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Becoming a Life Coach 101: What You Need to Know

Becoming a Life Coach 101: What You Need to Know

Colorful abstract artworkBefore I decided to take this path of becoming a life coach, I first experienced being coached by a senior painter.

I was just starting a tester and was lost on how to go about the upcoming group exhibition. I was barely able to juggle college life, work, social life, and family errands in a week because I was then writing my thesis. It was only a month before the event and I couldn’t figure out what to paint.

Together with not finding any idea for my piece, I couldn’t squeeze in time to start on it. So I asked for help.

I didn’t know that he does coaching as a job, I only knew him as our senior and our group’s mentor. When I came up to him he said that he was glad that I told him about my dilemma because we could still work on it even though we are just a month away.

Before you continue you might like to consider our free worksheet on exploring “Find Your Passion”. Please download this worksheet here.

In This Article:
Types of Life Coaches
Popular Types of Life Coaches
How to Become a Life Coach

Long before I looked up about the availability of coaching certification programs online I had no idea that there were different kinds of coaches! My mentor told me that he is a skills coach for creatives, and what I needed to activate my passion. He said that he’d love to give me a free coaching session as long as I will continue paying it forward to others.

Our first session was more of a listing session, I listed my worries, the things I do every day, the things I want to do, and the things that I need to do. Did not see the point of doing the lists, up until we started connecting them with my actions.

We then dwelled on how to achieve the goals I listed and started making a schedule. And boy I could say that it was the easiest part! The hardest part was actually sticking and committing to it.

Types of life coaches Types of Life Coaches

There are different types of life coaches in the field, and knowing the specific kind of coach you need can help you decide which one to find. As for my experience, I was fortunate to have found the coach I need for my dilemma, but as I have learned from the life coach training institute, some coaches may still offer you help even though it is not their niche.
For coaches, trust and comfort with the client are the most important requirement for successful coaching.

