Five Useful Degrees For Aspiring Life Coaches

Everyone needs some personal or professional guidance at some point, which is often when they turn to life coaches for help. Life coaching could be an exciting career path if you want to help others and assist them with personal growth and professional development. Being a life coach is not the same as being a therapist, but they offer a valuable service to anyone who wants to shift their perspectives, achieve their goals, and improve themselves.

The life coaching industry is unregulated, so unlike therapy, no official educational and license prerequisites are needed to provide this service. However, even if you have the skills and knowledge required to be a good life coach, you can still benefit from certain degrees that allow you to assist people in specific areas of their lives. Here are just a few degrees that are the most useful for a career in life coaching. 

What Are The Traits of A Good Life Coach?

Life coaches have different skills and knowledge depending on their area of focus, but there are certain traits that all good life coaches should have. 

Integrity: Since life coaches are not medical professionals, they are not bound by the same laws when it comes to protecting their clients' private information. This means that integrity is very important as clients value discretion and won't want to share personal information with someone who cannot practice discretion.

Active Listening: People who are in need of coaching also want to feel like they are being heard, so active listening is an important trait for life coaches. Clients should be given a chance to tell their stories and feel like they are understood before they will be willing to listen to advice.

Positivity: The most successful life coaches are the ones who have a positive outlook in their personal as well as professional lives. Clients are looking for someone to help them get through tough times and need someone with a positive outlook to do so.

Communication Skills: Clients who go to life coaches often have to make important changes in their lives, and a good life coach will be able to convey this to them effectively and without judgment.  

Passion: Good life coaches are passionate about what they do and get a sense of fulfillment out of helping others accomplish their goals. 

What Are The Best Degrees For Life Coaches?

Bachelor of Science in Psychology - Life Coach

As mentioned earlier, life coaches in the U.S. do not require a license, certification, or degree to practice. However, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology - Life Coach degree can provide you with a background in psychology along with specific training on how to be a life coach. This degree helps you to understand and motivate your clients more effectively and what the best practices are to implement. The degree covers courses such as Introduction to Life Coaching, Advanced Skills in Life Coaching, and Abnormal Psychology.  

Bachelor of Science in Finance

Many life coaches choose to specialize in finance as it allows them to assist others with handling their personal finances better. A Bachelor of Science in Finance degree enables you to help individuals and organizations manage their finances better. Typically, these types of degrees also have electives that can allow you to specialize in specific areas as well, such as risk management, trading, corporate finances, and investments. Finance is a popular degree option for life coaches because of its versatility, as everyone, from individuals to entrepreneurs to businesses, has a need for financial coaching.

Bachelor of Arts in Communication - Interpersonal Communication

Life coaches focusing on relationships can help clients attain goals and build better relationships with friends, loved ones, family, and others. Unlike therapists who focus on the overall mental health of clients, the focus of life coaches is more on the interpersonal relationships they have. A communication degree with a specialization in interpersonal communication can be invaluable for life coaches who want to focus on this aspect. These degrees feature courses such as Communication Theory, Relational Communication, Intercultural Communication, and Intergenerational Communication.  

Master of Education in School Counseling

People with a passion for education and an academic background can complete a Master of Education in School Counseling degree to provide life coaching services to students. Many students need help reaching their full potential and can benefit from assistance setting their academic goals. Courses included in this type of degree range from Crisis Interventions and Cross-Cultural Counseling to Theories of Counseling, Occupation and Career Development, and Family and Community Systems.   

Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition

It is common for people to struggle with their health and nutrition, which are areas that life coaches with the right qualifications can assist with. A Bachelor of Science in Dietetics and Nutrition degree features courses such as Principles of Nutrition, Health Care Systems, Community Nutrition, and Nutritional Physiology that can be useful to life coaches who want to focus on health-related issues. 

Conclusion

It is not just individuals who reap the benefits of life coaching; more organizations are also making use of this service to help employees understand their strengths and weaknesses. Earning one of the degrees listed in this article can help make you a better life coach and provide a valuable service to others striving to reach their full potential. Of course, there are plenty of other niche segments where life coaches can thrive with the right skills and knowledge. Some people have also found that they can benefit from becoming life coaches later in their lives, allowing them to draw on the wealth of experience they have accumulated.