designated Accountability Coach

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Do You Need a Degree to be a Life Coach? Does Becoming a Coach Require a Life Coach Degree?

April 22, 2009 By 1 Comment

 

Becoming a Coach Can be Challenging, But do You Need a Degree to be a Life Coach?

 

One of the questions that people who are looking into becoming a coach wonder is, “Do you need a degree to be a life coach?” There are some key elements to becoming a coach, and at the end of this article you will be able to tell me the answer to the question, “Do you need a degree to be a life coach.”

Becoming a coach takes leadership. Basically to become a coach who provides results, you need to be able to take people where they can’t or won’t take themselves. If their results are predictable with or without you, then you are not a coach. To become a leader means you go first. Does leadership come naturally? Some people are natural leaders, of course, but to become a great leader or coach you will need specific training. Some of the most famous leaders in history come from the military, not universities. So do you need a degree to be a life coach?

Do You Need a Degree to be a Life Coach, or Does Becoming a Coach Simply Take Leadership?


Becoming a coach means people will treat you as a leader, rather than someone whose problems control them. This has to do with integrity. Having integrity means being committed to doing what you committed to, and empowering others to do the same. It means communicating fully and honestly, whether it is easy or not. Do you need a degree to be a life coach who has integrity? Integrity and reliability are not natural, but they can be learned. But, I’ve never seen a university course titled “Integrity 101” or “Reliability Training for Coaches.”

What’s More Important in Becoming a Coach, Commitment, or Do You Need a Degree to be a Life Coach?


Becoming a coach also requires commitment to your own goals and to your clients’ goals. Behind every goal is a desire to change what we are doing or how we feel. And the outcomes behind the goals are really about who we want to become. And through taking action, we start to become who we need to become and believe what we need to believe in order to fulfill our vision. To stay committed to that path when the ripples of life look like tidal waves requires focus. Do you need a degree to be a life coach who is able to maintain focus in their own lives and help others achieve that in their lives?

So what do you think? Do you need a degree to be a life coach?

Colette Seymann

JTS Advisors Designated Accountability Coach

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