How to Become a Life Coach
Life coaching is an admirable career path to pursue, and though there’s plenty of responsibility, the possible good is all-too worth it. If you’ve made it this far, you’ve already made some massive steps in bettering your future and possibly the world. The Addictions Academy is the perfect haven for all things learning in the world of addiction recovery, and with our unique implementation of a virtual classroom and self-study, you’re guaranteed the ability to tackle each course at your own pace.
No matter your lifestyle, the Addictions Academy courses can work around your boundaries and provide just as much knowledge as your peers. Our unique online format includes clinical supervision in real-time to assist you with meeting your life coach qualifications under the International Coach Federation guidelines (ICF). (Please note we are ICF CCE Approved and Accredited.)
How to Become a Life Coach
Becoming a life coach doesn’t take a degree, but the key to success is education undeniably. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to get a master’s in psychology – though it does help – getting accredited and certified is arguably the single most effective way to get your foot in the door.
The Addictions Academy Life Coach Certification Course is the premier method of earning that certification and making sure you really digest the information given. It’s one thing to complete a course, but to know the ins and outs of life coaching is an invaluable skill. Through their course, you’re taught the fundamentals, active and passive listening skills, structure, goal setting, legal issues, balance, duties, competencies, and so much more.
On top of that, there’s coaching and mentorships. You’re given the chance to show off what you know before diving deep into the world of life coaching alongside experienced coaches and that’s an invaluable skill. You’re also given books, a directory listing, a direct pipeline into The Addictions Coach and Addictions Academy listings, and countless other incentives.
However, one should be fit for becoming a life coach emotionally, as well. If you’re not a great personality fit, it may not work out. Chelsea Quint, an expert in the field, notes that it required a “human can opener” personality type to find success. Being able to open people up, break through their defenses and help them recover! If it doesn’t come comfortably, this may not be the job for you.
Why You Should Be a Life Coach
So, we’ve covered how you can be a life coach, but there is still the question of why exactly someone would want to become a life coach. Well, this can depend on the person. For one, there’s the moral uplifting aspect. As a life coach, you would have a direct positive impact on so many lives. You would have the opportunity to watch them grow, offer personal insight, and know that any positive progression can be attributed to you, even if loosely.
However, it’s fair enough that that aspect of the job isn’t the only thing that some people may be after. Though, don’t fret! There’s also an independence factor involved as well. If you were to work independently, you could take on clients and work under their schedule, rather than a traditional 9-5 company-person schedule. You can be your own boss, set your own standards, and even work from home if you’d prefer to be a virtual life coach, offering those services exclusively. Ultimately life coaching is a surprisingly flexible occupation, it’s just a matter of what you’d want. If you’re willing to accommodate all lifestyles, you can appease wide audiences. However, if you’d prefer to work within very set parameters, you could still find your niche!
For the sake of clarity, when it comes to joining an organization like The Addictions Coach and other big names, as was mentioned earlier, certification is key. They put a lot of stock into your reliability, and it can be a hefty job. Specifically with The Addictions Coach, you would be working closely with leading professionals in the field and expected to keep up! Cali Estes – the founder of the company – is an extraordinaire in the field and can be hands-on with projects, meaning you’ll be expected to work alongside her and hopefully learn a few things!
How much does a life coach make?
There’s no shame in admitting that you’d only take the job if it was safe and sound financially. So – how much does a life coach make? Frankly, it’s all dependent on your client-base. If you were to become an independent life coach, financial success would be entirely in your hands. Marketing yourself would be key, and overall if you presented yourself well-enough you could do exceptionally well! However, an alternative and safer option would be enlisting the help of a broad organization. Take The Addictions Coach for example. They hire a number of different life coaches, sober coaches, sober companions, whatever you can imagine. When under that branch, you can a consistent pool of clients and keep yourself relatively busy!
According to statistics gathered by ZipRecruiter, salaries can vary drastically. Some reached as high as around $130,000, but the average range is around $30,000 to $60,000. It can vary dependent on location – these numbers are prevalent in Pennsylvania for example, but across the country pay can be rounded up to around $25-$30 an hour. Other sources report an approximated average of $60k a year!
“Life coaches are often self-employed, and therefore have control of their schedule and their pricing. While some work short-term with a high volume of clients, others become almost gurus for long-term professional relationships. The average salary for a life coach in the United States is $59,630 per year. This rate is dependent on education, skills, years of experience, and continuing education and certification activity.
Massachusetts, Hawaii, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Tennessee lead the pack with the highest average annual salary, at just over $60k”
Overall, if you’re hoping for a stable job, life coaching could be just that!
