If you are thinking about getting into the life coaching business, you may be wondering about the education needed to become a life coach. Are their any educational requirements?
There are no specific degrees needed to call yourself a coach. You don’t need a doctorate, a master’s, a bachelor’s, or even an associate’s degree. You don’t even need to be certified. There are no regulations requiring you to have a degree or a coaching certification. The education needed to become a life coaching professional is, well, you don’t really need any. Except…
The One Type of Education Needed to Become a Life Coach
If you don’t need any college degrees or specific certification, what is the one thing you absolutely, positively must have? People skills, Yes, must have training or education in people skills. After all, you will be working with people and trying to help them improve their lives.
Many life coaches migrate to the field from other careers. These careers all require highly evolved people skills – counseling, human resource, personal training, teaching, health care, social work, and other similar fields. Individuals in these careers have developed their people skills and know what it takes to teach, inspire, stimulate, and motivate.
Is There More Education Needed to Become a Life Coach?
As previously mentioned, if they want, anyone can call themselves a life coach. Hang out a sign, get a telephone listing, register a fictitious business name at your local County Recorder’s Office, and voila – you are a coach! But, is there more education needed to be a life coach? Yes and No. You don’t NEED any more, but you SHOULD have more.
The best preparation to be a coach is to build on your existing skills while obtaining coach-specific training. You can begin with a weekend workshop or jump right into a two-year program. Getting a personal assessment of the education needed to become a life coach may be a necessary first step if you are unsure of what training you should get. Many coach programs can provide you with an assessment of what is needed to bring your skills up to the level of a professional life coach.
Though there are no legal requirements for a coach to be certified, it is highly recommended. Having a certification shows commitment to the profession and a dedication to be the most informed and trained coach you can be.
2 Types of Certification
There is the ICF (International Coach Federation) and the IAC (International Association of Coaching). Both are respected international coaching certification organizations. The ICF certification is based on the amount of education completed and the accumulation of paid coaching hours. The IAC certification is dependant on passing a series of exams.
The ICF certification is more recognized because they have been in existence longer. It is also a better certification to get if you work with executives and other corporate clients because corporations are more familiar with the ICF. Some coaches prefer the IAC certification because they only have to take the exams and can skip any additional schooling. This may be the perfect choice for those who already have a high level of training and education needed to become a life coach and want to get their certification as quickly as possible.
Life coaching is a great field, and though no specific education is required, your chances of survival in this competitive industry is much better if you have the training and education. The education needed to be a life coach starts with you – your people skills. It is also encompasses your passion and desire. If you have people skills, passion, and desire, you don’t need, but you should get the training, education, and certification that will make you the best coach you can be.
Fred Philips
Business Coach
Writing Team, Coaches Training Blog Community
There are three factors I can think about that are important to add to this article about life coach training. First, confidence level. There are life coaches who draw a large audience and income because of their own personal confidence levels. They don’t necessarily have a PhD or even a certification title behind their name. But they are confidence in themselves and their message. Second, clarity about oneself, one’s audience, and one’s message. In other words, we must clarify our niche. And finally, if the audience is one that is specialized such that they desire you to have credentials, you need to get the certification that will allow you to be heard.