If you have been curious about becoming a life coach, you may have noticed that the life coaching industry is unregulated. An unregulated industry is an industry That is not regulated by rules or laws. Even though life coaching has been around for over two decades, it is still an unregulated field. This means that anyone can decide that they are a life coach, but the question is, should they?
What life coach accreditation means for your career
One of the advantages and disadvantages of an unregulated field is that the barrier to entry is low. On the one hand, you do not need 4+ years of higher education to start working as a life coach. On the other hand, because there is no agreed-upon governing body or rules, there is no way to ensure standards.
One way the life coaching industry has solved this problem is by creating and supporting internal industry regulations. One of these companies is the International Coaching Federation, or the ICF. The ICF works with life coaching programs and individual practitioners to develop a code of ethics and expectations for those who wish to work in the industry. They also offer accreditation.
Because the industry is unregulated, there is no requirement for life coach accreditation. However, without accreditation, you may have trouble finding clients. Clients want to know that you have done the work, inside and outside of class, to provide them with a quality coaching experience. Accreditation also gives you something to show for all of your hard work.
The ICF’s Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential has eligibility and requirements. To even be eligible for the performance evaluation and credentialing exam, you must have 60+ hours of coaching education and 100+ hours of coaching experience. To get this education, you must attend an accredited coaching program, such as Coach Training Alliance’s Certified Coach Program. This program will teach you everything you need to know to pass the credentialing exam and give you hands-on practice with coaching so you can pass the performance evaluation. In just six months, you can also be on your way to a thriving practice to start gaining the hours of coaching experience you need to apply for your credentials.
