Career as a Certified Life Coach in India

People face times when they cannot decide the next step or direction. They may be forced to make a difficult career decision or anything related to their life. These times can be testing. Many people can also face stress or anxiety in figuring out their next stage. A good listener, professional, or trusted person can make all the difference in such cases.

A certified life coach is a person who helps promote wellness and development in a person’s personal, professional, or emotional state. These professionals allow their clients to achieve any goals they’ve set for their life.

Life coaching has become increasingly popular as more people recognise the need for guidance. Personal coaching helps them tackle specific goals. Their personal coach can help with everything from helping with an addiction to an ever-present question of what to do in life.

The life coach field works best for people who are problem solvers. They must also be open to listening and have an empathetic side. Such skills can help people become excellent life coaches and allow their clients to lead a better, more fulfilled life.

Who is a Certified Life Coach?

A Certified Life Coach is an expert who works on wellness and progress in the client’s life. This progress can be in any field like business, relationship, health, career, etc.

• A life coach can work on a general wellness program or have a specific field. For example, one can look for a mindset coach or lifestyle coach.
• These coaches cater to the client’s goals. They identify the obstacles and focus on the skills to ensure holistic development.
• The overall goal of every lifestyle coach is to ensure a happier, healthier, peaceful, or successful life for their clients.
• Life Coaches in India average a salary of ₹99,727 per month.
• Read the example below to understand the work of a certified life coach.

For example, one of the clients of a lifestyle coach struggles with alcohol addiction. They have been harboring the habit for years and want to change. But doing the same without any help can be difficult. An addiction lifestyle coach can help the person understand the process and have a plan. They can allow them to work through the root cause of their addiction. It may involve therapy or treatments. But, the end goal of sobriety and healthy life will be easier when the client follows the plan. They also get a listening ear where they can talk about the issues. It helps the lifestyle coach understand their past, skills, and weaknesses and create a plan with the same.

Types of Life Coaches

People can find life coaches at different stages of their lives. They work on solving their problems, whether about a relationship or their mental health. Find below the types of life coaches.

• Relationship and Family Coach: These coaches work on providing for a better family and relationship. They can help in better communication among family members. Clients may also work with a relationship coach to understand their failed relationships or inability to commit.
• Career Coach: Career coaches help people make vital career decisions. It can be when a person wants to change their field. They may also consult the coach when planning a business and leaving their job. These coaches can also help plan one’s retirement and determine the best options.
• Financial Coach: People with money management problems can benefit from a financial coach. They can plan their expenses. Also, the coach keeps them accountable for their budgets.
• Mental Health Coach: These coaches can help clients find a life balance or purpose. They can also help manage anxiety or stress. The clients also seek out coaches to deal with their grief.
• Health and Wellness Coach: These coaches provide motivation and plans to lose weight or maintain nutrition and fitness. They may also be fitness trainers who keep their clients motivated and on track.
• Spiritual Coach: This coaching type is when people want to understand the deeper life meaning. They can also work on following the rules of a specific religion.

Roles and Responsibilities of a Life Coach

A life coach has several responsibilities to their clients. They should understand and provide for their client’s goals as best as possible. Read about their various roles below.

1. Setting goals and objectives: The life coach shall set the goals for the client with them. They must help them set a realistic standard of what they can achieve during that period. For example, the goal can be to avoid mindless eating. Another example can be when a person decides to lose weight over a period.
2. Identifying strengths and weaknesses: The life coach can only work with clients when they know their strengths and weaknesses. They can learn the same by communicating or understanding their past decisions. For example, the coach can identify a weakness the client overeats after emotional turmoil. In the other example, the coach can identify that the client can stay on track with avoiding junk food but need help with portion management.
3. Developing strategies and action plans: The life coach has to create an action plan based on the goals, strengths, and weaknesses. It should be realistic and help the client stay on track. For example, the coach can develop an action plan for when the person tends to skip their diet plan. It may contain steps like eating something healthy or having a small portion.
4. Offering support and motivation: The coach should also be present for the client. They must motivate them without judgment. For example, the coach should be available to listen to the client’s emotional problem when they get an urge to overeat. They must also motivate them to stay on the plan.
5. Providing feedback and accountability: The coach should monitor the client’s progress. It will help them give feedback on their performance. Also, the coach must be stern about their accountability but still polite and understanding.

