Are there any life coaches here? I’m asking because I’m considering to become one.
One of my friends is a business coach and he is doing great. Apart from the social skills needed, I would like to emphasize how important it is for a life coach to undergo a training before he/she starts providing consultations. I agree with you, wildpotato – the world of life coach training and certification is a large one, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated.
Here is a great article on that subject, really helped me to made up my mind:
http://blog.evercoach.com/how-to-become-a-coach/
And as you can see from the article, although you can find courses for life coaching certification on many distinguished colleges and academies, it doesn’t mean that you have to obtain a Master’s degree or PhD.
As far as licencing goes – I would personally never consult a non-licensed life coach. I don’t think that anyone should, this is a demanding profession and I would never trust a random person with no certification.