Find A Life Coach

What to Look For in a Life Coach

As I mentioned previously, unlike therapy or counseling, coaching is an unregulated profession, meaning that literally anyone can call themselves a life coach and begin selling their services to clients. This means it’s incredibly important to choose wisely, and to avoid coaches who lack the training or experience to support your growth.

That’s why trying to find a life coach who has a background as a licensed therapist is a smart move for a few reasons. Not only will this ensure they can catch any mental health problems that may be at the core of your struggles, but they are usually much more qualified and effective helpers because of the extensive education and training required to become a therapist. Because of that, they have a depth of understanding and usually they’ll be familiar with evidence-based practices that can serve as a foundation for your coaching work.

This makes your work in coaching much more valuable and effective.

Evidence Based Coaching

Another strategy to find a good coach (or to find a good therapist, for that matter) is to look for one that uses evidence-based strategies. The coaching profession is newer than the field of clinical counseling, but many of the most effective coaching techniques have their basis in evidence-based forms of therapy. What are the differences? Learn more about counseling vs coaching here.

Coaching that draws on well-established psychological research, like family systems theory, solution-focused therapy, or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, should serve as the backbone for an evidence-based coaching plan. A coach with a solid background in evidence-based therapy will be well versed in the coaching models based on these systems that will be most genuinely helpful to you. You can learn about all the core components of evidence based practice in both therapy and life coaching, if you’re interested.

Life Coach Qualifications

If you are not able to find a therapist who provides coaching services, the second best choice is to look for a coach who has earned a credential from a reputable training program. Look for a “Board Certified Coach” or a “Certified Life Coach” credential to ensure you’re working with someone who has at least completed a legitimate coach training program. ICF (International Coaching Federation) and CCC (Certified Career Coach) are other recognized credentials you may encounter. 

When you’re trying to find a life coach, be careful about “coaching credentials” too. It is also true that, just like the profession of coaching is unregulated, many coach training programs are as well.

There is nothing preventing someone from creating their very own “coach training program” and even making up a brand new credential. You yourself could make a little website, put some self-made “coach training” videos behind a paywall, and start taking people’s money to attend your program tomorrow. When they’re done you can email them a cute certificate of completion you made yourself on Canva. It’s exactly like those outfits that charge $9.99 to become an “ordained minister.” Buyer beware!

Large credentialing organizations (BCC and ICF for example) require that coach training programs meet their certification standards. While nowhere near as comprehensive as the years long process required to become a therapist, graduates of these programs are more likely to understand the fundamentals of coaching psychology, ethics in coaching, etc.

A Personalized Approach to Coaching

Here’s another tip: Try to find a life coach who is going to take the time to understand who you are, and what you need before designing a coaching plan for you, specifically. Many coaches offer “packages” or “systems” that every client is encouraged to purchase. But this approach is often for the benefit of the life coach and their business model, not your personal growth. 

To find a coach who can help you have a truly transformational experience, it’s important to understand what a life coach does. A good, ethical coach will not railroad you into one-size-fits-all program. They will instead focus on understanding you and your unique strengths, challenges, and goals, before taking you through a tailor-made process to move you, specifically, from point A to Z. Asking what this process looks like before making a decision will give you an idea of what to expect from a potential coach, as well as where their priorities lie. 

Before you start taking action to reinvent yourself and start a new chapter, you have to understand yourself. The coaching process should always start a thorough assessment to help you and your coach build awareness about the gap between what you want out of life and what you’re currently getting. You might discover that you need more balance in your life, or maybe you are constantly feeling invalidated by your partner, or maybe your core issue is that you’re struggling with self-limiting beliefs. All those issues have very different paths to resolution. Your coach should never jump in and start making recommendations without first learning who you are, what you want, and why.

With the insights gained through this assessment process, your coach should next help you identify the obstacles standing between you and your desired life, as well as the personal strengths you can use to overcome them. They’ll also identify areas where your skillset may need to be strengthened, such as through developing a healthier mindset, building emotional intelligence, or improving your communication.