Looking for ICF-certified life coaching programs w/ a spiritual focus

[Emerald]

Hey everyone!

Now that I have a decent sized subscriber base on my YouTube channel, I'm strongly considering training to be a life coach. But I would want to tailor my life-coaching to what I talk about in my videos, which are topics of a psychological, contemplative, and spiritual nature. So, I would really be more of a spiritual advisor than a life-coach. I just feel that learning the professional ins and outs of responsibly consulting with people in this manner would be something that I could learn through a good life-coaching program. 

Of course, most life coaching programs that I've come across are more focused toward business than anything else, save for a few with a spiritual focus. But I want to make sure that I'm choosing a quality program, that is ICF certified. I want to avoid scams. 

Are there any life coaches on here who have recommendations?

Thanks! 

[Emerald]

@Leo Gura I have a question for you. How many clients were you seeing at a time when you were coaching? Or what is the average? 

[Leo Gura]

IPEC is a really good program (which I did).

Yes, they teach some business stuff, but the real value of it is they train you how to properly coach, which is quite difficult to learn on your own. You will meet lots of people there who you can practice-coach with to build up your skills. They will also teach you lots of great techniques.

Coaching is not what most people think it is. Coaching is NOT about giving people advice. Coaching is about asking powerful questions which facilitate the client to contemplate. Coaching is actually more powerful than giving people advice. Any fool can give advice, but very few people can coach. Coaching requires humility.

Coaching skills are very versatile. They are not limited to business or spirituality or life purpose. You can use those skills to coach in whichever sub-specialty you want. You can definitely become a spirituality coach, if that's your passion.

I might have 6-8 clients at my peak. But I was never a full-time coach. That was never my desire. Turned down many clients. Most of my time went into shooting videos. I have probably coached over 100 people in total.

From what I can see you would make a great coach. The only question is, do you really want to be a coach? To be a good coach you gotta want to work with people one-on-one and deal with their "stuff". It can be very rewarding, but it's not for everyone.

For example, I prefer mouthing off in videos rather than coaching people. But coaching can also be fun. A different kind of fun.

P.S. I doubt you'll find a coaching program with a spiritual focus. That is unnecessary anyhow.

And IPEC is all about consciousness, consciousness, consciousness. That's all they talk about. Just not in a woo-woo way. It's toned down to appeal to ordinary folk. You can teach and coach spirituality without ever telling a person it is spirituality or "God", and they will eat it up. They'll think it's the most amazing and powerful thing. But you can phrase it very plainly and pragmatically.

Or... you can go all fucking woo-woo and pull out the crystals and group chanting Same thing, different window-dressing.

[Nahm]

@Emerald What’s the single most meaningful experience you hope to get from this?

[Emerald]

13 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

IPEC is a really good program (which I did).

Yes, they teach some business stuff, but the real value of it is they train you how to properly coach, which is quite difficult to learn on your own. You will meet lots of people there who you can practice-coach with to build up your skills. They will also teach you lots of great techniques.

Coaching is not what most people think it is. Coaching is NOT about giving people advice. Coaching is about asking powerful questions which facilitate the client to contemplate. Coaching is actually more powerful than giving people advice. Any fool can give advice, but very few people can coach. Coaching requires humility.

Coaching skills are very versatile. They are not limited to business or spirituality or life purpose. You can use those skills to coach in whichever sub-specialty you want. You can definitely become a spirituality coach, if that's your passion.

I might have 6-8 clients at my peak. But I was never a full-time coach. That was never my desire. Turned down many clients. Most of my time went into shooting videos. I have probably coached over 100 people in total.

From what I can see you would make a great coach. The only question is, do you really want to be a coach? To be a good coach you gotta want to work with people one-on-one and deal with their "stuff". It can be very rewarding, but it's not for everyone.

For example, I prefer mouthing off in videos rather than coaching people. But coaching can also be fun. A different kind of fun.

P.S. I doubt you'll find a coaching program with a spiritual focus. That is unnecessary anyhow.

