How to Become a Life Coach in Massachusetts

Life coaching is a career devoted to helping people recognize their strengths and take control of their lives. You’ll help to provide them with motivation and encouragement as they work on self-confidence, try to make important decisions, aim to set and achieve goals or navigate their way through challenging circumstances. Becoming a life coach in Massachusetts can be a very rewarding and fulfilling career choice.

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Requirements to Become a Life Coach in Massachusetts

As a profession, life coaching is unregulated, so you’re not required to earn a degree, license or certification. But even though you can call yourself a life coach without formal training in Massachusetts, when you take the time to go through a life coach training program or earn certification, you’re letting the world know that you are making a serious career choice. Most potential clients or employers are likely to prefer a candidate with training and certification over one who hasn’t earned any credentials.

How Do You Become a Certified Life Coach?

The most well-known professional organization that accredits life coach training programs and provides certification is the International Coach Federation (ICF). There are three levels of certification that you can obtain through ICF. These include:

  • Associate Certified Coach – Get started as a life coach by completing over 60 hours of professional training and completing over 100 hours of coaching experience.
  • Professional Certified Coach – This level of certification requires completing over 125 hours and training and obtaining 500+ hours of coaching experience.
  • Master Certified Coach – As you gain more training and experience, you’ll be able to attain this level of certification, which requires over 200 hours of training and 2,500+ hours of coaching experience.

Life Coach Training Programs in Massachusetts

Life coach training in Massachusetts can be done either in person or online. Some programs include a combination of both types of training. Options for life coach training in this state include:

  • Gestalt International Study Center (GISC). Located in Wellfleet, MA, this program consists of three sessions that last just over four days each. This ICF-accredited training consists of theory, discussion and coaching practice. Participants are required to complete 50 hours of coaching outside the training program and 10 hours coaching that is observed by a mentor coach.
  • MindBridge Trainings. This unique program offers dual certification in life coaching and in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). Training is offered in several locations, including Boston. The full training is six weekend sessions over the course of three months, and it includes hands-on coaching practice and expert feedback.

Salary Potential for Life Coaches in Massachusetts

The average pay for a life coach in Massachusetts can vary greatly. On an annual basis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that average income for life coaches in the United States in 2015 was approximately $61,900. Ziprecruiter reports that in Massachusetts as of September 2019, the average salary for a life coach was just over $69,000 a year.

Entry-level jobs may pay quite a bit less. As you gain experience in this field, your earnings potential can increase. Many life coaches work on a self-employed basis. If you choose to do this, the amount you make depends on how many clients you have and how much you decide to charge for your services.

Working as a Life Coach in Massachusetts

Life coaching is a growing field, and clients who are interested in hiring a life coach may be found all over Massachusetts. Heavily populated areas, such as Boston, Worcester and Springfield, are likely to have a large number of people who may want to hire a life coach.

Employers that may hire life coaches include wellness, consulting or coaching companies. If you decide to start your own business, you may choose to specialize in a particular field such as health and wellness, life transitions or career decisions. Whatever your specialty, as a life coach you’ll be able to have a big impact on the lives of those your work with.