How to Become a Life Coach?

It is essential to understand the requirements of a life coach. Read below to understand how to become a life coach in India.

1. Choose a niche: There are specializations which life coaches can choose. These niches help them target specific clients. Also, it boosts the credibility of the life coach as a specialist for those issues. Coaches can enter fields like relationships, careers, finances, lifestyle, aging, etc. They can work for clients who face problems in these domains and work to achieve their goals.
2. Education and training requirements: A life coach should take training to provide better services to their clients. This field may still be unregulated, but training can help a life coach get better clients. One can take an accredited program by the International Coach Federation.
   They will learn the coaching principles, psychological concepts, ethics, communication, etc. Also, the life coach must use the available online resources to learn more about the field. They can also work under mentors who are already successful life coaches in their niche.
3. Gaining experience and building a client base: The life coach must gain experience in the coaching field after their training. They can work with an organization or start their own practice. Getting clients depends on reputation and connections. Social media and other marketing methods will be better to engage an audience and build a client base.
   The coaches can also work on trial and offer their clients free sessions. It is a helpful service where potential clients may learn about the services and see how they benefit.
4. Obtain certifications and credentials: The life coach can get a certification after training or online life coaching courses. The institutions like the Association of Coaching and the International Coach Federation are excellent options. They can apply for the same and must fulfill the work hours experience and the tests. The life coach industry might not be regulated, but coaches still need to put in the work. They build goodwill as they invest in the training. Also, these credentials help them set themselves apart from other coaches and attract more clients.
5. Continued education and business development: The work of a life coach is ever-evolving. They regularly need to educate themselves about the new techniques in the field. Also, every client will provide for a unique situation which requires better skills and education. They should also focus on increasing their clients through referrals, marketing, and educating people about their services.

Skills Required for Life Coaching

A life coach requires several soft skills besides education. They must possess the following skills to ensure better services for their clients.

• Active listening: The coach must be an interested and active listener to their clients.
• Communication skills: A life coach should easily and freely communicate. It helps them build trust and a relationship with their clients.
• Empathy and understanding: The coach should understand their client’s issue. Empathising is a key to understanding their thinking.
• Problem solvers: The coach must be a problem solver. These skills will allow them to solve client problems.
• Setting goals: Coaches must work with their clients to set achievable goals. But, they must also adapt as per the client’s needs.
• Time management: A life coach must have good time management skills to work with different people and have multiple sessions.
• Comprehending non-verbal cues: A coach should also understand the body language cues of their clients.
• Foreign language fluency: It’ll be better if the coach can speak the area language to connect with the clients.
• Investigative skills: Every life coach must investigate the client’s core issues. It will also help them learn their actual weaknesses.
• Research and analytical skills: The coach must research the client’s problems more. Their analytical skills can help them understand the reasoning behind their behavior.
• Tolerance and calmness with clients: The coach must be calm and tolerant even when the clients get aggressive.
• Basic computer skills: These computer skills can help coaches digitalise their service.
• Data entry: Coaches must collect and enter correct data for appointments, client details, their progress, etc.
• Invoicing and billing: The coaches must also have basic billing skills to provide invoices to the clients.

Life Coaching: Is it relevant?

Life coaching is still a new field in India. But, just like every other change, people slowly realize its importance. People turn to professionals when they need help, and life coaches provide this assistance for almost every life problem. Also, this field’s importance can be easily understood, like a sports coach.

For example, every top athlete hires a coach who motivates and pushes them. They create workout and meal plans and help prepare for upcoming competitions. Life coaches do the same just for other issues in life. It can be for someone who wants to quit an addiction or a person looking to build a successful business.

A life coaching field is a lucrative option as many people turn to these specialized services. People should consider this field if they want a career where they can put their interpersonal skills to use. Life coaches can work with people from different backgrounds, cultures, problems, and environments to make their lives happier, more fulfilling, successful, and thriving.

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