Let’s take a serious look at relationship coaching certification – one word at a time. Some certification programs are great, just as some non-certification programs are too. But many relationship coaching certification programs aren’t worth a damn. For now, here are the three components of today’s subject: relationships, coaching and certification.

Common Issues in Relationships

Let’s start with three different words: communications, sex and money. A pastor named Cole Edwin wrote a terrific book called “Communications, Sex and Money.” He said that the issues people deal with in their relationships can be boiled down to “communications,” “sex” and “money.”So if you are a relationship coach you had better learn how to help people work through issues relating to these three topics. Anything else is either off the mark or bonus material.

What Is Coaching Anyway?

Coaching is not psychotherapy. It is not about what happened in the past that got people to this point. Coaching is helping people decide what they really want, and helping them get there. Part of this is understanding people’s personality style, their fundamental values, and basic talents through assessments. Then helping them define the rules and winning criteria for the “game” that they are playing and you are coaching them to win. And then there is helping them be accountable to their commitments, so they make the progress that they are seeking.

What Value Is there in Relationship Coaching Certification?

The value of relationship coaching certification is best measured by the success that the certified coach can help their client achieve. That success is a result of the knowledge and skill of the coach acquired either through training or experience. Training is important but it does not have to lead to certification to be valuable. If anything, certification can provide a standard for the program that can be used in judging its quality. If a program is a certification program, scientifically rigorous and involves a ton of monitored practice, then it is a candidate. If a program leads to certification, but does not have these attributes, and does not produce graduates who are effective coaches, then avoid it like the plague. It is as simple as that.

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Dave Iuppa
JTS Advisors Strategy and Accountability Coach