Five Types of Life Coaches
Life coaching isn't an all-inclusive gig. It's true that you have the drive (and knowledge) to aid people change their lives, but here's the thing for you to make a real impression -- and create a thriving business -- it's important to identify your niche. This is where your skills, passion, and the right people meet.
In this article, we're exploring five different life coaching areas you could investigate, and revealing what it takes to shine in each one. Plus, we'll share some ideas for launching your coaching business using , so you can turn your passion into a real, thriving business.
Skip ahead:
- Who is a life coach?
- What is a life coach do?
- Is a life coach also a psychotherapist?
- The most popular areas for life coaches that you must be aware of
- Launch your Life Coaching business
Who is a life coach?
A life coach is a certified professional who helps people discover and overcome obstacles that affect specific aspects of their lives.
Like a coach for sports helps athletes sharpen their abilities and achieve clearly set goals, a life coach helps individuals refine their strengths, overcome personal challenges, and work towards specific career or life objectives. In other words, your job is to provide guidance as well as support and a sense of accountability that helps clients navigate obstacles, stay focused and find a way towards a happier and successful life.
What is a life coach do?
A life coach's your primary responsibility is to assist people in taking actions to enhance their lives. You'll do this by:
- Clients are assisted in clarifying their desires and set realistic and achievable goals
- Developing action plans that will help them reach their established goals
- Monitoring progress and holding the clients accountable
- Provide constructive feedback to help clients remain on the right track
- Reframing the setbacks into learning opportunities
What is it, then? Is a life coach a therapy?
A life coach is not a psychotherapist. Life coaches assist you to create and implement specific goals that will improve the quality of your life. Therapy however is focused on the emotional wellbeing of youhelp you deal with your past experiences and comprehend the impact of past experiences on your psychological and emotional growth.
Let's dig into these differences more deeply.
| Life coach Vs. Therapist What's the different? | ||
| Life coach | Therapist | |
| Focus | Future goals, personal development, self-improvement | Mental health, healing past trauma |
| Emotional well-being | Goal-setting, motivation and goal-setting practical strategies | Diagnosing/treating mental health conditions and emotional support |
| Training and credentials | No specific license is necessary; certification is optional. | It requires a formal education (Master's/Doctorate) as well as a license |
| Professional Standards and Legal Laws | Often not regulated; it varies by organization and the certification | It is regulated in law, ethical guidelines, as well as licensing board |
| Techniques Used | Goal-setting, visualization, accountability, motivation | Cognitive-behavioral therapy, speech therapy, evidence-based techniques |
| Outcome | Achieving personal/professional goals, greater life satisfaction | Improved mental health, mental stability, coping abilities |
In order to further illustrate, here are example scenarios where it makes sense for someone to seek assistance by a coach for life instead of therapy.
What is the best time to meet an expert in life coaching
You've had the same job for several years, and you feel stuck in your career. You know you want to advance but need help figuring out how to get there. You're in generally good mental state, however you'd like clarity about the best way to achieve your goals in career, enhancing your leadership abilities, and developing a clear plan to grow your career.
It is possible to hire an expert to aid you to identify your strengths, set actionable steps, hold you accountable, and motivate you in your pursuit of career aspirations.
How often should you see an psychotherapist
There's an anxiety problem that impacts your life daily and relationships. It's hard for you to focus, you feel overwhelmed, and sometimes are unable to determine the reason for your stress. Additionally, you have a history of trauma which you believe influences your present emotions and behaviours.
In this case, therapy with a professional is an ideal choice. They will help you discover the causes that cause anxiety, offer an environment that is safe to talk about the past and provide treatment techniques like cognitive-behavioral therapy to manage symptoms and improve your emotional well-being.
The most popular life coaching niches you should know.
Once you've mastered the basics of life coaching, we'll explore the various areas of expertise to help you choose the perfect match.
Career coach
As a career coach, the job of a career coach is to assist people navigate their career paths through guidance, assistance and advice on how in order to reach the professional goals you set for yourself.
Most people hire career coaches for clarity -which is why they are unsure of how they can get up to the next stage. But, sometimes individuals already have a goal in mind and is looking for someone who can act as an responsible coach.
Other responsibilities for the career coach are:
- Giving advice regarding salary negotiations, asking for promotions, and advancing into higher positions
- Making career plans and providing guidance for the implementation
- Serving as a sonic board for the professional decisions
How can you become an expert career coach
It is necessary to have relevant experience in your profession, preferably in the industry which you intend to offer coaching services. If, for instance, you want to coach creators, you must have built a career as an accomplished creator. This way, you'll be able to offer advice that is based on actual experiences, not just ideas gleaned from the Internet.
