Transform Your Life with a Life Change Coach: A Practical Guide

What is a Life Coach?

What is a Life Coach?

Definition of a life coach

A life coach is a wellness professional who helps people make progress in their lives to attain greater fulfillment. Life coaches aid clients in improving relationships, careers, and day-to-day lives. Coaching draws on areas such as human potential movement, leadership training, adult education, personal development, and psychology. Unlike therapists, life coaches do not require formal qualifications, while therapists need specific degrees and licenses.

Role of a life coach in personal growth

• Life coaches provide guidance and support to help clients achieve long-lasting change.

• They focus on specific areas such as dating, work, finances, fitness, and leadership.

• Life coaches help clients identify negative patterns and bridge the gap between current circumstances and desired life.

Benefits of working with a life coach

Life coaches offer new insight into challenges and help clients overcome barriers to finding a partner or mate, and identify passion and ideal career path.

They provide accountability and support for gaining momentum toward specific goals. Life coaches also help improve overall well being by addressing various aspects of life such as health, relationships, and careers.

Clients often achieve goals more quickly and efficiently with a life coach.

Understanding Life Change Events

Understanding Life Change Events

Typical life change events

• Forced job or career changes

• Trauma or tragedy in your family or close community

• Financial challenges forcing lifestyle changes

• Relocation to a new community

• Health challenges, accidents

• Relationship changes

• Birth of a child, or the kids leaving home

• Personal unrest or dissatisfaction with life, success and/or achievement

How to manage change, whether it’s your choice or not

One of the best ways to manage change is to get a little help from someone not personally affected by or involved in the change.

A Life Change Coach can provide impartial guidance and support through life change coaching sessions, helping you navigate life’s changes.

Preparing for life transitions

• Life coaches can help you create a plan for a healthier life with personalized guidance.

• They provide tools and unbiased advice that make tackling your goals easier.

Choosing the Right Life Coach for You

Choosing the Right Life Coach for You

How to find a qualified life coach

A competent life coach often has a background in psychology, mental health, wellness, or business.

There are accredited life coach training programs from which they may have a certification to practice. It is crucial to find the right coach who aligns with your personal needs and goals to ensure a successful and fulfilling coaching experience.

What to expect from coaching sessions

Life coaching sessions can take many forms, such as in-person, phone, or Skype.

Clients should decide what to focus on in coaching sessions.

Each session should leave clients feeling empowered and uplifted. A coaching program can provide structured support and strategies through coaching sessions, offering tools and a comprehensive approach to personal development and lifestyle changes.

Questions to ask a potential life coach

• What is your experience and background in life coaching?

• What is your approach to coaching and how will you help me achieve my goals?

• What kind of support and guidance can I expect from you?

Benefits of Life Coaching

How life coaching can change your life

Life coaching can empower you to address your current position, create a vision of where you want to go, and develop an action plan for getting there.

It can help you make more time for rest or build better relationships.

Knowing where to start and what steps to take can be challenging, but life coaching can provide guidance and support. Cultivating self-belief is essential for achieving personal growth and confidence.

Achieving your goals with a life coach

• Life coaches serve as guides for their clients, assisting them in uncovering areas of their lives they wish to transform and creating a roadmap to achieve those aspirations.

• They can help you identify areas for self-improvement and bring about positive changes.

Life Coaching vs. Other Specialists

Life Coaching vs. Other Specialists

Life coach versus health coach

• Life coaches and health coaches may sound like they’re cut from the same cloth, but they each have their own unique specialties.

• While a life coach might suggest hitting the gym for a mood boost or to fire up your motivation, they’re not the ones to guide you through detailed health goals.

Life coach versus therapist

Life coaches and therapists share a common goal — helping you lead a better life — but they tread completely different paths to get there.

Therapists are the experts in navigating your emotional and psychological processes, while life coaches are the problem-solvers who help you tackle present challenges. For example, a relationship coach can provide targeted support to enhance personal relationships, especially during transitional life situations.

Life coach versus lifestyle consultant

• Life coaches and consultants both serve personal growth, but a consultant is someone to bounce ideas off of rather than an explicit guide.

• Their goal is to empower clients to make informed decisions by helping them learn what they need to know.

How to Get the Most Out of Life Coaching

Tips for successful coaching sessions

• Be open and honest with your coach.

• Set clear goals and expectations.

• Be willing to take action and make changes.

Having a solid foundation is crucial for effective coaching and achieving desired outcomes.

Finding the Right Life Coach for Your Needs

Reflecting on your needs

Ask yourself: what do I want to achieve with coaching? Do you already know what it is you’re struggling with, or do you need help figuring out what your barriers are?

Collaborating with other coaches can provide valuable support and continued education, enhancing your learning and business growth through small group mentoring and networking opportunities.

Determining your niche

• Although life coaches are well-suited to address various personal and professional concerns, you may want someone with a specialty.

• For instance, depending on your needs, you may benefit from a life coach with experience and expertise when it comes to working with entrepreneurs, executives, or neurodivergent individuals.

Using a coaching platform to find a life coach

• Online coaching allows you to access professionals from across the country from the comfort of home.

• BetterUp provides online coaching services to help individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their full potential.

The Investment in Life Coaching

Understanding the costs of life coaching

• The cost of coaching varies depending on the coach’s expertise, methodology, and duration of the program.

• Some coaches offer packages or memberships that can be more cost-effective, while others charge per session.

Is life coaching worth the investment?

Life coaching can have a positive impact on personal insight, self-reflection, and overall mental health and quality of life. It can help you make more time for rest or build better relationships. Additionally, life coaching plays a significant role in improving well-being by addressing various aspects of life such as relationships and careers.

Becoming a Certified Life Coach

Who Change Coach Training is For

• The Change Coach Training program is ideal for people who are brand new to coaching or have experience working with clients as a therapist, counselor, or coach from another perspective.

Program Timeline

• The Change Coach Training Program is a 6-month program comprised of four, 2-day virtual trainings.

Exactly what’s included in the Change Coach Training Program

• Four, 2-day live virtual trainings with recordings

• Live webinars with coaches and practitioners with recordings

• Learn what happens behind the scenes at The Little School of Big Change

Certification Requirements

Certification requirements for life coaches

• Coaches will submit a recorded coaching session in order to be considered for certification.

• Certification will be granted by late July, 2024.