Life & Spiritual Coaching: What's It All About?

Coaching is now one of the world’s fastest growing industries and is predicted to become the next big trend. It's the number one home based profession, and the number two growth industry right behind IT (Information Technology), according to Start-Ups Magazine.

Many people are at a crossroads in their life, exploring what’s next. They’re looking for their next career move, or in a transition such as mid life crisis, coping after divorce, empty nest, or other major life change. People are also seeking more meaning and fulfillment in life. With the growth of self improvement and spirituality, people are actively seeking to better themselves and get more out of life.

Life coaching is a profession dedicated to helping people move forward in all areas of life. It is committed to helping people make significant changes in their relationships, health, career, lifestyle, life balance etc.

Life coaching is very concrete and results oriented. The client establishes goals, and works toward them in a very tangible way. Positive results occur on a weekly basis, making coaching extremely fulfilling for both the client and the coach.

Many people have always helped people personally and/or professionally and find that working with others is natural and easy for them. The profession of life coaching provides a structure for helping clients in a three month to one year period, and includes the complete tools and skills necessary to coach people in a highly effective way.

Life coaches can focus their practice on all areas of life, or they can pick a niche or specialty, such as life transitions, life purpose, career coaching, health coaching, parenting coaching, executive coaching, sales coaching and a list of others.

Helpers - you find people open up to you easily and naturally. Through your work, you have developed excellent skills and want to use your talent helping others and making a good living doing it. Coaches also need to be self motivated to have their own business and to learn or have the skills to market themselves. Coaching is a personal service; therefore marketing is not like marketing widgets. You must connect with people in a personal and authentic way. You must have the courage to put out there and share your gifts and talents.

A spiritual coach is someone who coaches and supports individuals or groups to explore and enhance their spirituality.They help clients put into action their spiritual beliefs, practices and values, as well as taking other steps to integrate spirituality into their everyday lives. Some spiritual coaches come from a particular religious or spiritual tradition and, as such, represent themselves as Christian coaches, Buddhist coaches, Jewish coaches etc. Other spiritual coaches choose to come from a more universal orientation and work with clients from a wide variety of faiths, traditions and spiritual beliefs. Unlike a minister, or a religious figurehead, a spiritual coach helps someone find their own path and direction, as well as answers to their deeper spiritual questions within themselves.

Each person has specific needs and circumstances. If you are considering a coaching school, you must identify what’s important to you; small group or large group settings, on the phone or in person, or a particular niche. Evaluate the philosophy or approach of the school. Is it more oriented toward business, spirituality, or specific approaches, methods, or techniques? Do you need individual support with marketing during and after your training. Do you need support in starting your practice? Would you like continuous feedback on your coaching skills? Would you like to start soon, or rather be in a longer program and start your practice after extensive training? After clarifying these factors and exploring schools, pick the one that is best for you.