In addition, consider enrolling in courses and getting certifications for career coaching. As an example The International Association of Career Coaches offers multiple certification programs with customizable schedules and setups.
Getting certified will increase your credibility and demonstrate your skills which makes it much easier for others to believe in your company.
The health and wellness coach
A wellness and health coach assists people in developing healthy lifestyles to boost their well-being. You'll work with clients to set reasonable and personalized goals and assist them in achieving them -- without pushing them too far.
Health and wellness is a pretty vast niche, therefore you must focus it even more. You could, for instance, be a fitness coach, helping people meet their goals for weight loss and exercise and a nutritionist that aids them to eat healthy as well as an accountable friend who helps them overcome certain addictions or manage chronic conditions.
Health coaches do not diagnose illness or prescribe medication. If you notice symptoms of illness among a patient, the best step is to consult a medical professional for assistance. It is not advisable to be an expert in medicine, or it could lead to far-reaching consequences.
How can I become a health and wellness coach
Health and wellness is very complex and sensitive, so you need formal training and certification to become a certified coach.
There are many programs you can enroll in such as:
- The National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching accreditations
- National Society of Health Coaches certificate
- The Emory University Health and Wellness Coaching Certificate
Coaching for relationship
The first thing that often is thought of when people hear relationship coach is "they'll help me fix my romantic life." Although this may be true, providing guidance for relationship issues is only one part of the job.
As a relationship coach you're able to help clients create healthier relationships in every aspect of their lives, which includes platonic, romantic as well as work-related interactions. You may also narrow your focus on a particular arealike helping someone to navigate their adult relationships or establish limits with their parents instead of over-pleasing them.
How can I become a relationship coach
If you are a relationship coach your life is pretty much the role model for your clients, so it is essential to live what you preach. If you want to coach individuals to develop solid relationships in their relationship, you should ideally possess a model to use during your practice.
It is also helpful to know the opportunity to tell a story before and after. You can refer to when you were in similar circumstances to your customer, what you did to escape it, and what your life looks like now. This sort of proof could be extremely inspiring to your customers.
For more credibility, consider getting a certification from the Relationship Coaching Institute.
Coaching for finance
Financial coach help clients develop a positive relationship with money, by helping them toward better financial habits. The primary focus of your work is helping clients to establish and reach easy, attainable financial goals, while also addressing issues that arise from poor budgeting or excessive spending.
Contrary to financial advisors who focus on managing investments and building wealth, financial coaches focus on the fundamentals of managing money. For example, you might recommend resources to help clients understand investing, however you won't control their portfolios or manage their investments. Your job is to provide your clients with the information and habits they need to be in control of their finances.
How do you become an financial coach
It isn't necessary to have formal qualifications to become a financial coach (although they can be beneficial). What matters most is that you have a practical knowledge of healthy financial practices -- typically drawing from your own experience.
As an example, suppose you create a budgeting plan to help you manage your money and build solid emergency savings. In that scenario, you could provide advice to those who wish to become more efficient in saving and managing their budgets.
As mentioned earlier, getting certified as a financial counselor isn't a bad idea. Here are a few courses for training and certification that are worth investigating:
- Financial Coach Academy
- National Financial Educators Council
- Association of Financial Counselling and Planning Education The association of financial counseling and planning education
Spiritual Coach
Spiritual coach help clients to find their purpose in life. In particular, you'll assist people to discover and strengthen their connection to their inner selves, purpose, and spiritual beliefs. It is your goal to assist clients to find meaning, clarity, and a sense of alignment within their lives. Often, you'll help them address problems like anxiety, stress or loss of focus.
Spiritual coaches typically operate using a non-religious broad perspective, but can also incorporate particular religious or spiritual practices if aligned with the client's beliefs. Your duties as spiritual coach are:
- The introduction of practices like meditation, breathwork, or journaling that help people increase their awareness and decrease stress.
- The goal of this program is to help clients find their own spiritual journey, whether it's rooted in religion, nature as well as energy or personal beliefs.
- Supporting clients in overcoming spiritual limitations and their effects.
How do you be a Spiritual Coach
Training is a must to become certified prior to becoming a spiritual coach. So, you'll be equipped to support and provide guidance for your client's spiritual health.
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The best thing is that you are able to expand beyond the sale of life coaching services to offer different kinds of digital goods. For example, you can offer memberships or sell ebooks and courses, allowing you to make more money and increase your earnings as a creator. The possibilities are endless with !