Life Coach Courses - What You Should Know Before You Go

If you have an interest in becoming a life coach and in the process of choosing life coaching courses, here are three things you must know before you start to any life coaching training program.

1. What type of life coach do you want to become?

Life coaches have many specialties including business, career, finances, health and relationships. Through a specialized process, life coaches encourage their clients improve performance and achieve results their clients could not have achieved on their own. Your objective as a life coach is to help your clients establish goals, take smart action, make smart decisions, and more fully use their strengths. The life coaching courses should have the general area in which you want to focus on. Who do you want to serve??

2. Determine if the life coaching courses are certified.

Why is finding accredited life coaching training courses important? The basic reasons are:

1) You want to be confident you are getting quality training that has been approved through a standardized process. A life coach who has been accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) for example has met ICF's tough requirements of coaching. An ICF accredited coach has received very specific coaching instructions, has completed a set number of experience hours and has been coached by a mentor coach.

2) You want to have another weapon in your marketing arsenal when you are ready to sell your services. Place yourself in the mindset of a prospective client. What would they be doing after your initial interview with them? Chances are, they will open up your webpage, investigate and study your qualifications. A life coach that has an accreditation has a much higher chance of securing that client than one that has none. An accredited life coach can also easily justify higher fees for his or her service.

3. You should know if the life coach instructors have the necessary experience and aptitude for training life coaches

While a program may have been certified by an institution, the educational experience can vary depending on the ability of the trainer to teach and guide the student. In the ideal case, you would want to get the training from someone who cares about developing great life coaches. Aside from researching the curriculum and accreditation, you should also investigate the life coach instructors as well. How long have they practiced life coaching? Get references from current and past students. Search for references in trade journals or in press reports.

Becoming a life coach is a noble pursuit that brings considerable professional and personal satisfaction. Getting the right life coach training is an important step in your journey so consider these important factors before committing to any life coaching courses.