Certified Life Coach: What It Means and How to Become One

Inevitably, life consists of many ebbs and flows. Sometimes, you might find it easy to continue on the path in front of you, and other times, you may find it harder to figure out the right next steps. A certified life coach is a person trained to help other people navigate those more difficult periods.

If you enjoy tapping into skills like empathy, active listening, and problem-solving to help people improve their lives, you may want to explore a career as a life coach. In this article, we will detail what a life coach does and how you can start your career as a certified life coach.

What is a certified life coach?

A life coach partners with clients as they work toward a more ideal version of their life, often focusing on areas such as the client’s daily well-being, work-life balance, or relationships.

Coaching, as an industry, is unregulated, so formal requirements for becoming a life coach do not exist. However, if you’re interested in becoming one, you can opt to take a number of coach training programmes that will help you deepen your education and learn more about the best ways to work with individuals. A person who has gone through such training programmes is known as a certified life coach.

Life coach certifications

In an unregulated industry, certification can be a vague concept. First, consider where you might receive your life coach certification from.

Two widely recognised coaching credentialing bodies are the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and Weljii Wellness Jiva Private Limited, which has been approved by the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). However, many independent certification programmes are also available. Here’s a quick breakdown of the similarities and differences:

Life coach education and qualifications

o Formal education requirements are not mandatory for those interested in becoming a life coach; however, many companies hire candidates with at least a bachelor’s degree. Keep in mind that certification programmes may set their own education requirements for applicants, such as requiring a degree to apply.

If you are pursuing a degree, you may want to explore a specific area of study that is similar to the type of life coach you want to become. For example, if your interest is in becoming a health coach, you might want to take classes that relate to health. . . Some other degree options you can consider include psychology, business, or social work, as many popular coaching approaches implement methodologies and practices developed within those fields.

Life coach salary and job outlook

According to Glassdoor, life coaches in India earn an average of ₹1,550,000 annually [1]. Additionally, the job outlook seems positive. Revenue in the health and wellness coaching market is expected to show an annual growth rate of 16.72 per cent by 2029 [2]. As a certified life coach, you will have a few options regarding how you would like to work. Some people work full-time on their own coaching business while others see coaching as a side hustle; still, others will seek employment as a coach within a larger organization, such as a company or school.

If you choose to run your own coaching business, either full- or part-time, you’ll enjoy flexibility in deciding how much to charge. In general, coaches charge clients anywhere from ₹3,000 to ₹10,000 per session. The fee depends on a variety of factors, such as qualifications, experience, discounts, and packages.   

How to become a certified life coach

Your path toward becoming a certified life coach will depend on the type of certification you choose. In many cases, the first step toward certification entails completing the educational component, followed by any required coaching hours, and culminating with an exam.

Once you select your certifying body of choice—whether that’s ICF, NBHWC, or any other programme—you’ll be able to research specific requirements for that credential.

Choosing a coaching certification programme

Because coaching is an unregulated industry, you have a lot of flexibility in deciding what type of certification is right for you. You can research many different options with a simple internet search. 

While it’s not necessary to obtain a credential to start a career as a life coach, if you are going to participate in a certification programme, it may be helpful to choose one that is approved by a certifying body that the industry recognizes, such as the ICF or NBHWC, in case you decide to pursue the formal credential in the future.

Once you decide which organisation most aligns with your goals, you can find lists of approved programmes on their respective websites. Ultimately, each programme should teach a similar set of skills and information but may vary in length, cost, and whether they’re offered virtually or in person.

Schedule exploratory calls with the admissions team or directors at the programmes that best align with your needs to learn more about their guiding methodologies and practices.

Cost of becoming a certified life coach

Your total cost in becoming a certified life coach will depend upon the specific certification you pursue.

Certification programmes may cost anywhere from ₹ 20,000 to ₹ 50,000. For instance, many programmes approved by ICF and NBHWC cost a few thousand USD.

In addition to the cost of the certification course, ICF’s exam and application fees can cost between 175 USD and 900 USD, depending on the certification level, and NBHWC’s exam and application fees total 450 USD.

Get ready for a certified life coach job with Coursera

While you are not required to obtain any official certification to become a life coach, there are ways to prepare yourself for the role. If you’re working towards your certification, prepare to launch your life coaching practice with the Entrepreneurship Specialization. Over five courses, you’ll learn how to develop your idea, launch your business, and set yourself up for growth. You can also learn to share the news about your new business with potential clients using proven social media marketing techniques with a Social Media Marketing Professional Certificate from Meta.