How to Become a Christian Professional CoachProfessional Coaches, whether Christian or non-Christian, use the same communication tools and should aspire to the same ICF certification. The main difference between the two is that a Christian Professional Coach integrates the Christian belief system into the coaching relationship.
For starters, every believer ought to rely on the direction of the Holy Spirit when making goals or taking specific action steps. The Christian Professional Coach will encourage their clients to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit before taking any action. The following are some reasons why a client may want to hire a Christian Professional Coach, and further below we will show you how to become a Christian Professional Coach..
  • to get inspiration when making significant changes in life
  • to understand how to deal with uncertainty
  • to be better equipped for making good decisions
  • to set better goals
  • to attain goals faster
  • to grow spiritually
  • to attain financial stability
  • to make life simpler
  • to overcome stress
  • to keep up with a fast-paced world
  • to grow in career

Steps to become a Christian Professional Coach

Payscale estimates the salary of a Professional Coach to be in the $26,892 – $214,238 range. Most Professional Coaches are self-employed, which means they are at liberty to set their own hourly rates, typically $50-$200 per hour. Here are the steps to become a Christian Professional Coach.

1. Chose a niche.

Professional Coaching covers a plethora of niches, and these same niches can be niched down further. Here are some areas of focus:
  • Leadership
  • Business development
  • Developing a life vision
  • Marriage and family
  • Dating and relationships
  • Parenting
  • Academic issues
  • Health and fitness
  • Spiritual growth
When choosing a niche to focus on, start by thinking of something you are really passionate about and then do some research to find out if people are having struggles in that area. For instance, if you are passionate about leadership, take some time to research some common issues people have in the field.
As a Professional Coach, you need to find problem areas in a niche that would inspire someone to hire you. If you can’t find such issues, then you may want to find another niche. The most marketable niche would be the one that has multiple ongoing issues.

2. Get ICF Certified.Get ICF Certified

Once you have settled on the niche, you’ll want to get relevant training. Even though it is possible to become a Christian Professional Coach without any formal training, it is highly recommended that you get proper certification. Consider that the apostle Paul recommended people who are called in ministry to study to show themselves as approved ministers (2 Tim 2:15).
There are many benefits to taking training before become a Christian Professional Coach. For starters, the training will equip you with knowledge and tools that will help you to be a more effective Professional Coach.
When choosing a training program, be sure to look for an ICF (International Coach Federation) accredited school. ICF is the gold standard in Professional Coaching and the body that regulates a large part of the Professional Coaching industry. ICF is recognized in over 140 countries worldwide and obtaining their certification will gain you recognition throughout the world.
This means you can Professional Coach anywhere at any time. It also allows you to use your website to target clients from all over the world, especially if you intend to use online tools for the Professional Coaching sessions.
There are three different ICF certification levels. The three levels are based on the competency of the coach, and the higher the level, the more competent the coach. The first level is referred to as Associated Certified Coach (ACC).
You will need to finish at least 60 hours of coaching instruction plus an extra 100 hours of coaching practice on clients. The second level is the Professional Certified Coach (PCC). To get the PCC certification, you must complete 125 hours of instruction plus an additional 500 hours of practice coaching. The highest level is the Master Certified Coach (MCC). MCC requires at least 200 hours of instruction with an additional 2,500 hours of coaching practice.

Test your skills3. Test your skills.

Testing your Professional Coaching skills is a very crucial step in your journey to become a Christian Professional Coach. This is why the ICF has a minimum number of coaching hours that you must log in order to obtain any of their three certifications. So how can you test your skills before you even start looking for paying clients?

The easiest way to do this is to start with friends and family. Ask those closest to you if you can coach them in a particular area. Let them know you are launching a Christian coaching business and would like their help in analyzing your services. The best part about this approach is they will give you useful feedback and will continue to believe in you, even if you make some mistakes along the way.

After working with friends and family, you will start developing your confidence and you will be ready to take on new clients outside of your circle.

4. Market your business.Market your business

The final step in setting up your Christian coaching business is to start marketing your services. You will not get any paying client if no one knows what you have to offer. The best part about this stage is you can actually market your services without spending a dime on expensive ads.
You can start by talking to those around you and ask for referrals.

Setting up a website is another great way of marketing your business. The best part about having a website is you can easily display the ICF certification level on your home page, which will give prospective clients confidence in your services. With some good search engine optimization (SEO), your Christian Professional Coaching website will reach prospective clients from almost anywhere around the globe.
There are no special qualifications to become a Christian Professional Coach. Almost anyone can be one. However, as a Christian, you want to represent God in the best light possible. The easiest way to do this is to obtain ICF’s ACC accreditation at a minimum. This is one of the best ways that clients can differentiate you from other Professional Coaches. Then you can proudly market yourself as one of the more elite Christian Professional Coaches in the business.
Do you want to learn how to become a Christian Professional Coach?
Contact Aim Higher to get started today!