You have been seeing the word certified or accredited life coach all over the place and wondering what it means?  This article will provide you with some clarification.

The Definition of Life Coaching

First of all, let us help you understand what life coaching all is about.

As defined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), coaching, in general, is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. The ICF is the leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification, and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.

What Does The Coaching Process Look Like?

According to the ICF, coaching begins with a face to face or teleconference interview to assess the individual’s or business’ current opportunities and challenges, define the scope of the relationship, identify priorities for action and establish individual or specified desired outcomes. Subsequent coaching sessions may be conducted in person or over the telephone.   Between scheduled coaching sessions, the individual may be asked to complete specific actions that support the accomplishment of one’s personally prioritized goals. The life coach may provide additional resources in the form of relevant articles, checklists, or assessments to help the individual’s or business’ thought process and actions.

Life coaching sessions are more direct with open-ended questions. The client is pretty much in the driver’s seat of the coaching session, meaning the life coach empowers individuals to attain their goals by helping them recognize their potential, making the choices and decisions that will eventually place them on the path towards fulfillment.

What a Life Coach is and What it is Not

As some often presume, a life coach is not a therapist, is neither a consultant nor an advisor. However, he or she is a professional that uses a future-focused approach, working one on one in a group setting to get individuals unstuck from their current situation to where they desired to be personally or professionally.  A life coach’s client is typically an individual who is in a healthy place mentally and emotionally, but needs some help in getting unstuck from his or her current situation and is ready to make some significant changes.

With the help of an accredited life coach, clients will identify the obstacles or hindrances that have led to them being stuck and strategies to move forward.   Curious about how much credentialed life coaches make, as of June 2020, a life coach’s annual salary is 59,630 in the United States, according to ZipRecruiter, a leading online employment marketplace headquarter in Santa Monica, California.

The Benefits of Working With an Accredited Life Coach

Groups That Work With Life Coaches…

I would say, anyone who wants to reach their full potential in life, any person who believes that he or she is not currently where they need to be. Examples of groups who have worked with life coaches over the last couple of decades include business leaders, job seekers, small business owners, recent graduates entering the workforce, people wanting to live a healthier lifestyle, executives, etc.

A Life Coach: 

Helps with Goal Setting.

Provides Clarity, Commitment, and Feedback.

Helps hold the individual Accountable.

Encourages client’s Self-discovery and Growth.

Foster more Powerful Connections professionally and personally.

Improves Self-confidence. 

The job of an accredited life coach is to help their clients maximize their personal and professional potential.  These professionals are deeply passionate and committed to the work they do, and that is helping to bring extraordinary results in every aspect of their clients’ lives.  If you are currently going through a period in your life where you think you might need a life coach to help you move forward from where you presently are?  Then I implore you to seek out an accredited life coach-preferably one from a reputable credentialing organization like the ICF.

Margaret K. Olubiyi
Life Coach
Writer, Coaches Training Blog community