With life coaching becoming “the” career choice in this millennium, many of you are searching for the right option for training and certification. We hope this article answers some of your questions.
There are many schools, academies and institutes of good life coaches. Some are accredited and some are not. Should school accreditation make a difference to you? In my opinion, no.
Because there are no universal standards for the personal coaching profession, there are no universal standards for schools. Also, because well-paid coaches generally work in a niche, those niches are such that the coach develops them regardless of any training they may receive.
What makes the issue of accreditation particularly confusing is marketing. In some cases, accreditation is used as a marketing tool, not as a barometer of your success. Many coaching schools are accredited only because a group of colleagues got together and decided to form a group and accredit their partner’s schools. How do you know if this is the case for a school that interests you? You don’t really know and you can’t usually figure it out.
Many schools use accreditation as a marketing strategy to attract you and charge exorbitant fees. If you just want to spend more money, go ahead. The price really has little to do with the effectiveness of the materials. Middle-level schools generally work harder to please students and offer as good or better training in many cases, because students get more time alone with instructors.
How important is the accreditation of a school? Let’s put it in a realistic perspective. What is most important to a potential coaching client is, can this coach help me? Most clients look to see if a coach has had formal coach training, but not on a school background. And the truth is, clients don’t care if the school you attended is accredited. It just doesn’t show up. Clients will decide to use your services if they like you, feel a connection, and will see that you offer the solutions they need. That’s pretty much it.
Since coaching is a distinct and relatively new profession, and there are no universal standards, many new schools have emerged. To build a fence around the training community and the revenue derived from it, some schools formed organizations to accredit only the schools of their choice and make it nearly impossible for a newer school to become accredited. Applicant schools will be required to show evidence of ten or more years of professional success, even before they are considered for accreditation. Then they apply personal biases for accrediting schools, so unless a school conforms to their philosophies, they are ineligible or they will not be approved.
Peer Resources (http://www.peer.ca/coachingschools.html), a recognized world leader in coach education resources, states that “accreditation” in the field of coaching today has a number of troubling aspects, including its lack of widespread acceptance. , conflicts of interest between reviewers and some rated schools, minimal reporting of results, and questionable or vague criteria. While accreditation generally means that the school has been reviewed by an outside source, it does not necessarily mean that “non-accredited schools” provide lower value or lower quality programs. “
So how does the potential coaching student make a wise choice? Here are some ways:
Read student testimonials
Check that the school’s philosophies align with yours
Contact the school to see if your questions are answered promptly.
Look for a school that teaches in your desired niche or target market – here’s an example:
Let’s say you are a Christian and you prefer a formation that is in accordance with your faith. It will be important to select a Christian certification course (based on the Bible). It is true that training from a true biblical worldview offers few options. Most are secular programs that have been repackaged to attract a Christian student. Some are accredited and some are not. But this should not matter, because there is no governing body that decides which is the best path. There are two types of accreditation for coaching schools, Christian and Secular. A school that offers uncompromising biblical content will seek Christian accreditation and uphold those standards. Christian schools accredited by secular accreditation bodies are less likely to have substantive biblical content, because secular groups often subscribe to Eastern or New Age philosophies and can influence course content and materials. Furthermore, a school whose leaders have a true biblical perspective will seek God’s approval, while others will seek man’s approval.
Through my research and contact with various institutions, there was only one Christian coaching school that impressed me. That’s the Professional Christian Training and Counseling Academy. (http://www.pccca.org). PCCCA offers training and certification for Christian Life Coaches and Christian Counselors. Today’s economy has given Christian coaches and counselors a huge boost, while many secular coaches find themselves out of work and out of work. In tough economic times, luxuries are the first to go, but people seek God’s direction more than ever.
I discovered that PCCCA is based on its principles of faith, maintains the integrity of its programs, and constantly strives for excellence. Their programs were recently revised in 2010 for content and expanded business and marketing components that include social media. In addition, they offer individualized training with practicing trainers, who act as training-of-trainers instructors. The success of any coaching school is based on what they bring with their skills, integrity, reasonable fees, and knowledge. Add that to a great workout and you have an unbeatable combination. While the PCCCA is accredited by Christian Coaching School, and has received its highest recognition with the Award of Excellence, prospective students can rest assured that they have no secular ties or accreditation.
Regardless of your worldview, I recommend that prospective coaching students not be swayed by misleading advertising, high fees, and accreditation. Find the best school for you. Period.
