How to Become a Life Coach in Indiana

A life coach is a professional who works with clients to set and meet goals, to tackle obstacles and to get through major life changes. They can work with all types of clients with various needs, but some coaches specialize in areas like career, spirituality, fitness or family and relationships.

If you’re looking into becoming a life coach in Indiana, you should enjoy working with people, have good organizational and communication skills and be an excellent leader. With these qualities and a training course,you will be ready to begin this rewarding career making a positive impact on people’s lives.

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Requirements for Life Coaches

Indiana does not require any kind of training, education, certification or licensing for life coaches. You can actually go ahead and begin working whenever you want and call yourself a life coach, but that’s not recommended. The best way to start a coaching career is to complete a training program approved by the International Coach Federation (IFC). This will provide you with foundational knowledge and skills for working with and leading clients, and it will help you actually win clients or find a job.

Life Coach Training Programs in Indiana

Not many colleges have a program for learning how to become a life coach, but there are plenty of organizations that specialize in training coaches. Some have in-person programs, others have online or self-guided study or a combination of course types.

  • Coach Training for Leaders, Indianapolis. Although based in Florida, this school offers on-site training modules in Indianapolis. To learn to become a coach, you progress through seven modules of about 20 hours each and then undergo coach mentoring. Approved by the ICF, the program takes just six months to complete.
  • Academy of Creative Coaching. For an online experience, try the Academy of Creative Coaching. You can choose from a three-month or six-month course, both of which lead to ICF certification. The six-month program includes coursework that will teach you how to start and run a small business.

Life Coach Certifications

You do not have to have a certification to begin working as a coach, but it is strongly recommended. The ICF is recognized in all states and internationally. Certification through the ICF will show prospective clients and employers that you have the skills necessary two be a successful coach. There are three levels of certification:

  • ACC – To be an associate certified coach requires the completion of 60 or more hours of training and 100 hours of work experience as a coach.
  • PCC – The professional level requires 125 hours of training and at least 500 hours of work experience.
  • MCC – Master certified coaches have at least 200 hours of training and 2,500 hours of coaching time.

Life Coach Salaries in Indiana

In 2015, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the annual average salary for life coaches across the U.S. was $61,900. This can be a misleading statistic, however, because many coaches work part-time or have more than one job and income. By state, the average salary for life coaches in Indiana is $58,923 according to Ziprecruiter.com.

A Coaching Career in Indiana

One of the great things about a life coaching career is that it allows for a lot of flexibility. You may be able to find full-time employment as a coach or consultant with a coaching company or other type of organization. But many coaches work independently, starting small businesses or taking on clients in their spare time while holding down other jobs.

In Indiana, you may want to look for opportunities in larger cities and their suburbs, as well as college towns like Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville, South Bend and Bloomington. With the right training and dedication, you should have no trouble finding clients and work in Indiana as a life coach.