Hands-down, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the standard for excellence in life coaching. The nature of being a life coach is that others look to you for expertise and guidance. Clients look to their coaches as experts, so only excellent and well-equipped coaches must be practicing in the field. ICF is dedicated to elevating coaching and increasing its impact and value globally. ICF is a recognized certification program by clients and employers. It indicates a rigorous investment in developing the knowledge, experience, and practical training to equip coaches to excel in helping clients. The most successful life coaches continually develop their skills through ongoing professional development, and ICF provides consistent and relevant training for all life coaches wanting to best represent their practice.
Life Coaching is Evolving
Life coaching is a living and evolving craft because people are growing and changing. Putting in the work to get an ICF certification pays off in the end for several reasons, including client trust, reputation, and being able to market oneself as an expert in the field. The only way life coaches can keep serving their clients in exceptional ways is to have training and certifications from a reputable training group, and ICF is the gold standard.
Collectively, Life Purpose Institute and others committed to using ICF as the core training resource, the industry will become more respected and raise the overall standard for practicing. As coaches help others, they also grow, learn, and develop themselves. Every client presents an opportunity to refine their skills and identify gaps where they may seek additional certifications. Since ICF is the gold standard, it doesn’t take long to find a program that focuses on a specific area.
Certified Life Coaches
Life coaching certification can be at different levels and built upon as desired. Life coaching offers men and women the flexible lifestyle they seek. What used to be a stay-at-home mom’s career choice is now a legitimate and respected career for men and women. ICF supports this professional approach to life coaching. Flexibility is still a key attraction for life coaching, and offering flexible schedules to get certified is also necessary for those seeking to explore how life coaching may fit their lives.
Many people curious about life coaching seek to learn how to share their knowledge and experiences in a meaningful and helpful way while maintaining their individuality as an independent contractor. ICF offers programs in three different certifications, allowing many more people to train in the industry’s gold standard programs. Associate Certified Coaches (ACC), Professional Certified Coaches (PCC), and Master Certified Coaches (MCC) have varying levels of time committed to the program, which directly impacts cost and time to complete. Every program builds on previous training, so life coaches who start as an ACC may choose to pursue their MCC later in their careers.
Characteristics and Certifications
Although there are no restrictions on who can become a life coach, ICF certifications are designed for those wanting to provide the highest level of training and background to be able to help their clients. It sends a clear message that the coach is wholly invested in being equipped and excellent at what they do. Some of the typical characteristics of successful life coaches include compassion and empathy, good communication skills, a passion to help others in personal growth, resilience and patience, and a general curiosity about others. If a person believes they have most of these characteristics, they may consider a career in life coaching. The best way to be prepared for your clients’ needs is to participate in a reputable training and certification program, like those offered using ICF, which we do at Life Purpose Institute.
Committed to the Cause
When it comes to elevating what life coaching looks like and continuing to develop excellent coaches in the field, ICF offers a comprehensive approach to learning the tools to masterfully help clients. The confidence that comes with being a certified coach is immeasurable. An ICF certification opens doors and provides a foothold that other training or coaches without certifications will struggle to achieve, making it challenging to build a sustainable career in life coaching.
Life Purpose Institute uses ICF for its core and advanced training programs to become a certified life coach. We support those who want to invest in their life coaching career and become part of the industry that elevates others to be their very best because our clients deserve it! Our goal is to continue raising the existing standards for life coaches through highly effective and relevant certification programs.
Contact Life Purpose Institute today for more information about our incredible ICF certification programs!