Expert: Joel Simon - 11/18/2011

Question
Hi, can you tell me about getting a life coaching certificate. what does it entail, how much does it cost, which colleges give it, etc.

thanks

also, how much do life coaches charge their clients?

Answer
Hi, David.  First, I need to be upfront that my field is counseling and therapy and I don't practice as a "Life Coach" so I wouldn't consider myself an expert in that field.  I've done some research and will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability and knowledge.  There are a number of certification programs in life coaching; however, as in many cases, you need to be very careful about choosing one if you decide to go in that direction.  When something becomes popular, the charlatans seem to come out of the woodwork and look for ways of making a fast buck.  There are very few colleges that offer a degree specific to life coaching.  Most life coaches are trained first as a social worker, psychologist, or masters level counselor (including marriage and family counseling).  Costs vary for a certification program. You can get an idea by Googling life coach certification.  In terms of fees, again there's no hard and fast rule; fees vary (just as in therapy and counseling in general).  Basically, fees are based upon what the traffic will bear.  From what I can see the median is probably somewhere around $30K a year.  I would also suggest that if you're seriously considering going in this direction, you might want to consider going for an advanced degree (if you haven't already).  And since life coaching very much follows a solution-focused brief practice model, you might want to consider getting training in that area.  Hope this helps; let me know if you have any further questions.  Joel