How to Become a Certified Coach?

How can I become a coach?
You would like to support other people professionally in change processes and maybe have been thinking about whether you want to become a coach for a long time? Are you thinking about starting a business as a coach? 

Coaching is indispensable in business, personnel development, and competitive sports and is constantly moving into other industries. Besides, more and more people are treating themselves to a qualified coach if they want to develop new strategies in personal or professional change situations. There is a demand for professional process support, professionally and privately. So, it stands to reason that the job description "coaching" sounds tempting to many. But how do you become a coach? Where can you get the relevant qualification? What are the chances of success for a business start-up?

How do I become a coach? Do I need coaching training becoming a coach?
The job titled Coach is not protected and so many self-proclaimed coaches bustle on the market. The children's coach appears as well as the systemic consultant, there is psychological counseling to find your calling or purpose, and coaching to rediscover your skills and strengths. Coaching for business start-ups, systemic coaching, integral coaching, apparently countless techniques and methods. The market and the offer are diverse. Many coaching academies offer their seminars in colorful brochures, as pure distance courses or with a presence module. But I still need seminars if I have acquired relevant specialist knowledge, e.g., about psychological and systemic relationships? If a mature personality does not already have the ideal conditions, to offer life coaching and coaching for your clients?

Of course, common sense is a good prerequisite, but it is not enough as the only qualification. Perhaps you have already had this experience yourself when you gave your first coaching sessions at work, in the family or among friends. There are topics where it is enough to motivate others or get them back on track with professional know-how. And sometimes your skills come up against limits.

Professional coaching is much more than giving life advice or advice. Without the appropriate expertise, methods, and techniques, the chances of success for self-appointed consultants are slim. The personality of the coach also plays an important role. Clients feel whether their coach has the competence and has the appropriate qualifications. Good coaches do not fall from the sky - they have good training and are rarely self-taught.

Of course, many basic and advanced training courses impart specialist knowledge and qualified methods. If you already have appropriate previous knowledge (e.g. in NLP, as a naturopath, in the field of leadership training, pedagogy or psychology), targeted further training may be enough for you, e.g., in modules or block courses, in which you can deepen and expand your competence in just a few seminar days. 

Training in freely selectable modules is also recommended if you are not yet sure how much time you can currently invest in coaching training. You may first want to deepen your specialist knowledge or acquire special skills, e.g., for conflicting resolution in the company or personal development expert. The training period is then individually tailored to your needs.

What also speaks for coaching training if you want to become a coach: Companies that commission coaching for their managers or in personnel development select coaches very specifically. They want coaches who can demonstrate solid coaching training and who have also completed regular advanced training. They should also be experts in their field and should be able to provide references. So, if you want to be a professional coach, you should consider the mentioned topics accordingly.