Professional Coaches - Did you 'train' to become a coach?

I trained as a coach back in June 2000 and had a private
practice for many years.

I also became a trainer of coaches via a coaching organization
in the UK.

I began to transition out of coaching and into Internet Marketing
because coaching can be a time-for-money trap.

Internet Marketing allows me to leverage my skills and time a
lot more than one-on-one coaching ever did.

There are other coaching models such as group coaching etc,
that can allow you to leverage your time a bit more if you want
to.

I sometimes offer e-mail coaching because I can respond to
the client at a time convenient to me rather than being tied
to time with one-on-one coaching calls.

Find your passion, set-up your business around that and then
decide if you want to offer coaching as part of your mix.

If you choose a coaching course, then make sure that it is
accredited by a recognized body such as the International
Coaching Federation (ICF).

Dedicated to mutual success,

Shaun

Great questions! I'm Ryan Critchett. I'm a human potential strategist, and don't consider myself a coach! I study brain science, and patterns in effective people, apply and create strategies, and help people to condition their minds. Coaches are great, and being qualified for coaching is a great thing, especially in a degree/certificate conscious society. But the truth is, the bottom line is results. Whether or not you have a certificate doesn't matter if you're getting results and to think that a piece of paper is the determining factor on whether or not you're passionate about helping your species, is an absurdity to me! I know some coaches, who have gone to a 6 month course, who can't get themselves to stop overeating, or are depressed. I know hypnotherapists that have panic attacks, but can help others get over theirs. So I'm eluding to the bottom line and that is, I believe that an effective coach has to embody their principles. They should have a pretty firm understanding of the psychology of human experience, and should be more adept in the area of influencing people to engage their resources, and teaching them how, rather than getting people to just set goals. I'm writing a book, but I'm waiting until more of the world knows who I am. This isn't just a hobby or a business for me, I'm often called the next Tony Robbins! I can tell you that having reached out to many people from different countries, built a following on the net, trained (and am actively training) people 1on1, that passion is a crucial role in making it great! Hope that helped! Great questions!

I have recently started my own coaching center and I will do my best to make my teaching center best knowledgeable place. And Offering professional coaching services is one of the most lucrative ways to make money these days. There are now thousands of people from across the globe who are making thousands of dollars every month by simply sharing their knowledge while working at the comforts of their own home.

Does anyone know some good coaching programs? I'm currently taking hypnosis classes.

I really liked Ryan Critchett's response. I have never ever been convinced or swayed by someone who had some kind of "certificate". The best coaches in my life were not even remotely certified with anything.... they were just DAMN good at life and business and I wanted to model them.

A fair percentage of my business revenue comes from coaching and I also have no formal certification. I have taken coaching and, like Ryan, spend a good amount of time studying human behavior and applying to my own life. I am very open about my experience and my coaching clients ultimately hire me because they see results in my life and business that they would like to model.

I think of a coach more as a leader who can help other people with similar aspirations.

Played many nationals and finally got a major injury and now presently working as a gym instructor and giving coaching in football not as a professional, but hoping for the best.

Hey there

Yes it is a good question

I use the word coach simply because of its popularlity but I used use the term Life Strategist

Goal setting can be done in a boring fashion or intelligently

I agree, you dont need to have any qualifications to be a good coach. Its all about enabling people to follow their dreams and use influential language to support that.

I've written a post recently so its fresh in my mind about conscious competence and so on

The true master is unconsciously competetent in whatever they are coaching - they know what and how they are doing it but they now do it unconsciously

it takes time to become a master but you only really ever learn by doing

what do you like doing - what do you want to be - how do you want people to talk about you

and all that jazz

In response to a couple of other queries on here

there are some atrocious hypnotherapy schools out there and some brilliant ones. Hypnotherapy training encompasses 'therapy' so can be very serious and emotionally challenging. It should also however be FUN!

NLP is a favorite if you want to begin to learn how we function but you soon realise that NLP isnt whats great but understanding people and how we function - thats whats great

NLP will provide you with an excellent foundation for any type of coaching and the knowledge about powerful language patterns is helpful to all affiliates too!

Hi everyone;

I just recently was certified as a Coach Practitioner. I don't disagree about the certificate, but sometimes, credentials do help. What I like is that they want you to coach in a field that you have the most passion and experience in, much like IM sometimes.

There are alot of great tools they teach you that just make sense that involve NLP which is really gaining in popularity. And they really honed in on just how your goals affect you financially, spiritually, in relationships, etc. and that we relate primarily on three different levels - kinesthetic (feel) visually or audibly and they all require different approaches when really working on things that block you from moving forward.

It was an intense weekend and I feel I have enough tools to move forward although I will continue training for the next 12 months. You can incorporate different business models, audio or video courses, webinars, workshops, ebooks, other products - so I certainly see a future for business, life, and other types of coaches.

Scortillion asked about coaching classes....this is who I went through - they conduct courses in both the United States and in Canada.

Life Coach Training | Life Coach Courses | Certified Life Coach Training (schedule)

Cheers,
Terri

I coached for GMS for over five years before I had any exposure to training...and boy am I glad for that. Most of the training schools are just businesses out to make a buck, many of them teaching stuff that's idealistic and doesn't work in real life one on one settings.

I guess it's easy to do that when you never have to speak to the client who's son just died two weeks ago and she's trying to keep her business from going under, or the man whose wife just walked out saying she wants a divorce 5 minutes before your session starts.

Coaching isn't for everyone, and too many people don't realize that because they like the idea of giving advice or getting into someone's business. Many aspiring coaches that I've met are people who have failed at everything else. It's disturbing.

The best coaches are those who were coaches long before they decided to become one. The people who built organizations or had successful careers as leaders and who decided to teach other based out of raw experience. Coaches aren't made in the classroom, they're made on the playing field.

BTW: I suppose people reading this might wonder what business I have making such claims...so here goes....

http://sethczerepak.com/

My training was from life and experience in coaching although I have formal education and training in other areas.

I became a coach by the insistance of my friends and some business associates who wanted to hire me to help them. I did it for years rather informally when another friend of mine insisted that I actually make it easier for people to hire me.

I was immediately overwhelmed with clients and had to limit them.

Once someone asked me about certification and I told them basically what I've stated here.

However, for me, since it mattered not whether I got any clients or not, it was never an issue.

Interesting is the that fact that I've coached some of the top "certified" coaches on both coasts. ;-)

Will Coaching through Video Programs work almost like the Live Ones? I used to take up most of the courses through either video or audio based rather than live events as I don't have the option in my Geo.

yes and whats the difference between coaching and mentoring? i mean are they the same thing or is mentoring more in depth coaching? just wondering cause i am a bit of a newbie, thanks

Yeah, been through a lots and lots of training to train others.

Don't waste your time on coaching programs if you want to coach. Coach first! You can learn the rest as you go. Here's the kicker, do it for free. Attract clients, gather testimonials, hone your skill, and then start charging when you feel confident people will pay your fee. Do what is essential first, and let all the rest fall by the wayside while you attend to the most important matter. Good luck!

thanks for the share