Life coaching is a form of therapy designed to help people attain greater fulfillment in their lives.
Life coaches endeavor to assist their clients in improving their relationships and careers, achieving goals, and overcoming challenges. Life coaches act as mentors, trusted partners, and lay therapists. Although life coaches do not treat mental health issues, they do assist clients in navigating such issues, establishing a recovery plan, maintaining stability, managing symptoms, rebuilding relationships, and finding a purpose in life.
Life coaches are usually not mental health professionals, yet they do provide emotional support services so, in that sense, many of their services often overlap with those of mental health professionals. In that respect, life coaching may appropriately be considered an alternative mental health treatment.
The line between life coaching and mental health care can be murky. Mental health therapists and other mental health professionals focus on treating mental health conditions and helping patients deal with emotional trauma. Life coaches do this as well. However, unlike life coaches, mental health therapists must have a degree and licensure, receive accreditation, follow a specified ethical code, and adhere to ongoing education and confidentiality regulations.
Life coaches, on the other hand, are not governed by an established board and aren't responsible for complying with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
Life coaching can be whatever the life coach wants it to be. Anyone who is helping someone with their life in some way can call themself a life coach. While there are schools and other educational programs teaching life coaching skills, some of which may offer accreditation, there is no governing board or licensing body regulating the field.
Of course, this doesn't imply that life coaching might not be a reasonable option for someone who needs help with these things.
Despite the fact that education is optional for life coaches, most active life coaches hold certification from a professional coaching institution, and some others are licensed professionals in related fields. On the other hand, some certificate programs don't require much for completion.
Interest in life coaching is growing. Not long ago, Tony Robbins was perhaps the only life coach that anyone had ever heard of. His career began while he was promoting seminars for motivational speaker, Jim Rohn, when he was only seventeen years old. In 2010, Breakthrough with Tony Robbins debuted on NBC. On this show, Robbins guided participants of the show in facing personal challenges. Although the show was canceled after only two episodes had aired, it was picked up by Opray Winfrey's OWN Network, and he later appeared on Oprah's Lifeclass, a self-help program that aired on the same network.
Life coaching was an outgrowth of these shows, with a touch of motivational speaking built in. Life coaches also provide peer support.
Of course, what is known as life coaching today is far more personal than a motivational speech or reality television show. Life coaching is often a one-on-one experience, although some coaches do often group coaching.
Some life coaches offer support for all aspects of a client's life, but others focus on specific areas of life, such as assisting clients in their recovery from addiction, choosing and adhering to a diet or fitness program, relationships, business and career success, spirituality, or life skills.
Both group and individual life coaching has helped people deal with procrastination, lose weight or learn to eat healthier, or do better in their businesses or careers.
Life coaching is working for a lot of people, including both clients and coaching.
Common benefits to life coaching are the ability to get a fresh perspective on problems, new insight into challenges, and accountability. By working with a life coach, clients are often able to achieve their goals more efficiently.
The tools and techniques employed by well-trained life coaches can be beneficial, but clients should research a life coach's certifications, training, and reputation. Although there is some overlapping, life coaches are not mental health professionals, although a skilled life coach may be able to help clients determine the need for, and find qualified mental healthcare.
Individuals wanting to become a life coach simply need a passion to help others and a qualified course that can teach the necessary skills and techniques. Currently, there is no official coaching board or governmental requirements.
Recommended Resources
Certified Life Coach Institute
Approved by the International Coaching Federation, CLCI has been in operation for more than fourteen years, offering a three-day certification as a professional life coach, as well as a three-day master certified life coach course, both offered via Zoom. For those wanting to complete both courses, a packaged offer is available. Class schedules and prerequisites are featured, and digital badging is also available. Information about mentor coaching and special offers are included.
https://www.certifiedlifecoachinstitute.com/
Offering leadership advisory services since 1998, the company offers a range of services for C-suite executives and senior leaders during periods of growth and change, each service customizable to the client's specific needs, and can work with select individual executives or on an enterprise-wide basis. Its advisors are introduced, along with a list of clients, client success stories, testimonials, and an online contact form. An informational video and a history of the business is included.
