What does a life coach do exactly? Where is the fine line between a Life Coach and a Therapist? How do Life Coaches operate? How much money do they make every year?
I asked these questions myself when I was beginning my journey as a Life Coach almost 9 years ago. To be honest, searching on google for these questions and finding helpful solutions was not an expectation back then. Even now, I still find frequently asked questions on google but not enough agreeable solutions to those questions.
So, I gathered all of those questions and curiosities in one place where you will have everything to learn to start your own Life Coaching business from scratch. Then you will know that the definition of a Life Coach is not something hard to explain. You know what they say –
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple”
Table of Contents
What is Life coaching?
What does a life coach do exactly?
Addressing the elephant in the room, let’s state the obvious first.
Life coaches are experts who have received special training to assist people in realizing their full potential and achieving their desired goals. Life coaches can be viewed as trusted partners in collaboration as well as mentors, advisors, and guides. You will oversee their life lessons, determine their long-term objectives, keep an eye on their decision-making processes, probe their motivations, and support them as they take the appropriate actions at the appropriate times.
Things that life coaches do:
- Help enhance creativity and time management
- Overcome difficult situations
- Improve work & life balance
- Boost confidence
- Build healthy relationships
- Clarify ideal career path
Things that life coaches Don’t:
- Treating mental health issues
- Showing immediate results
- Assuming the right path for their clients
- Tell their clients how to think or feel
History of life coaching business
The first-ever Life Coach in history, recorded anyway, was an American Financial Planner named Thomas Leonard. He paved the way for Life Coaches and Coaching Industry around the world to take this job as a profession back in the 1980s. In 1985, he established ICF, which has become the most prominent coaching organization in the world and evolved to become the hub for all things coaching. Now deceased, Thomas Leonard is still considered the founding father of professional life coaching.
Difference between life coaching and therapy
This is the most popular misconception around as people may think Therapists and Life Coaching as similar, which is definitely not. Although I can understand the confusion as both professions may overlap on certain causes and effects.
Therapists are certified healthcare professionals who focus on treating mental health issues by helping people work through trauma and diagnose current problematic behaviors, such as problematic beliefs, behaviors, relationship issues, self-destructive habits, etc.
Then what is the Definition of a Life Coach? Life Coaches are mentors or trusted advisors who help identify certain obstacles behind their clients’ goals, assess their skills and motivations, and encourage and guide them to achieve success.
Here are some key differences between a Therapist and a Life Coach
Types of Life Coaches
There are all kinds of Life Coaches out there, some specializing in specific fields, whereas others take a more general all-in-one approach. The very definition of a Life Coach means a guide for different aspects of life. No wonder there are more variations of a life coach than people generally are aware of.
Anyway, here are the most known types of Life Coaches you can choose to be or get help from –
- Executive Life Coach
- Business and Corporate Life Coach
- Career Life Coach
- Relationship Life Coach
- Financial Life Coach
- Spiritual Life Coach
- Fitness Life Coach
- Celebrity Life Coach
Salary Of A Life Coach
“If you are good at something, never do it for free”
The Life Coach industry is growing rapidly in recent years. Life Coaches can make $50,321 per year according to this study. Although these salaries can differ from coach to coach as per their specific field.
Want to earn as much as $100k per year, as pro-Life Coaches do? I got just the thing for you.
Also, we elaborated on the salary statistics and pay scale gap of different fields and experiences and whatnot in our other article.
Benefits of Life Coaching
You have learned who Life Coaches are, what they do, and how much they earn. But do you know how effective it actually is to become or simply hire a life coach? Do they really help you to overcome the obstacles in your life hindering your success? Let’s find out.
Research suggests that life coaching can improve personal insight and improve self-reflection, among others. This study implies that life coaching can be helpful in reducing procrastination and improving goal attainment. Also, Life coaching can be effective for improving functioning within organizations, according to this publication.
So, you can imagine nowadays, how impactful Life Coaching has been on society.
Common Myths about Life Coaches
As I have mentioned earlier, the Life Coaching industry has lots of misconceptions. Let’s debunk some of these ‘myths’, shall we?
Life Coach and Therapist – same job, different title:
I think I have established this well enough now to debunk this myth yourself. Read the Difference between life coaching and therapy section again.
Life Coaching = Pep Talk:
There is a big difference between a life coach and a motivational speaker. Life coaches won’t give you advice in general and just drop the mic. Life Coaches observe, engage, question, and encourage their clients’ specific obstacles for certain goals and advise them on how to properly maintain their path to overcome that obstacle with efficiency.
Life Coaching is a luxury:
So not true! Based on a life coach’s experience and specific field of expertise, they can charge from only $24.66 to $60 per hour at best. And the results their clients get are well worth that money anyway.
Finding the right Life Coach
If you are a client looking for a Life Coach, then first, I would suggest asking yourself some questions. What do you want to achieve? Why do you need a Life Coach?
When you have these answers, search for a Life Coach specifically trained or expert in that field. There are only a handful of agencies, like Podia, who will gladly provide and recommend an experienced Life Coach for you.
When you find your desired Life Coach, contact him/her and discuss it in person or online.
Best Certification for Life Coach
Life Coaches are naturally talented and skilled at what they do. Still, a certification program can train them better at their job and help settle trust between the Life Coaches and the clients. If you are wondering how much a certified Life Coach can differ from a non-certified one, this research on ICF should convince you.
You can enroll in the Coach Certification Program where you will learn the standards of the life coaching industry. These programs take about 6 months for the certification process, depending on your experiences and skills. You will practice Life Coaching with your instructors who will provide insights and feedback on your performance. These will help eventually to sharpen your communication skills and hone other skills.
After completing your program, you will be certified and ready for your life coaching journey.
Start your Life Coaching Business Today!
Just so you know, you already passed the first step of starting a Life Coach business by being here. Now, for the next step, organize your plans accordingly. But first, ask yourself these questions-
Do you find pleasure in helping people by giving advice on different things?
Do people find it comfortable to come to you asking for advice?
Do you find a Life Coaching career more enticing than your current job?
Are you ready to help others to achieve their full potential?
Then welcome aboard! Learn our ways and methods and become a successful Life Coach yourself in no time.
In Summary
Life coaches are professionals trained to help reach someone’s maximum potential for their desired set of goals. You can earn up to $60 per hour or $100k per year as a Life Coach. Life Coaches are not the same as Therapists. If you want to be a successful Life Coach, create a platform of your own or join other renowned platforms like Podia to grow your business and learn from the best at the same time.
I think this should sum up and quench your thirst for knowing what is Life Coach or the definition of a Life Coach nicely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does Online Life Coaching work?
A: Online Life Coaching sessions are getting more popular after the pandemic situation. Also, clients from different regions can get their necessary help through online sessions. You can save your commute time and costs, and set up meetings on your schedule. So you can see the appeal for it.
Q: Who gets Life Coaching?
A: Clients who are job hunting, leaders, business executives, retirees, graduates, managers, parents, college students, and entrepreneurs.
Q: Do Life Coaches work on a personal or a professional level?
A: It ultimately depends on your preferences. If you are a business executive or a CEO or an entrepreneur, you will get a professional level of Life Coaching. If you are looking for relationship advice, parenting coaching, or a celebrity life coach, then it will be on a personal level.
Q: How much do Life Coaches charge?
A: A life coach can charge hourly or per session, which can differ in many regions. Generally, a life coach may charge from $24.66 and up to $60 per hour.
Recent Comments