And IPEC is all about consciousness, consciousness, consciousness. That's all they talk about. Just not in a woo-woo way. It's toned down to appeal to ordinary folk. You can teach and coach spirituality without ever telling a person it is spirituality or "God", and they will eat it up. They'll think it's the most amazing and powerful thing. But you can phrase it very plainly and pragmatically.

Or... you can go all fucking woo-woo and pull out the crystals and group chanting Same thing, different window-dressing.

Thank you for the recommendation and the wealth of advice! Also, I'm very flattered that your impression is that I would do well with coaching. It's very encouraging to me. 

I know that my life's purpose is to contemplate on the nature of things, then convey them to others in order to bring them more into alignment with what's true at deeper levels than appearance. It's been a common thread through my life, even back into early childhood. And I've always gotten a lot of joy from helping others discover new things about reality, as well as to help them apply best-practices to their life that will make their lives better in some way. 

So, I do think that coaching will dovetail nicely with my life's purpose. But coaching would just be one extension of that. So, I also don't anticipate that it will be my MAIN thing. I also will continue to make videos, and in the future I will write books. Also, if I develop some public speaking skills, I may even eventually delve into hosting my own workshops and other group-education endeavors. I would see coaching more as one branch off of a much larger tree. 

That said, I would have to get my feet wet with coaching to know whether or not it's for me and does truly dovetail with my life's purpose. I know that sometimes, when the rubber meets the road, things are different than they initially seem.

 And because I am a pauper (not really, but kind of  ), I have decided to get my feet wet with the 'one-on-one' aspect of coaching before making a big financial commitment. This is because the 'one-on-one' aspect of coaching, is the part I'm most apprehensive about because I've never done something like that professionally before, and I don't know how I'll do with it.

So, because of this concern, I actually just created a new tier on my Patreon two days ago, where I basically stated my desire to go into life-coaching and my uncertainty with whether or not I should. And I was asking for guinea pigs who would want to have a session with me once a month for a few months, to see how it goes. And I'm offering it for relatively cheap since I have no training. So, I've already gotten five takers on that offer, and I'm hoping to get about ten which will give me a random sampling of people to help me get a sense for how that aspect of the job works.

Now, you'll probably advise me to create a disclaimer/agreement where I make it clear that I'm not trained or certified and that I'm not liable for anything wrong that happens. I already have a sample contract that I'm in the process of tweaking to the specific circumstances. Also, I won't be doing these sessions until September, so it gives me a decent chunk of time to do some independent research into the professional best-practices when it comes to how to interact with people in a way that establishes clear boundaries and keeps the conversation productive and professional. 

Of course, if you have any recommendations for free resources that are on the internet, I would be over the moon about that!

I do understand, however, that those resources won't be sufficient for understanding all the ins and outs of the field and that I would need a high quality program for actually learning the trade in a meaningful way. These would just be for some guidance during my guinea-pigging. 

Thank you again! 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Emerald

[Leo Gura]

@Emerald There do exist books on how to coach. At the very least read up on them.

It can also be very eye-opening to get coached yourself. So you can see how it feels.

But doing an in-person coaching programming is really the key. You will learn so much.

For you, since you already have an audience, it might make sense to take out a loan/credit to do the coaching program since you are basically guaranteed to make the money back (because you have an audience).

You can probably make $10,000 back within 6 months of finishing the program. Program takes about 1 year to finish.

You're actually losing money every day by not taking the program. But this is unique to you, because you already have the hardest part done: building an audience. This is not the case for most new coaches.

[RendHeaven]

@Emerald HOLY CHRIST, MOTHER

YOU are Diamond Net??

Be more transparent about secret identities >:0

[Emerald]

2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

@Emerald There do exist books on how to coach. At the very least read up on them.

It can also be very eye-opening to get coached yourself. So you can see how it feels.

But doing an in-person coaching programming is really the key. You will learn so much.

For you, since you already has an audience, it might make sense to take out a loan/credit to do the coaching program since you are basically guaranteed to make the money back (because you have an audience).

You can probably make $10,000 back within 6 months of finishing the program. Program takes about 1 year to finish.

