Life Coach Training Frequently Asked Questions
Due to the current conditions around covid-19 regarding international and domestic travel, do you offer an online training in lieu of the in person training?

We have resumed the in-person requirement for the training.

When is the next training scheduled?

The training begins each September.
Whilst we reserve the right to change start dates, it is our intention to leave it as such.

I have been considering several life coach training programs. What does this course offer that might help me decide if it is a match to my intentions?

This program:

  • Is founded on holistic principles, recognizing client and coach as whole persons, honoring the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of each person’s life.
  • Offers an extraordinarily high degree of teacher-student contact, each training is capped at approximately 24 participants.
  • Is taught directly by Alan Cohen rather than by assistants or trainees. With the exception of a few stimulating guest presenters, you will learn directly from the founder.
  • Includes a strong in-person element, a four-day training retreat. You will be interacting with other students physically present rather than simply via telephone or online.
  • Builds a strong support community of peers. Many graduates stay connected with each other after the program, offering each other friendship, support, feedback, and resources to further the application of life coaching principles, practices, and success.
  • Enhances the personal growth of the coach. Students gain significant awareness of their own self and life while gaining skills to help clients.
Am I too (young) (old) to start coaching?

Certainly not! Participants in our programs span age ranges from early twenties to late sixties and beyond. Age matters not in coaching. Skill, intention, presence, and service supersede years, few or many.

I do not intend to become a professional life coach. Instead, I would like to use life coaching skills in my current profession. Would the training still be appropriate for me?

Many students who participate in the program do not intend to become a professional coach. We have salespeople, real estate agents, teachers, and massage and reiki healers, for example, who deepen or expand their practice by applying the skills taught in the training.

I either have no coaching-related experience, or I have had training or certification in other programs. Would either of these situations be a barrier to my success in this program?

There are no previous experience or credential requirements for this program. Our student population includes psychologists, single mothers, attorneys, massage therapists, doctors, executive coaches, engineers, teachers, artists, financial planners, actors, and CEO’s. Some of our students have coaching certificates from previous trainings, and wish to expand their repertoire of skills and/or incorporate a holistic approach to coaching. Each students begins from the place where he or she stands, and advances to higher skill levels.

I wonder if I could be qualified to be a coach. I am still working on my own issues. How can I justify putting myself in a position to coach others?

Your intention and desire to help others puts you in the perfect position to coach. That said, most life coaches-in-training face some doubt about their ability to become a coach. This program clearly and directly addresses and serves to offset any sense of unworthiness or lack of confidence. Building skill and confidence are the two most crucial elements of the training.

I live in a foreign country or distant place from where the program’s retreat will be held. Do I have to attend the retreat to participate in the program?

The in-person retreat is one of the most important elements of the training, reported by many students as a highlight of the course. At the in-person training you will connect with the other students and enjoy many interactive skill-building sessions. For that reason we do require all participants to attend in-person. We have had students come from Australia, Europe, Asia, and many places around the globe, to their satisfaction and delight.

Same goes for work commitments. We ask that you schedule your participation in the training over a time period that is in harmony with your other obligations.

Do I have to stay onsite for the retreat? What is the estimated cost of the accommodations and meals during the in person training?

We ask that all participants stay onsite for the retreat. There you will connect with the other students and be immersed in an atmosphere conducive to mastering life coaching principles. Many of the teachings are deepened in conversations during free time and over meals. We enjoy a natural environment creating a sense of mutual support and camaraderie. We have found that commuting from another accommodation can be distracting and incongruent with the purpose of the retreat.

The accommodations range from around $100 per night for a shared yurt, up to $315 per night for a single in the main lodge.  Meals are just under $100 per day, for three meals, including tax and gratuity.

What time of day do the webinars occur?

