Becoming a Life Coach?
Personal Life Coaching Forms

Coaching Preparation Form

This form is widely used and often has slight variations. I've seen it used by Coaches Training Institute grads and CoachU grads. I don't have a preference one way or the other for use with my clients. If it helps them, then it will help us. You can see how it can save time but since I am fairly loose about time and never book anyone too close to someone else, I'm just as happy to let the session unfold. There never is a shortage of what to talk about, what to challenge and what to celebrate.

Personal Life Coaching Weekly Preparation Form

Individual Client Interview

This form is also widely used with any changes the individual coach wants to make. I have tried not using this and I must say, it is better if this is filled out first. There is some background material that is very helpful to make the best use of time no matter how intuitive the coach.

Individual Client Interview

Certification

This seems a good place to put a few words about certification. In 2001 I was enrolled in the certification training offered by the Coaches Training Institute. As I prepared, I began to think about what I wanted to offer and refine with my clients and for myself. I realized then that I did not want to become what I perceived as a cookie-cutter variety of coach. So I decided not to pursue certification.

Now remember this is my opinion and my perception. If you ask a certified coach, he or she is likely to offer different thoughts on the subject.

Back to me. Having spent several years coaching while running Mars Venus Institute, when I came to coach's training and listened to the previously certified coaches, I noticed something. There was a consistency. That has its good points and its not so good points.

Good points: you can be sure that the coach has been listened to by previously certified coaches while coaching and that, presumably, he or she has been critiqued.

Not so good points: there is a lifelessness that can creep in because there are proficiencies you are supposed to memorize. I believe this lifelessness has to be overcome by the coach after certification - and maybe it'll be too late.

Practically speaking, I have never been asked if I am certified by a prospective client. Certification has not become mandatory and likely, in my opinion, never will because there are just too many kinds of coaches. There is no such thing as one size fits all.

What I was taught at the Coaches Training Institute was to assume that my clients were creative, whole and resourceful. I bought it. You are. So, I suspect if I do a lousy job, you will no longer pay for my services. And I'm not doing brain surgery. (I keep wanting to say I'm doing love surgery.)

If anything I said sounds like sour grapes, please feel totally comfortable to talk to me about it and to interview certified coaches to see if they have what you are looking for