  1. General Life Coaching
    – Support and direction for non-specific (general) issues.
    – Move forward toward positive growth in your life.
  2. Personal Life Coaching– Centered on fixing particular (specific) stressors and difficulties in life.- Great for addressing anxiety, depression, stress, and ineffective habits.
  3. Business Coaching– It helps both companies and individuals to set and achieve winning business goals.- Wonderful for clients who wish to improve their professional status.- Bring business expertise to another level of success and development.- Gain invaluable knowledge and new insights on business management.
  4. Small Business Coaching– A type of business coaching that focuses on individuals rather than companies.- Fantastic for the newbies who have launched a small business (aka budding entrepreneurs).- Helps to build confidence in products and/or services.- Scale-up a small business by making the best decisions.
  5. Executive (Leadership) Coaching– Focuses on senior leaders or executives of an organization- Improve both leadership skills and personality
  6. Career Coaching– Helpful in navigating the job industry.- A type of coaching that can work wonders for any career-related issues.
  7. Financial Coaching– Learn how to handle money wisely.- Discover how to apply smart investment solutions (financial choices).- Provides training on both saving and creating a budget.
  8. Team Coaching– Improve relationships among team members (including the leader).- Understand what it takes to create and guide a GREAT team.- Fix existing problems within a team and prevent future issues from ever happening.- Gain better skills by detailing action steps.
  9. Performance Coaching– Recognizes and addresses the gaps in an individual’s work performance.- It helps people realize their full potential.
  10. Sales Coaching -Assists the client to meet his sales quota.- Valuable advice on how to maximize an employee’s potential and performance.
  11. Skills Coaching– The coach may impart his knowledge of a certain skill. Thus, he provides the client with actionable, personal experience-based guidelines.- It helps a person to reach a new level of understanding in the will – skill niche.
  12. Wellness Coaching– It provides tools for maintaining a healthy mind, body, and soul.- Teaches skills related to one’s overall wellbeing.- Similar to holistic and health coaching but with a focus on wellness in general.
  13. Mindfulness Coaching– Works towards promoting mindful awareness and clearing off blockages.
    – Focuses on the concept of being “here and now” (aka mindfulness).
  14. Health Coaching– Helps to deal with health-related issues (e.g. proper nutritional intake, weight management).- It is not limited to health on the physical level but also works on the mental level (based on the client’s needs).
  15. Spiritual Life Coaching– Wonderful for people who need help to connect with their inner selves.- This type of coach provides a holistic approach with a focus on spirituality.
  16. Holistic Coaching– Holistic coaching is among the most recent types of life coaching.- Works to promote balance and wholeness among body, mind, and spirit.-Similar to wellness coaching but with a deeper focus on spirituality.
  17. Relationship Coaching Wonderful for couples who seek help in overcoming communication problems. Guides couples toward establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship. Nurture and strengthen family bonds.
  18. Dating Coaching – Great for clients who need help to create a winning action plan for their dating life.- Ongoing support and solutions to dating life-related mishaps and misfortunes.
  19. Divorce Coaching– A divorce coach provides continuous, gentle support through the difficult process of divorce.- This type of coach can help clients in making the right decisions.- Assists in dealing with, as well as decreasing pain and moving forward in life.
  20. Transitional Coaching-Transitional life coaches offer similar support to that of divorce coaches.- Transitional life coaching focuses on dealing with big transitions in life. Think of graduation, getting over a breakup, having kids, menopause, changing careers, and more.
  21. Neuro-linguistic Programming Coaching– NLP coaches’ area of expertise is helping a client break free from limiting beliefs. It is limiting beliefs that often hinder our progress and success.
  22. Personal Empowerment Coaching– A personal empowerment coach will help you take control of your life.- Personal empowerment is intricately related to personal development.- Awesome for those who need help in identifying their strengths.
  23. Confidence Coaching-Did you know that confidence is a “soft skill”?- This type of coach specialty is to help a client get into practicing healthy (self)-confidence.
  24. Sports Coaching– A sports coach does NOT equal a team coach.- A sports coach is someone who helps athletes psychologically.- Similar to a wellness coach, a sports coach works to promote and condition a team’s body, mind, and spirit.
  25. Recovery Coaching-Recovery life coaches help individuals overcome addictions. These include alcohol (sober coaching), drugs, and other forms of codependency.- Recovery life coaching is about ongoing help for stopping addictions.- It is also about reducing addictive behaviors-associated harm.Speaking of types of unique life coaches… Brain injury recovery coaching does exist, too.
  26. Parenting Coaching– A parenting coach works with proven tools and strategies to help clients become the parents they aspire to be
  27. – Ongoing support and guidance are also provided. The goal is to help identify and overcome challenges in raising healthy, happy kids. I really thought mentoring and coaching were just the same, but knowing the difference between them is really helpful especially in choosing what you want to achieve from your program.

Popular Types of Life Coaches

The most successful and sought-after coaching experts include:

However, as with everything life coaching-related, there is a thin line you ought to be aware of… The most popular coaches who can greatly help client X might not always be the best for client Z. Yes, there is no fit-them-all golden standard when it comes to “the best” types of coach one should be looking for.

white mugHow to Become a Coach

Life coaching is a rapidly growing business industry. Are you interested in becoming a life coach, there are coaching certification programs online which can help you get certified on the niche you believe is best for you.

Please, note… Obtaining the right certification will not automatically make you a great coach.
I do encourage you to join the world of certified personal coaching, (and professional coaching) experts.

However, before you enroll in a legitimate program, I would suggest that you speak with your soul. Not everyone can become a fantastic coach. And that’s because life coaching is not merely a way to make money.

This is the secret ingredient of becoming wonderful life coaches.

 

Ready to take the first step in your life coaching journey? Download our free worksheet to help you discover your passion and create a meaningful coaching path.

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Smiling woman with wavy brown hair wearing a navy blazer and white shirt, standing in a softly blurred office setting, conveying positivity.

