Why is wellness coach certification essential? It is not a legal requirement; anyone can become a wellness coach without being certified. So, why is it vital that you get your wellness coach certification before you become a wellness coach?

Why You Need a Wellness Coach Certification

• Certification establishes a minimum standard for credentialing all professional health and wellness coaches.
• Certification tells the public that a coach meets or exceeds the minimum educational and credentialing standards.
• Certification meets the growing demand for professionalism and set standards in a rapidly growing industry.
• Certification helps to build a network of professional coaches within the health and wellness field.

5 Steps to Becoming a Certified Wellness Coach

• Earn a degree. This is not an absolute requirement, but if you can, earning a college degree is a great way to get a foundation for the future. Good degrees can include fitness, nutrition, and psychology.
• Volunteer for experience. Volunteer work not only helps you gain valuable experience, it also is a great way to give back to your community. Work in a clinic, volunteer at a hospital, or help any numbers of charities that provide social services in your community.
• Work for experience. Find a starter job that offers a chance for experience in the health and wellness field. The pay may no be great, but the experience will be valuable.
• Get certified. Wellness coach certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) or coaching certifications from the International Coach Federation (ICF) are like college diplomas – they are much more than pieces of paper!
• Work with a mentor coach. Once you have a wellness coach certification, there is no better experience than working with an experienced coach to learn the tricks of the trade.

Is A Coaching Certification Enough?

Having a credential from the International Coach Federation may not be enough for a wellness coach. Will this credential identify you as a competent and capable wellness coach? Perhaps not.

Wellness coaching requires a unique set of skills that go beyond typical coaching. Many traditional coach training programs don’t teach much about working with individuals who want to modify or change their lifestyle behaviors.

By seeking out a specific wellness coach certification program, you are placing yourself in a position to gain the skills and knowledge necessary and essential to become a successful wellness coach.

Certification – Before You Begin

1. Think about what you want to do as a wellness coach. Do you have a certain background in the health and wellness industry? Were you a nurse? A physical trainer? Perhaps you want to focus on a specific niche within the industry – work with seniors, addicts, children? It’s a good idea to have a plan before you begin.
2. Do plenty of research before you select a program. Make sure it fits your needs, schedule, and budget, offers mentor coaching, is accredited, and has a solid reputation.

A wellness coach certification is not absolutely essential, but the health and wellness coaching field is growing. String growth means more competition. To be able to compete with other coaches and attract your share of clients, a certification is as important as a diploma.

Would you go to a doctor without a diploma from medical school? Would you go to a psychiatrist without a diploma from an accredited graduate program? No, probably not. You can’t expect clients to come to you without a credential from an accredited coaching program.

Hope you took some great value out of this post today! I’d love to hear your feedback, so make sure you leave a comment with your thoughts or questions. And also, you can click on the Twitter button below to retweet this article… Thank you!

Fred Philips
Business Coach
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