How to Become a Life Coach in Alabama

Do you want to make a difference in other people’s lives? Have people said that you’re a good listener? If so, then you might want to consider working as a life coach. Life coaches are needed throughout the United States, including the state of Alabama.

Life coaches use accountability and action planning to help their clients set attainable goals, identify possible setbacks and overcome barriers in their lives, transition smoothly through life changes and go after their dreams. They will give their clients tasks to do and help them track their progress while motivating them.

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What You Need to Work as a Life Coach

There aren’t any official requirements to work as a life coach in Alabama, as there aren’t in most states. It is crucial that you are emphatic, patient and have excellent communication, leadership and problem-solving skills.

While formal training is not required to work in this field, you may find that you have more luck drawing in clients and getting hired if you have completed a life coach training program or certification. When choosing a program, be sure to pursue one that has been accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) since this job field is not regulated.

Training Programs in Alabama

There aren’t any onsite training locations in Alabama, but there are online programs available. The following programs are ICF-accredited:

  • Life Purpose Institute. The Life Purpose Institute offers a Life Coach Certification program, and once you have completed it, you will become a Certified Life Coach (CLC). This program consists of 60 hours of training. The course can be taken in three months, with classes two nights a week online, or one night a week for six months. These online sessions are two hours long. The course also applies toward 60 hours of ICF certification.
  • Health Coach Institute. The Health Coach Institute offers a dual health and life coach certification. You can focus on just the life-coaching portion of the program, but the purpose is to incorporate health coaching into life- coaching as well. This program takes six months to complete.

Life Coaching Certification

Certification is not mandatory to become employed as a life coach, but certification could help you to get more work and can boost your credibility. There are three levels of coaching certification provided through the ICF. They are: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC). To become an ACC, you will need to complete 60 hours of training and have 100 hours of coaching experience. PCC certification requires the completion of 125 hours of training and 500 work hours. And to become an MCC, you will need to complete 200 hours of training and 2,500 work experience hours.

Most programs offered are comprised of 60 training hours. However, many schools and programs provide continued education and those hours can also be applied toward certification.

Career Outlook and Salaries in Alabama

Currently, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide information specifically for life coaches as far as growth or state salaries. However, this profession is included in a broader group of personal service workers. In 2018, there were 302,200 of those professionals employed nationally, with 2,580 of them working in Alabama. The average annual salary for personal service workers that same year was $38,440 nationwide, and $35,710 in the state of Alabama.

Working as a Life Coach in Alabama

There are several options for employment as a life coach in Alabama. You may work in treatment facilities or wellness centers or even work with other coaches at a coaching company. Most life coaches are self-employed, determining their own hours and also working from home. With this kind of flexibility, you should be able to find work almost anywhere in the state, but you may want to start with some of the bigger cities, such as Mobile, Montgomery or Tuscaloosa. In less than a year, you can complete an online training program, get your certification and be ready to work as a life coach in Alabama.