Introduction to Life Coaching

Life coaching is something you’ve no doubt heard quite a bit about in the past several

years; while we’re all familiar with the idea that a life coach is some sort of professional

who works on a consultancy basis, not everyone is sure about exactly what a life coach

does and why their services are useful. If you’ve been wondering just what a life coach

is, then you’ve come to the right place – keep reading for a quick introduction to the

basics of life coaching.1

A life coach is someone who uses techniques which are akin to those used by

psychologists and therapists to help others make changes in their thought patterns and

behavior which lead to positive results. While there are a wide variety of methodologies

and techniques which are used by life coaches to achieve results for their clients, the

defining characteristic which unites any life coaching practice is that it is future-focused;

that is to say that it aims at helping the client to move forward along a more positive

trajectory – achieving peak performance.

There is no specific educational requirement which life coaches must meet, but these

professionals are, by and large, well educated individuals, often with an educational

background or professional experience in psychology, therapy of one sort or another, or

in leadership roles in business. Even though there isn’t any sort of federal or state

requirements as to their education or licensure, there are a variety of life coach training

and life coach certification programs out there which life coaches may participate in with

the aim of increasing their skill sets and improving their communication skills.

A life coach may specialize in any number of specific areas, including health and

fitness, professional growth, interpersonal relationships (especially romantic and family

relationships) or leadership training. Other life coaches cover a broader variety of

situations, offering their support to help their clients to overcome the roadblocks which

bar the way to achieving their full potential and realizing success in their lives.

1

Life coaching is a growing field and as demand increases for the services of these

professionals, so do the number of coaching training courses. One which is attracting

especially keen interest is a life coach certification program developed at the Center for

Strategic Intervention. The program includes full length videos of interventions

conducted by Robbins with detailed analysis by Madanes as well as live webcasts and

small group sessions which give students the personalized coaching training they need

to grow as life coaches and as individuals. Whether you’re interested in a career as a

life coach or if you’re thinking of learning more about how a life coach can help you and

others to make changes in their lives, this course offers a wealth of information.