Suitable Majors For Becoming A Life Coach

[Mitch]

After having rushed into making a decision last year as to what major I wanted to get in college and what I wanted to have as my career after, I now have to come to the realization that what I had planned might not fulfill me. In fact, I'm almost certain it wouldn't be a fulfilling career for me, so I've been doing research as well as systematically getting the advice of anyone that is knowledgeable in relevant areas.

For me, I don't feel I can lead a fulfilling and abundant life with a job that doesn't fulfill me. I've come to find that I have several factors that I need to satisfy to be thoroughly happy with my work. Firstly, I want to do something pertinent to my primary interests. The career doesn't need to utilize all of them, but the more interests it includes, the better. This is anything pertaining to self-development, psychology, philosophy, or the sciences (most specifically chemistry and biology – I wanted to be a biochem major initially). Secondly, I want to help clients directly and add massive value to their lives. This means that I'd prefer something like being a general practitioner over a researcher for neuroscience: I can actually directly interact with those that I am benefitting. Thirdly, I need to have a career where I will actually have time to myself away from work. I feel I need time for the following things in my life: developing myself, learning, forming relationships, maintaining my health, as well as creating and playing music. Lastly, I need my career to be sustainable. Yesterday I told my roommate that an ideal career is one that you'd willingly do for free, but ultimately, I need to be able to sustain not only myself, but any potential family that I might have in the future, as well as my mom and sister, to whom I feel as if I owe something.

I've been into doing self-development for over a year or so now and I've noticed that even the minor things that I've been doing over the past year have contributed to massive personal growth. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Leo's video on "How to Become a Life Coach" and this idea strongly resonated with me. I think that it would be amazing to have a career where not only would I be helping others to achieve in their lives, but I could lead by example and simultaneously improve myself. From what I can tell, being a life coach seems like it fits the criteria I have laid out for creating a dynamic career.

Overall, I was wondering what might be a suitable major to help me get to this goal. As far as it seems, majors are completely irrelevant to becoming "qualified" for this job, but I'd like to do work in college that pertains to it as well. Additionally, I wouldn't mind input as to other potential careers related to this or classes that I should take in college outside of the scope of my major.

Thanks.

[Sarah Blakelock]

I'm considering doing life coaching as well. Being a counselor is also something I'm considering. So far, being a philosophy major has actually contributed to my growth and development significantly. Many of the ideas Leo talks about are a part of our philosophical discussions (the free will/determinsm  debate, what is "the good life", how to live excellently, human knowledge, etc.).  I would highly recommend a philosophy of the mind class. It has helped me understand so much more about the human mind, consciousness, and how/why enlightenment is possible. 

Psychology also seems fitting and useful for a life-coaching career. I'm intending on studying psychology in graduate school. 

[Mitch]

1 hour ago, Sarah Blakelock said:

I would highly recommend a philosophy of the mind class.

Interestingly enough, I was actually speaking to my current Philosophy 101 TA and she recommended Metaphysics to me. I do want to take some more classes relating to this sort of thing because I see the potential benefit in them in my own personal development.

Back in high school, people going to a specific local college (though being apart of my state's college system, it was more like a community college) and pursuing Psychology meant they had no idea what they were going to do with their lives and I looked down on them for it. I was on my high horse thinking I was great for pursuing Biochemistry and going to perhaps the best university in my state.

It's amusing to me now that I, in finally realizing what it is I value in life and a bit about myself, I choose to want to do something along the lines of psychology and philosophy. So there is a part of me that resists wanting to be a psych major, but it is indeed something I have to consider.