These days it looks like every second person on social media is a life coach. It can be quite a challenge to discern which coach is a high-quality professional and which one is just trying to earn some dollars. On top of that, the biggest questions are, “how do you know which life coach is perfect for you?” and “which life coach can help you in achieving your goals?”
Well, to answer all your questions, here is a complete “how to find a life coach?” guide for you:
Who Is A Life Coach?
A life coach is a professional who helps you achieve your full potential. Life coaches help individuals see clearly where they are in their lives and then create a vision and a plan to achieve certain destinations. If your life coach has a good relationship with you, they will facilitate you, help you and guide you toward your dreams and goals.
It’s important to clarify that a life coach is not a therapist – this professional does not treat your mental disorders or past traumas. The primary focus of life coaching is on your future and helping you achieve certain goals.
Find A Life Coach Why Do You Need A Life Coach?
Sometimes, people confuse coaching with other disciplines like therapy and mentorship. Therefore, before finding a life coach, it’s essential your know “why do you need a life coach?” and “what does a life coach do?”
In simpler words, a life coach targets your unique gifts and skills and allows you to attain some certain goal. Coaches help you identify and develop a solution to different problems. In addition, if you are stuck at some point in your life, a life coach can guide you toward a better and clearer future. Other than that, a life coach helps you:
Increase confidence
Achieve work satisfaction
Build stronger and better relationships
Improve creativity
Identify your passion in life
Improve life-work balance
Gain financial stability
Types Of Life Coaches
There are different types of life coaches available out there. Some work online, while others work in person. Some adopt a more general approach and specialize in all aspects of their lives, while others pick a certain niche. There are several life coaching niches available, including:
Family coaching
Spiritual coaching
Divorce coaching
Health and wellness coaching
Diet and fitness coaching
Relationship coaching
Addiction and sobriety coaching
Business and leadership coaching
In-Person Coach
Most people prefer life coaches who create a relationship with their clients in person. Selecting this type of coach is a perfect choice for you if you are confident and strongly prefer being in the presence of your life coach. To find in-person life coaches, you can search “life coaches near me” on Google, Yelp, or other search engines.
Online Coach
Most people assume that an in-person coach is more effective than an online. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Working with a life coach over the phone have its own benefits, such as:
Online coaches are inexpensive than local ones
Online coaching can save your precious time
You might feel comfortable and open up about yourself on the phone than in person
You can easily find a specialized life coach with a certain niche
You can select the best life coach from anywhere on the planet
Qualities Of An Effective Life Coach
Before selecting a life coach, it’s important to know the qualities of an effective life coach. In general, you must check the following four things before hiring a life coach:
Qualifications
Unlike other disciplines, there is no essential qualifications requirement in life coaching. For instance, you need to have a certain degree and meet strict qualification requirements before practicing as a professional therapist. While in life coaching, there are no such legal restrictions.
However, there are numerous licensing organizations, educational programs, and training programs available out there that certify and regulate life coaches. We recommend hiring a certified life coach because they follow ethical codes and know how to use different coaching techniques and tools.
Specialties
As discussed earlier, different life coaches have different specialties. It would be best if you found a life coach that has enough knowledge and experience in the areas of life that you want to improve or change. In simpler words, the type of alterations you want in your life will determine the specialties of the life coach you select. Normally, coaching specialties include general life, mental health, relationship, wellness, retirement, and beyond.
Synergy
A life coach should be flexible. Coaches need to be both gentle and firm. An effective coach gently confronts you but won’t judge you. They should be a great listener yet willing to ask you different questions. You must find a coach that won’t clash with you. If your selected coach keeps interrupting or talking over, they are not a perfect coach for you.
Free Consultation To Find A Life Coach
It’s important your coach gives you a free consultation. In this process, you’ll learn about their qualification, specialties, and synergy. Many coaches offer free consultation, which allows you to know your coach before paying anything. In general, this consultation can last anywhere between 20 minutes to an hour.
In a free consultation, ask your coach different questions and see if that certain coach is a perfect pick for you or not. Plus, you need to open up in this consultation because your life coach wants to know you; they want to understand what you need and try to figure out what you want to achieve in your life.
How To Find A Life Coach?
Now that you know what kind of coach you need and the qualities they must possess, it’s time to find a life coach for you. Following are some of the most efficient and popular ways of finding a life coach:
Matching Service
This one is the best way to find a life coach. If you use a life coach matching service, there is a 99% chance that you will get the best coach that aligns with your personality and needs. We prefer matching services over other options because an effective matching service focuses on you instead of a life coach.
Life coach matching services have access to thousands of databases. They use different criteria, including the coach’s specialties you need, the coach’s style you want, and more to find an excellent life coach easily and quickly. Some of the most popular life coach matching services are:
My Coach Match
Life Coach Spotter
Find Your Coach
Coaching Directories
There are several coaching directories available on the internet. The biggest advantage and disadvantage of these directories are that they contain thousands of life coaches. For instance, only in the United States, there are more than 16,000 life coaches available. You can pick a life coach from this wide range of options, which is quite time-consuming.
Local Search
If you think online directories are quite time-consuming, you can also search life coach near you. To do that, go to Yelp, Google, and other similar search engines and search “life coach near me.” The disadvantage of this one is that it is possible that the local life coach near you might be under-qualified compared to other coaches.
Get A Referral
Another way to find a life coach is by getting a referral. You know, if you get referred to a coach from an acquaintance, colleague, family member, or friend, that suggestion is coming from a trusted person. However, the downside to this process is that life coaching is quite personal, so you might not feel comfortable telling other people you are seeing a life coach.
How Much Does A Life Coach Cost?
If you have found a life coach that understands you and has all the necessary qualities of a life coach, it’s time to decide the charges of your selected life coach. The cost of a life coach depends upon your geographical location, the experience of your coach, the specialties of your coach, the way of communication.
For instance, an in-person coach may cost more than an online one. On average, an experienced life coach can cost up to $274 per session. However, if you want to save some bucks and need more than one session, you can also buy a one-month or three-month coaching package.
Conclusion
Find a life coach: Hiring a life coach is an important decision. You should not select a coach just because they are inexpensive or near to you. Instead, we recommend investing your time and finding a perfect match for you. First, ask yourself why you need a life coach?
If you need a life coach to resolve some personal issues, try to find a personal life coach. However, if you need one to improve your professional life, a professional life coach with some experience is a better option for you.
There are several ways to find an effective life coach. Out of all these options, our best pick is matching services. A life coach matching service allows you to find the perfect professional that suits you best. Plus, most of these services are free, making it the most economical choice. If for some reason, you cannot use a matching service, you can search “life coaches near you” on Google and Yelp or can go through the coaching directories.
