I completed my life coaching certification mid-June of 2019, and started my practice a couple of months later. But I had been wanting to become a life coach for probably close to two years before I finally made it happen.

For those who aren’t familiar with my story, I have been an online health coach for almost six years now. I have been completely in love with the company that I have used as my platform (Beachbody), and one of the biggest reasons I have been so grateful to them is their HUGE emphasis on mental health. They have something called the “four vital behaviors” for their business building coaches, which are what they have seen as the behaviors of all of their successful coaches. One of those behaviors is personal development.

I wasn’t very good at it at first (I would often count reading quotes off of Pinterest, listening to an occasional business podcast, or reading The Reader’s Digest as my personal development), but as I dove deeper into it, my mental health improved in a massive way.

I have dealt with depression since high school.

The worst of it was the year after I graduated college. Even getting married didn’t help (funny how I thought that would be the “cure”). But actively working on my personal growth, and seeking out (and USING) all of these tools that I had discovered made all the difference.

This is what drew me to life coaching. I had taken all of these concepts and tools, and used them to hugely improve my life, which meant that I could help others do the same thing – but FASTER and more EFFICIENTLY! Knowing that I could guide others to find the same improvements I have, while avoiding some of the bumps that I experienced along the way, has been the biggest reason for my becoming a life coach.

And so, here we are today! I have been absolutely LOVING every second of my life coaching practice, and I am always looking for more ways to help more people! At the time of writing this post, I have my private coaching sessions, I have two online courses that I am obsessed with (Dear Body…Love, Me and The Habit Creation Formula), I have some free resources (with more soon to come), and a handful of other super exciting projects in the works for 2020 (make sure you’re signed up for my emails to hear those announcements)!

I am also still a health coach (and am even better at it now, after my life coach training!)…combining these two aspects of coaching has been insanely fulfilling and exciting for me! And now that I’ve shared my story with you, I want to debunk a handful of myths about life coaching that I’ve heard floating around! If I missed any, please share them in the comments below – I’d love to address them as well!

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1. Coaching is just a lesser form of therapy/counseling

Life coaching is completely SEPARATE from therapy! I talked about this further in depth in last week’s blog post, so go check that out if you want to hear more about it, but rest assured…life coaching is a whole other beast in regards to counseling – and both are highly valuable resources.

2. Coaching isn’t a real profession

Maybe it wasn’t when it first started (just like every other career), but it has grown and developed (just like every other profession), and is now a very viable and highly acclaimed option – both as a career and as a client!

3. Coaching is very “new age” and “woo woo”

Again, it probably used to be; but it’s no longer just a vague direction guiding to the positive. Coaches now have very tangible, actionable tools and resources to specify and clarify their client’s goals and how to reach them. And one great thing about the life coaching community is that coaches are generally very collaborative and giving, and willing to share their resources with other coaches. This helps the industry as a whole continue to grow and thrive, which benefits both coaches, clients, and anyone they interact with.

4. You don’t need any kind of training to be a coach

While this is technically true, you won’t find any successful life coaches who have not had any kind of training. This is why it’s important to “shop around” for a coach if you’re interested in hiring one. There are many different certification programs out there, all with different emphasis’, and you may even find a life coach without any kind of certification (although that is very rare in my experience). You want to be able to find a life coach that works in a way that you’re comfortable and pleased with!

5. Coaches are sketchy money grubbers

I mean, I’m not saying those kinds of coaches aren’t out there; but in my time of being in the industry, I still have yet to run into one. Any successful life coach has become that way because they are genuine, service-oriented, and truly want to help others up-level their lives.

6. Life coaching takes up too much time

There are SO many options of life coaching! Most life coaches these days (like myself) choose to hold their coaching sessions online via video chat. So there is no commute time, and you can even stay in your pajamas if you’d like! My recommended coaching packages require that my clients show up for a session once a week for just 30 minutes. Low time commitment, with massive results! There are also group coaching options (sign up for my emails to be notified as soon as mine is available), as well as online courses created by life coaches. Some even have free Facebook groups where they provide valuable resources as well (mine is currently in the works **so excited** so again, make sure you’re signed up for my emails to get access as soon as it’s up and running).

7. Coaches have all the answers

I have heard assumptions from a few people that life coaches become coaches because they have life all figured out, and they don’t really have any challenges anymore. OH MY FALSE. There is NO human being on this planet who gets a free pass on challenges. Coaches simply have a greater scope on mindset, and the know-how to bring things of value into the light. We’re not trying to map out an entire perfectly-curated life – just be (and help you be) more present, and be able to see the next best step.

8. Coaching is only for people who have serious problems, or who can’t succeed on their own

In the past, coaching was indeed viewed through the lens of “fixing” people. But as I talked about in last week’s post (which explained what a life coach is), coaching is a really way to help people move beyond mediocrity, and be able to thrive and excel – in whatever area of life they desire.

9. Coaching is only for the wealthy

It may have sort of started that way (with celebrities, high level execs, billionaires, etc), but with how quickly the coaching industry is booming, there are now options for EVERYONE. There are higher ticket coaches, and there are also coaches who are in the more budget-friendly range. At the time of writing this, I am charging a lower level price, but as I go through more certifications (for the curious: NLP, EFT, T.I.M.E. Techniques, and Hypotherapy) in the very near future, I will be raising my prices accordingly in order to be able to provide you with even more valuable tools and resources. So if you’re interested in hiring a coach, shop around to find the right one for you! Most of us offer a free intro call, which is the best way to find out if a coach is a good fit for you.

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I hope this helped clarify your thoughts around life coaching!

This modality of facilitating change is priceless, and I am insanely in love with it. Did this post clear something up for you? Did it leave you with more questions? Post in the comment section below, and let me know what came up for you!