7 Top Life Coach Certification Courses of 2022

If you’re interested in becoming a life coach, these top life coach certification courses of 2022 should be your starting point. 

In this simple to digest article, you’ll get to know;

• Who is a life coach?
• What Is a Life Coach Certification?
• How do life coach certification courses work?
• The 7 Top Life Coach Certification Courses of 2022
• And lot’s more

Who is a life coach?

A Life coach is a type of wellness professional who helps other people with their lifestyles, identifies their goals, and provides encouragement along the way to help them attain greater fulfillment. Life coaches help their clients in improving their careers, relationships, and day-to-day lives. 

They also assist individuals to identify the obstacles holding them back and use their unique skills and gifts to come up with strategies for overcoming each obstacle. This enables life coaches to provide the support needed to achieve long-lasting change.

What Is a Life Coach Certification?

A life coach certification is a document that signifies you’ve completed a life coach training program by an educational institution. It is similar to obtaining a personal training certification or a nutrition coaching certification.

How does life coach certification courses work

Life coach certification courses are online programs that provide the necessary education and tools to earn a life coach certificate. There are also several other programs that offer in-person training. 

The top life coach certification courses will offer a well-rounded curriculum that covers everything you need to know about life coaching. This may include training in specialized areas such as business coaching or health and wellness coaching. Life coach certification courses are also accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF). 

The 7 Top Life Coach Certification Courses of 2022

• Best Overall: Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching
• Best Intensive: Institute for Life Coach Training Professional Certification
• Best Health-Focused: Health Coach Institute Dual Life and Health Coaching Certification
• Best for a Career Change: Coach U Core Essentials Program
• Best for Personal Development: Life Purpose Life Coach Certification
• Best Advanced: Integrative Wellness Academy Master Life Coaching Program
• Best Quick: Certified Life Coach Institute Life Coach Certification

1. Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching

Duration: 10 to 12 months

Cost: $11,950

Certification: CPC credential

First on our list of top life coach certification courses is Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching course that provides an in-depth education leading to three certifications.

The Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) offers one of the most comprehensive life coaching certifications available: This International Coaching Federation-accredited life coaching program offers a three-day live seminar either virtually or in-person at selection locations, a workshop series, and nearly 320 hours of coaching education online.

You’ll earn three certifications in one—iPEC’s Certified Professional Coach (CPC) credential, along with two other credentials. These certifications will make you unique from other life coaches. Aside from the three days of live classes, the entire course is delivered via webinars, e-workbooks, and self-study materials.

After completing the iPEC life coaching course, you can go on to earn additional specializations in areas such as sports performance, health and wellness, business leadership, couples coaching, and more.

PROS

• Extensive library of tools and resources
• Live sessions every three months
• Earn three credentials through one certification program
• ICF accredited

CONS

• More expensive than other certification programs
• Takes several months to complete
• Not self-paced

Sign Up 

2. Institute for Life Coach Training Professional Certification

Duration: 18 to 24 months

Cost: $7,700

Certification: You’ll earn a certification as a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) after completing the course

The Institute for Life Coach Training offers a comprehensive and intensive online course that covers the business side of coaching.

The Professional Certified Coach program is an extremely intensive life coaching course that will set you up for years of success and continued knowledge. This program is an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Though this life coach certification program has fewer training hours (130) than some others, you’ll end up putting in much more time than that. According to the ILCT website, most weeks require a time commitment of at least four to five hours. Additionally, the course requires 500 hours of coaching experience.

This life coaching course also requires you to sign up for specific classes at specific times on certain days—the course structure is very much like a college program. You’ll be expected to show up to class for an attendance grade by the instructors, and you’ll have to complete examinations at the end of each module with a passing score of about 70% or higher.

The Institute for Life Coach Training Professional Certification also offers seamless advancement into master coaching programs and specialty credentialing.