You're actually losing money every day by not taking the program. But this is unique to you, because you already have the hardest part done: building an audience. This is not the case for most new coaches.

Are any of those books on your book list? I purchased it a couple years ago, and I haven't looked at it in a while. 

Also, with the in-person program that you did, did you have to commute for it? If so, how often were the in-person meetings? I live in a kind of small town, so it would be unlikely that they have such a program within 30 minutes of me. So, I want to get a feel for how much of the course material is done in person. 

Now, I will admit, this will be very difficult for me financially to get over the hurdle. Money is always tight because my husband and I both work low paying jobs. And he (remarkably) has no credit, and I have terrible credit. 

But I'm certain that what you say is correct. I know I would make it back quickly. I have over 16,000 subs now, and I've been getting requests for one-on-one sessions for over a year.

So, what do you think about doing a cheaper program first, and establishing a coaching business? I've seen a couple that looked decent for around $2000. And they were about six month long courses. Then, with the money from that coaching business, going and completing the IPEC program? I know it's not ideal, but that's really the only way I can slice it that it seems actionable.

But I'm really glad that you told me about the IPEC program, because looking around for coaching programs has been like fumbling around in the dark. I'll definitely be looking into it.

Thanks again!

Edit: I checked out the IPEC website, and there is one in my state. Also, I saw that there were three different, three day modules that happen in person. So, you can disregard that part of the question. That's a plus, because that's really doable. 

Edited August 18, 2018 by Emerald

[Emerald]

45 minutes ago, RendHeaven said:

@Emerald HOLY CHRIST, MOTHER

YOU are Diamond Net??

Be more transparent about secret identities >:0

I'm like Carmen San Diego... or all the monsters on Scooby Doo. You never know where I'll be or who I'll be. 

(lightning strikes and ominous music plays in the background as the tails of my trench coat billow in the wind and my silhouette is emblazoned upon the night sky) 

Edited August 18, 2018 by Emerald

[aurum]

@Emerald

I'd read Co-Active Coaching to decide how you like coaching. That's like the modern bible for the industry.

Also, if you do decide to take the leap, send me a message once you're ready for business. I'll shoot you referrals.

[Leo Gura]

7 hours ago, Emerald said:

Are any of those books on your book list?

Yes, there is a small coaching book section.

7 hours ago, Emerald said:

I purchased it a couple years ago, and I haven't looked at it in a while.

You've missed out on a ton of amazing new books I've added in those couple of years (not coaching related).

 

[Leo Gura]

7 hours ago, Emerald said:

So, what do you think about doing a cheaper program first, and establishing a coaching business? I've seen a couple that looked decent for around $2000. And they were about six month long courses. Then, with the money from that coaching business, going and completing the IPEC program? I know it's not ideal, but that's really the only way I can slice it that it seems actionable.

I can't speak to those cheap programs. $2000 sounds very cheap. Most decent coaching programs cost significantly more.

But I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. Something's better than nothing.

Some coaching programs might even have payment plans. Check with IPEC. You can call them and do a free consultation and ask all your questions. They are pretty honest and straightforward.

Some programs can definitely be scammy, so watch out. Especially with the really cheap ones. In the case of coaching programs I tend to believe that you generally get what you pay for.

P.S. Sounds like you need to be more strategic with making income. $10,000 should be something you can easily afford if you live in Murica. Don't work in low-paying jobs, think bigger.

[Lynnel]

@Emerald  If you ever need to train your coaching skills on someone I volunteer

Best wishes I'm sure you can make it !

[Emerald]

@Leo Gura Thank you again for all the advice. I'll definitely call to see if IPEC has a payment plan. 

[Emerald]

10 hours ago, aurum said:

@Emerald

I'd read Co-Active Coaching to decide how you like coaching. That's like the modern bible for the industry.

Also, if you do decide to take the leap, send me a message once you're ready for business. I'll shoot you referrals.

Thank you Austin! I'll check that one out. And that would be really awesome of you to send some people over to me.  I know that you've been a coach for a while. How long have you been doing it, and how many clients do you normally see at a time? 

