How to Become a Life Coach in Delaware

A life coach is a professional who works with individuals to help them set and meet goals to improve their lives. Some coaches are generalists, but others specialize in areas like work and career coaching, health and wellness coaching or relationship coaching, to name a few.

This is a career that is growing in Delaware and elsewhere as people realize the benefits of working with a coach for accountability. If you love working with people and are looking for a career that will allow you to make a real difference in the lives of others, consider becoming a life coach.

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How to Start a Career as a Life Coach

In Delaware, as in other states, there are no official requirements you must meet in order to start working as a life coach. But, to land clients or a job you should have at least completed high school or earned a GED and completed a training program for coaches. The International Coach Foundation (ICF) is one of the most widely-recognized organizations for the industry, and it’s best to choose a training program that is ICF-approved.

Training to Become a Coach in Delaware

There are no regular in-person coaching programs offered in Delaware, but you will find a few in nearby cities and states. You also have the option of completing an online course. Just make sure that the program you choose is approved by the ICF. Two options include:

  • Work Life Destinations, Baltimore. Although not located in Delaware, this three-day intensive life coach training program is scheduled several times a year at the nearby Baltimore airport. In one long weekend, you can train to become a certified life coach. The program includes on-site classes from 9 am to 5pm, with a focus on guiding principles of coaching, making changes, motivation and more.
  • Certified Life Coach Institute, Philadelphia. Also nearby is the Life Coach Institute program offered regularly in Philadelphia. The program is completed in two parts, level 1 and level 2, in intensive, three-day sessions. You’ll get enough hours for ICF certification and engage in practice hours in actual coaching.

Life Coach National Certification

With a training program completed you can begin working as a life coach, but you may also have the requirements to qualify for certification through the ICF. The first level of certification is ACC, or Associated Certified Coach. Holding this certification isn’t necessary, but it does show potential clients and employers that you have the skills and knowledge to be a successful coach.

You may also choose to earn more advanced certifications: PCC, or Professional Certified Coach, and MCC, or Master Certified Coach. These advanced levels require additional hours of continuing education credits and coaching work experience.

Delaware Life Coach Salaries

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t officially report on life coaching as a unique career. However, in 2015 it reported that the average annual salary for life coaches was $61,900. Other sources report more regularly on life coach salaries and by state. The most recent report from Ziprecruiter.com, for instance, found that life coaches in Delaware earn $58,981 on average per year.

Starting Your Career as a Life Coach in Delaware

The average salaries for life coaches reflect flexibility in this career. You have options: working part-time while earning income through another job, getting a full-time coaching job with a company, or working as much or as little as you want with your own coaching business. In Delaware, you have the benefit of being near a lot of big population centers, so you can find work and clients in and around Wilmington or further afield in Philadelphia, Baltimore or Washington, D.C.