PROS

• The most comprehensive and intensive coaching program
• Elective courses at no extra cost
• Teaches about the business side of coaching
• ICF approved

CONS

• Requires a commitment of four to five hours per week
• More expensive than other programs
• Takes 18 to 24 months to complete

Sign Up 

3. Health Coach Institute Dual Life and Health Coaching Certification

Duration: 6 months

Cost: $4,450 when paid upfront and $7,176 when paid over 24 months

Certification; an ICF-accredited title of Certified Health and Life Coach

The Health Coach Institute brings two self-paced certifications — health coach and life coach — into one course. The life and health coach courses are different 

but overlap a great deal because staying healthy plays a significant role in cultivating a happy, successful life. The Health Coach Institute brings the two certifications into one seamless experience, where you’ll learn the ins and outs of both professions.

The course is a 100% online program and includes four main pillars: nutrition, habit change, personal growth, and business education (so you know what to do when you graduate, right?). You’ll mostly self-learn with recorded webinars, weekly mentoring sessions, online homework and activities, and hands-on training.

The course is self-paced. To learn more about this life coach course, contact the course representative.

PROS

• Dual life and health coach certification
• Focus on nutrition, personal growth, habit change, and business education
• ICF accredited

CONS

• No in-person classes or training
• The payment plan is significantly more expensive than an upfront payment

Sign Up

4. Coach U Core Essentials Program

Duration: 6 months

Cost:$3,995

Certification: ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)

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The Coach U Core Essentials course offers a completely virtual, 77-hour program designed to teach you coaching skills, deepen your personal foundation, and learn practical practice development skills. It is a comprehensive approach to life coaching, with the opportunity to refine your business into niche specialties.

You will learn all the fundamental knowledge it takes to be a successful life coach, the ICF Core Coaching Competencies, and the scope of practice and ethics standards for life coaches. 

It is an ideal life coaching certification course if you’re considering a career change because the organization is very attuned to the fact that many life coaches work part-time around other job schedules until they can make the leap to full-time coaching. In addition, some life coaches only want their certification to implement strategies into their current job or business.

The Coach U Core Essentials program in particular is entirely virtual via live online courses and only requires 77 hours of coaching education to complete. The program focuses on the essentials since the class length is limited.

You can also opt for the Coach U Core Essentials Fast Track Program, which consists of six immersive, intense days of coaching education, plus pre-and post-program events. With either option, you’ll become an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC)

PROS

• A self-paced program that typically takes 6 months
• Offered as distance learning or in-person
• Can take a week-long intensive workshop
• ICF approved

CONS

• Does not offer business courses
• Minimal continuing coach education hours
• Not as much support as other programs

Sign Up

5. Life Purpose Life Coach Certification

Duration: 6 months

Cost: $169.99

Certification:  life coach certification from Transformation Services

The Udemy Life Purpose Coach certification is an introductory class that allows you to gain life coaching skills and knowledge focused on life purpose to your coaching business.  

The Udemy Life Purpose Life Coach Certification course is a short, condensed course for anyone looking to learn some life coaching skills and knowledge to apply to their own life. The course involves seven hours of on-demand video with lifetime access and earning a life coach certification from Transformation Services. Discovering the answer to this question can spark inspiration, courage, motivation, and determination.

PROS

• Costs under roughly $200
• Often on sale for under about $50
• Can be completed in one day

CONS

• Focuses more on finding your life purpose than on coaching
• This leads to a life purpose coach certification, not in-depth life coach certification
• Not accredited by a recognized certifying body

Sign Up

6. Integrative Wellness Academy Master Life Coaching Program

Duration: 6 months

Cost: $2,499,

Certification: you will earn the Master Practitioner of Integrative Life Coaching Certification (MPILC)

Integrative Wellness Academy offers a Master Integrative Life Coaching certificate to help current life coaches take their coaching practice to the next level. This advanced life coach training program from the Integrative Wellness Academy will help you build upon what you already know, apply high-level coaching techniques, and learn how to coach even the toughest clients. 