[Emerald]

7 hours ago, Joseph Maynor said:

Emerald 

I think doing more school might not be the best for you.  I think whatever you wanted to be you could just do it now.  You're already ready.  

If you wanted to be a Personal Development teacher, I think you should just go ahead and do that now.

I think doing school would just slow you down.  I would just assume you're already a Personal Development teacher, which you are, and pitch yourself in that manner.

I consider myself a Personal Development teacher, and I have no interest at all in going to school for anything.  School would just slow me down.  I've done enough school in my life. 

I think you could just start pitching your life coaching services on your channel just like Leo did at first.  I think more school is a hurdle that you think you need that you actually don't need -- and I think it would be a distraction, frankly.  I hate to be blunt because I know you're a teacher -- but school is f*cking overrated!  You need to be getting the hell away from more school at this point.  

You don't need anymore school.  I assume you have a Master's Degree.  That's enough school.  A Bachelor's Degree is enough school, frankly.  After that, you wanna get the hell away from the school as fast as you can and into the real world.  You have more of a marketing problem than an education problem, see.  And you're already set up to do the marketing.  You're already doing marketing!  So, you just need to keep doing what you're already doing.  Don't get distracted.  

Joseph

Personally, I think that I still have plenty to learn about how to help people in a professional setting. I'm confident in my ability to cut to the core of problems that a person may be experiencing due to unconscious happenings. What I don't know yet is the manner in which to facilitate growth in others in a way that really makes things stick. So, I would feel much more comfortable offering a coaching service, if I have professional guidance on the matter first. Either way, it certainly won't hurt to learn more. 

[Emerald]

5 hours ago, Lynnel said:

@Emerald  If you ever need to train your coaching skills on someone I volunteer

Best wishes I'm sure you can make it !

Thank you!  

[Key Elements]

hmm...

Entrepreneural skills = be different, simple, and creative so ppl (fans/target audience) can relate. But, the high consciousness spiritual stuff will have to be in small clumps (ie. book, app). Then, you'll have a very small cluster of profound ppl in one corner.

[Emerald]

2 minutes ago, Key Elements said:

hmm...

Entrepreneural skills = be different, simple, and creative so ppl (fans/target audience) can relate. But, the high consciousness spiritual stuff will have to be in small clumps (ie. book, app). Then, you'll have a very small cluster of profound ppl in one corner.

I've been working on these quite a bit with my YouTube channel already. So, regarding the business aspect of coaching,I think that my coaching service will be a natural extension of that. I plan to keep everything in proximity to my own branding decisions, whether I do my channel stuff, write books, do coaching, do workshops, etc. 

But I'm not sure what you mean by "small clumps". Do you mean that I have to break down things down into digestible bites so that people can easily understand? If so, this is also something that I do for my channel. One of the core things that I get complimented on about my channel is demystifying psychological and spiritual truths, so that they are easy to understand. 

[Key Elements]

1 hour ago, Emerald said:

I've been working on these quite a bit with my YouTube channel already. So, regarding the business aspect of coaching,I think that my coaching service will be a natural extension of that. I plan to keep everything in proximity to my own branding decisions, whether I do my channel stuff, write books, do coaching, do workshops, etc. 

But I'm not sure what you mean by "small clumps". Do you mean that I have to break down things down into digestible bites so that people can easily understand? If so, this is also something that I do for my channel. One of the core things that I get complimented on about my channel is demystifying psychological and spiritual truths, so that they are easy to understand. 

Well, what I mean is, if you have a desire to just share your most profound spiritual experience and how you got there in your unique spiritual path (ie. being the no-self and falling back into your ego with love/bliss), you can. You could describe it in a let's say a book or an app somewhere in a creative way. However, not many ppl will be able to relate. Maybe perhaps a small handful of ppl will be able to if you have a large target audience. If you wrote 5 popular books, maybe you could write it in one somewhere and see what happens.

For those who are able to relate (and there won't be many, probably a small handful), they'll make comments somewhere, maybe in your blog/forum, and you could pick them out somehow to talk to them. That's what I mean.