The webinars occur at 5:00 PM Pacific Time, 6:00 PM Mountain, 7:00 PM Central, and 8:00 PM Eastern time, U.S. time. Click here to determine what time the webinars occur in other time zones. We regularly have students participate from Europe, where the webinar time is late at night. These students, while making an extra effort, report very positive results. Webinars are 75 minutes in duration, are recorded and downloadable.

How do I get onto the webinars?

You can access the webinars via computer, mobile device, or telephone. We use the Zoom application, a very user-friendly program.

Is this program accredited by the International Coach Federation?

This program is not affiliated with the ICF or any other similar body. The unique nature and content of the program, founded on holistic principles, may or may not fall within the guidelines set by other organizations, and in many cases goes beyond them. This program stands on its own merit of high integrity, underscored by the results it generates. If you feel that getting certified by an affiliated program is important to you, we encourage you to join one. If you would value a unique training that will change your life and the lives of your clients, this program offers that. For most coaching clients, getting results from their coaching experience is a more crucial criterion than the organization that approved the coach. We invite you to consult your intuition as to what life coach training program is most appropriate for you.

How much time is required to get my certificate?

Over a period of six months:

  • 14 75-minute webinars
  • 40 Online coach training course lessons, approximately 30 minutes each
  • 1 Four-day in-person residential retreat
  • 1 One-hour personal coaching session with Alan Cohen
  • 20 Fifty-minute practice coaching sessions, plus reports for 10 of them
  • 5 One-hour coaching radio shows for you to listen and report on
  • Final exam, approximately two hours
Can this program help me clarify what client population I would like to coach?

This program will help you identify any niche population you might serve. Some specific kinds of clients and themes previous graduates have gone on to work with include: women, relationships, career choices, life transitions, cancer patients/care, parenting, business, time management, entrepreneurism, and many more. If you do not wish to identify a niche population, you can certainly serve anyone.

What follow-up do you offer to graduates to help build their coaching practice?
  • The training includes specific tips on how to promote and build your practice.
  • Each training group establishes their own means for ongoing communication.
  • An ongoing open webinar discussion forum is available for graduates.
What’s the difference between the certificate program and the non-certificate program?

If you are in the certificate program, you will need to meet an attendance requirement, report on a number of practice coaching sessions, pass a final exam, and demonstrate to the instructor’s satisfaction that you have mastered basic life coaching skills. (See certificate requirements above.) If you are not in the certificate program, you will not be required to meet the above requirements. The program does not lend itself to casual participation. If you are not in the certificate program, your sincere and consistent involvement is still called for.

What can I ultimately do with my life coach training and/or certificate?

Some graduates become full-time coaches; others coach part time. Many incorporate coaching skills into their current career. Some coaches apply their training to seminar leadership and consulting. Some use the skills more casually during the course of their personal and family relationships. Others enjoy the benefits for their own personal and spiritual growth.

When can I start earning money as a coach?

Some students begin to receive payments from appreciative clients as early as the third month of their training program. What you charge your clients, when, and how you set up your payment structure is up to you. The training includes guidance in this area.

Is there anyone for whom this program is not appropriate?
  • Individuals who seek to use the program for their own therapy rather than to gain skills to become a life coach. While we are all in the process of personal growth, this program is not a substitute for therapy or counseling.
  • Anyone whose only intention is to get a coaching certificate
  • Anyone whose only intention is to make money through coaching
  • Anyone who has previous coaching experience and/or certification and believes that they already know all there is to know about coaching
Is there a payment plan available, do you offer scholarships or trade?

We will work with individuals on a payment plan, our policy is that the tuition must be paid in full prior to the start date, so if a payment plan is the best option for you we suggest that you apply several months in advance of the start date.
We do not offer scholarships or trade.

Is there any other way I can find out more about the experience this program offers?

You will also get a stronger sense of the material and energy of the course by reading one or more of Alan Cohen’s books, particularly: I Had it All the Time, Dare to be Yourself, and/or Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do about It. See books.

Once you have applied and been accepted into the program, we will be able to put you in touch with one or more graduates who will share their experience with you and answer any questions.

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