You can advance your career by earning a master life coach certification if you already have a life coach certification.

The master course costs $2,499 and covers five distinct areas: integrative life coaching, relationship, and family coaching, career and finance coaching, health coaching, and self-development and spiritual coaching. You can choose one niche over the others for your final credential, but you’ll learn about all five nonetheless. You can complete the course in person or online.

Note, that courses from the Integrative Wellness Academy are not ICF-accredited. Though ICF accreditation has become the gold standard in the coaching industry, the industry is unregulated. You are not required to take an accredited program to be a coach. Furthermore, accreditation for coaching programs doesn’t necessarily hold the same weight as it does for universities and other professional schools, such as in the medical, mental health, and dietetics fields.

The Integrative Wellness Academy says that accreditation removes flexibility from training programs. Because the Academy is always developing new coaching techniques and educational material based on world changes, having to pass accreditation for every program alteration feels too limiting.

PROS

• Advanced level master certification
• Teaches high-level coaching techniques
• Covers life coaching, career and finance, relationship and family, self-development, and spiritual

CONS

• Must have life coach certification
• Requires learning about all five distinct areas

Sign Up

7. Certified Life Coach Institute Life Coach Certification

Duration: 3 days or 33 hours

Cost: $995

Certification: Available

This is a three-day life coach certification course from the Certified Life Coach Institute that offers high-quality immersive education, information, and training on ICF Core Competencies of being a life coach, strategies to help establish and grow your business, and coaching scope of practice. You can earn a certificate in three days with the Certified Life Coach Institute.

You’ll also learn the key coaching strategies and techniques, such as how to let your clients lead and how to listen attentively.

While you can certainly start your life coaching business with this quick certification, it’s wise to invest in longer-term training over the course of your career to ensure that you deliver a valuable service to your clients.

PROS

• Short completion time
• More affordable compared to other programs
• International Coach Federation (ICF) approved

CONS

• Not in-depth like other certifications
• Must complete levels one and two to join ICF
• For those looking to get certified quickly,.

Sign Up

FAQs on Top Life Coach Certification Courses of 2022

Who is a life coach?

A Life coach is a type of wellness professional who helps other people with their lifestyles, identifies their goals, and provides encouragement along the way to help them attain greater fulfillment. Life coaches help their clients in improving their careers, relationships, and day-to-day lives. 

What is the most intensive life coach certifications course of 2022?

The Institute for Life Coach Training Professional Certification  is one of the most intensive life coach certifications courses with an average  completion time of 18 to 24 months

What is the shortest life coach certifications course of 2022

If you’re looking for a certification program with a shorter completion timeline, the Certified Life Coach Institute’s certification. The course is your best option.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Certified Life coach?

It can take a few days to an entire year to become a certified life coach.  Longer life coach courses will equip you and make you more confident to work with clients.

How Much Does a Life Coach Certification Cost?

The cost for life coach certifications depends but may cost between a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. The total cost depends on the length, delivery format, and intensiveness of the program you choose.

Some life coaching certification courses offer financial aid. The programs that do not offer scholarships or aid often have a payment plan or financing that allows you to register and take the course, but pay the tuition in installments. 

Which life coach certification courses offer financial aid 

• Certified Life Coach Institute
• Institute for Life Coach Training (interest-free payment plans)
• Integrative Wellness Academy 
• Health Coach Institute 
• Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching

What Are the Qualifications You Need to Become a Life Coach?

There are no compulsory qualifications to becoming a life coach. Life coaching doesn’t require a college degree, work experience, or prior certifications. Anyone can become a life coach.

Conclusion

These top life coach certifications courses of 2022 offer a well-rounded curriculum that covers everything you need to know about life coaching. They also provide the necessary education and tools to earn a life coach certificate. 

These certification courses teach relationship-building skills, communication techniques, and other coaching skills. For further questions on any of these courses, drop a comment below.