https://corporatedge.com/
Fowler International Academy of Professional Coaching
Created by Sylvan's founder, Berry Fowler, an educator and master coach, the Academy offers online certified professional coaching courses and others, including the Certified Professional (Life) Coach Course, Certified Master Coach Credentials, Certified Master Business Coach, Certified Community Coach, Certified Career and Vocation Coach Course, Community Coach Course, Certified Grop Leader Coach Course, Disaster Recovery Course, and Military Support Coach Course.
https://www.fiacoaching.com/
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Rev. Jayson Graves is a former psychotherapist, current ordained minister, and Christian counselor and coach, who specializes in sexual integrity recovery and unwanted attractions. Healing the Soul represents his international pastoral counseling and coaching ministry. His life coaching services, sex addiction recovery services, pornography addiction recovery services, and intimacy coaching services are discussed, and contacts are provided.
https://healingforthesoul.org/
International Association of Coaching
Established as a non-profit organization, the IAC is made up of progressive and diverse coaches from more than eighty countries. Its Standard Membership and IAC-Masteries Practitioner Package are featured, with fees and other costs. Certified coaches can be located through the site, along with volunteer opportunities, its certification process, its school accreditation model, and a calendar of events. IAC chapters, and a chapter application, are included, and contacts are posted.
https://certifiedcoach.org/
International Coaching Federation
Founded as the International Coach Federation in 1995, the ICF became the International Coaching Federation in 2020. Its ICF ecosystem, consisting of ICF Professional Coaches, ICF Credentials and Standards, ICF Coaching Education, ICF Foundation, ICF Coaching in Organizations, and ICF Thought Leadership Institute, is highlighted. along with its regulatory functions, credentials, standards, core competencies, coaching education, mentor coaching programs, and strategic plan.
https://coachingfederation.org/
The Man-UP program is based on science-backed methodologies for restructuring the brain's cognitive functions, targeting four primary processing centers: problem-solving, discipline and routine, creativity and mindfulness, and validation and confidence. An introduction to the program is provided, and the steps required to begin a strategy session are listed and may be scheduled online. A promotional video is included, the coaches are introduced, and client stories are posted.
https://www.manuplifecoaching.com/
Purpose Functional Health and Life Coaching
Susan Faloon, FDN-P, is a certified Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioner, and a member of the Association of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Professionals. She works with clients to identify hidden stressors that contribute to metabolic chaos that shows up in a variety of ways, including weight gain, fatigue, autoimmune disease, gas, bloating, leaky gut, low libido, or lack of energy. She is also a certified Health Coach with the Primal Health Coach Clinic.
https://purposelifecoach.com/
Secret to Love, Health, and Money, The
Generally known as "The Secret," this philosophy of life was discovered or created by Rhonda Byrne, who examined religions and human endeavors throughout history to create a book and film of the same name, both released in 2006. Incorporating the wisdom of leaders in the fields of business, economics, medicine, psychology, history, theology, and science, The Secret was designed to show how to apply this knowledge to one's life in every area, from health to wealth, to success and relationships.
https://www.thesecret.tv/
Maintained by the author of "Personal Development for Smart People," published in 2008, as well as a blog, articles, podcasts, videos, and personal growth courses, many of which were uncopyrighted in 2010. He founded "Conscious Growth Club," an online community providing support, coaching, and resources for people committed to personal growth. New members are received one week a year, and the next opening is posted on the site, which includes several resources.
https://stevepavlina.com/
Known as a motivational speaker, author of self-help books, and life coaching, Tony Robbins may have been the first professional life coach. Based in San Diego, California, Robbins is the principal party in Robbins Research International, a dedicated media department. Among his services are business coaching, results coaching, business results training, life coaching, and health coaching, each of which is featured here, along with a biography of Tony Robbins.
https://www.tonyrobbins.com/