Carolyn Freyer-Jones

Kickstart Your Coaching Practice

Highlights & Achievements:

Coach, facilitator, and contributor to coaching education. Carolyn is associated with practical coaching training and learning resources, supporting coaches and leaders in developing effective, ethical, and reflective coaching practices.
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Rob Willson

Cognitive Behavioral Coaching

Highlights & Achievements:

Coach and educator contributing to leadership and coaching skills development. Rob is involved in professional training contexts, supporting the application of coaching tools and methodologies in organisational settings.
A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair is confidently posing with crossed arms. She wears a black and white checkered outfit and a necklace. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an indoor setting.

Prof. Ilona Boniwell

Positive Psychology Coaching

Highlights & Achievements:

Professor of Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology. Ilona is a pioneer of applied positive psychology education in Europe and has founded and led postgraduate programmes in the field. Her work focuses on wellbeing, resilience, strengths, and evidence-based positive psychology interventions.
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Jon Williams

Coaching for Performance

Highlights & Achievements:

Coach and contributor to professional coaching education and training programmes. Jon is involved in leadership and coaching development initiatives, supporting skill-building and reflective practice within organisational and coaching contexts.
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Prof. Erik de Haan

Relational Coaching

Highlights & Achievements:

Professor, executive coach, and leading expert in coaching supervision. Erik is widely recognised for his contributions to relational coaching, organisational development, and reflective practice, supporting both individual coaches and leadership systems worldwide.
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Prof. Peter Hawkins

The Coaching Relationships

Highlights & Achievements:

Professor of Leadership and a leading authority in systemic team coaching and coaching supervision. Peter works internationally with boards, leadership teams, and organisations, and has written extensively on leadership, coaching culture, and systemic change.
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Prof. David Clutterbuck

Goals

Highlights & Achievements:

One of the world’s most influential figures in coaching and mentoring. Professor Clutterbuck has authored and co-authored foundational texts in coaching, mentoring, and organisational development. His work has shaped global standards for coaching practice, supervision, and mentoring relationships.
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Devon White

Communication

Highlights & Achievements:

Coach and leadership development practitioner involved in contemporary coaching education. Devon has contributed to professional coaching programmes and discussions alongside established academics and practitioners in the coaching field.
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Linda Aspey

The Coaching Relationships

Highlights & Achievements:

Coach, facilitator, and contributor to professional coaching education. Linda is recognised within the coaching psychology and leadership development community for her involvement in learning programmes, events, and reflective coaching practice.
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Dr. Chérie Carter-Scott

Psychological Foundations

Highlights & Achievements:

Executive coach, author, and pioneer in the coaching profession. Often referred to as “The Mother of Coaching,” Dr. Carter-Scott has been a leading voice in personal and professional development since the 1970s. She is a bestselling author and has trained coaches and leaders worldwide in motivation, leadership, change, and self-esteem.
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Prof. Jonathan Passmore

An Introduction to Coaching

Highlights & Achievements:

Chartered Psychologist, Professor of Coaching and Behavioural Change, executive coach, and author. Jonathan has published extensively in coaching psychology, leadership, and organisational change, including numerous academic articles and books. He bridges academic research and applied practice, contributing globally to coach education and evidence-based coaching.
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Dr. D. Ivan Young

The Coaching Relationships

Highlights & Achievements:

Coach, educator, and thought leader in professional and relationship-focused coaching. Dr. Young is frequently featured alongside senior coaching scholars and practitioners in advanced coaching education and professional development settings, contributing to the evolution of reflective and relational coaching practice.
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Catherine Bell

Psychological Foundations

Highlights & Achievements:

Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP). Catherine specializes in leadership transitions, executive presence, and sustainable performance. Her work combines positive psychology, emotional intelligence, and strategic leadership development to help leaders thrive while maintaining wellbeing and purpose.
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Yannick Jacob

An Introduction to Coaching

Highlights & Achievements:

Existential Coach, Positive Psychologist, Coach Trainer, and Supervisor. Yannick is the Programme Lead for the Accredited Certificate in Integrative Coaching at the School of Positive Transformation. He has taught coaching, positive psychology, and personal development at institutions including the University of East London, Animas Centre for Coaching, and The School of Life. His work integrates existential philosophy, coaching psychology, and human development to support meaningful change in individuals and leaders.
Becoming a Life Coach 101: What You Need to Know

Highlights & Achievements: