Life Coaching Schools and Careers Guide

What is Life Coaching?
According to the International Coach Federation, coaching is an on-going partnership that helps clients produce fulfilling results in their personal and professional lives. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance, and enhance their quality of life. Beginning with the clients' desires, coaching uses reporting, exploring, and a consistent commitment to move the client forward. Coaching accelerates the clients' progress by providing greater focus and awareness of choice. Coaching concentrates on where clients are today and what they are willing to do to get where they want to be tomorrow.

Areas of focus could include the following:

Confidence and self esteem
Career
Relationships
Communication skills
Losing weight/health
Dreams and achievements
Money/Finance
Getting what you want in life

How is Life Coaching practiced?
Coaching can be conducted through a number of mediums - here are the most popular:

Sessions in person
Sessions on the telephone
Sessions using email
Group coaching sessions in person
Group coaching through the telephone (teleclass)

During each coaching session the coach and the client will discuss and explore the clients' journey including their goals, wins, challenges, and opportunities, as well as develop fieldwork for the coming week. Fieldwork consists of action steps to move the client closer toward his or her goals and dreams. The client brings the agenda and the coach brings the coaching skills to create a partnership that moves the client forward.

What Life Coaching degrees or certificates are available?
Most certification programs for Life Coaching are conducted as distance learning, e.g. over the internet, and cost up to $8000. Some programs are offered as part of a college curriculum and require approximately 100 hours at a cost as low as $1500.

Life Coaching Laws and Licensure
There is no national licensure requirement at this time. Two certification programs are available: one as a professional coach and the other as an associate coach. These certifications are available from the International Coach Federation after graduating from an Accredited Coach Training Program.

Where can I get training?

Arizona: Bennett/Stellar University - Sedona; Southwest Institute of Healing Arts - Tempe

California: Bennett/Stellar University - San Diego

Florida: Bennett/Stellar University - Deerfield/Boca Raton

Iowa: Meta Institute - Training in Edina, MN

Minnesota: Meta Institute - Edina

North Dakota: Meta Institute - Training in Edina, MN

Pennsylvania: Mt. Nittany Institute of Natural Health - State College

South Dakota: Meta Institute - Training in Edina, MN

Vermont: Bennett/Stellar University - Burlington

Washington: Bennett/Stellar University - Snohomish

Wisconsin: Meta Institute - Training in Edina, MN

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