Life Coaching – Why Do I Need a Coaching School
You could, if you feel so inclined, simply set up shop as a life coach. We really don’t recommend this for a huge number of reasons, but technically, there’s nothing stopping you. However, life coaches have a uniquely special role in bridging the gap between where someone is now, and where they want to be – in other words enabling them to fulfil their potential. It’s not life and death but it certainly is existing versus living. That’s a huge responsibility and one that will take you on your own path of personal growth and change.
You’d be naive to think that’s possible without support, experience, and strategies that are proven to work. That’s where a coaching school comes in. Selecting the right coaching school and the right courses from them is the difference between dabbling in the profession and making profound change for both yourself and others.
What to Look For
However, knowing that you want to find the best coaching school for your needs doesn’t actually get you there. It’s a bit of a minefield. How do you know you’re choosing the best one for your needs? There are two key elements you need to look for:
What are the courses and qualifications offered?
Who is training you and how do they do it?
The Qualifications
Fortunately, despite there being various routes you can take, making sense of life coaching qualifications isn’t actually too tricky. This is because it makes sense to simply eliminate the plethora of courses available that aren’t accredited by the appropriate professional bodies. By choosing a life-coaching course in the UK that is accredited by either the International Coach Federation (ICF) or the Association for Coaching (AC) you can be sure you’re making a sensible choice. However, find one which is accredited by both, and you’re making a great choice. These are far rarer and therefore easier to pin down and identify from the vast number of courses out there.
The Who and the How
Next, you need to give some thought as to who is going to be delivering your training and how they do it. Again, there are huge variations here. You need a course that not only leads to a reputable qualification, but one which is delivered in a way that meets your needs.
Typically, this will mean choosing a course that has coaching at its heart. We’re not in fact stating the obvious here. It is surprising how many coaching qualifications don’t require the trainee to learn not only about coaching principles and practices, but through their own experience of them. By choosing a coaching school that is run by coaches for coaches, and uses a mixture of theoretical and practical training, you excel your own learning and proficiency as a life coach. This should be paired with a supporter or mentorship framework as well.
Then you also need to consider your own unique needs as a learner and as a coach in development. This means you need to consider where and when you are trained. What methods and means are used? How does coaching practice happen in reality? Where and how do you access support? What happens post-qualification – the next steps, ongoing support, and further training?
At the best life coaching schools, you can expect to not only receive the most appropriate in-depth qualification, but also to be supported both during and after the course. You can expect to have access to further qualifications and professional development.
The Best Life Coaching School
At Animas we’re immensely proud of who we are, and how we offer life coaching training. Our Diploma in Transformational Coaching is accredited by both the ICF and AC and delivered by experienced coaches within a framework of mentorship and support. The course is offered on a flexible basis that incorporates both practical and theoretical training through a mixture of in-person, online, and distance learning. To find out more call us on 0330 990 5555 or come along to one of our FREE Introduction to Coaching events in London, Edinburgh, or Berlin.
