If you’ve been thinking about becoming a certified spiritual coach but need help knowing where to start, look no further!
Today, we’ll discuss…
- The best spiritual life coach certifications
- How much they cost
- If you even need one
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
How to become a spiritual life coach
What does a spiritual life coach do?
Before we get to the list of the best spiritual life coach certifications, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what spiritual coaching actually is.
As a spiritual coach, you help your clients improve their spiritual lives and develop themselves. That’s a broad definition – but it’s a broad niche.
Most people think spiritual life coaches work within a particular religion or under a specific set of beliefs.
But the truth is that this type of coach can work within any realm of spirituality. Spiritual coaches can be religious coaches, reiki healers, energy healers, and more.
They help their clients live more fulfilling lives by guiding them to:
- Start their spiritual journey
- Understand the Universe
- Find their life purpose
- Deepen their spirituality
- Make changes that lead to fulfillment
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Because these goals are so deeply personal, you might be wondering if you need to get certified to offer this kind of coaching.
Keep reading to find out!
What qualifications do you need to be a spiritual life coach?
Do you need certification to be a spiritual life coach?
No, you don’t.
As a spirituality coach, you act almost like a mentor. You help people achieve their goals and transform their lives in some way by offering actionable advice based on your own experience.
You’re not acting as a counselor, and that’s why you don’t need a certification.
Unlike in counseling, which requires specific certifications and degrees, your coaching qualifications are based on your skills, experience, and, most importantly, results.
(Note, though, that some health-related niches do require certifications. So before you offer coaching, research what applies to your specific niche.)
Most importantly, your coaching needs to offer a transformation to your clients.
In other words, your experience is key.
But that’s not to say you can’t get certified in spirituality coaching. Let’s dive into the best certification options.
The best spiritual life coach certifications in 2024
If you decide to get certified, I’ve compiled a short list of the best spiritual life coaching certification programs available.
But first, let’s talk about how to choose.
How to pick a spiritual coaching certification program
There are so many coaching certification programs on the market that it can take time to choose one.
I highly recommend that you choose one that is:
1. Accredited by the International Coaching Federation
Because coaching is a largely unregulated industry, certifications are unregulated, too – and signing up for a certification program doesn’t always guarantee quality.
The ICF is the closest thing the coaching industry has to being a regulatory authority, so I recommend choosing a course it has vetted.
Another option is choosing a program that’s offered by a reputable university along the lines of Columbia University, Brown University, or the University of Southern California. If you want to go this route, I’ve created a list of the best life coaching schools for you.
2. Aligned with your goals and things you want to learn
Make sure you set aside some time to really dig deep into the programs you’re exploring.
Above all else, make sure the program offers what you want to learn. Further, your goals should align with the goals that the program has created for its students.
Without further ado, here are the best certification programs for spirituality life coaches.
Note: I have not personally completed any of the courses listed below. Instead, I recommend them here because they’re established, have great reviews, and are either ICF-accredited or offered by reputable universities.
| Program | Organization | Accreditation | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPEC Coach Training Experience | iPEC | ICF | 10-12 months | $13,395 |
| Coach Training EDU Life Coach Training | EDU | ICF | 6 months | $5,228 |
| USC Coaching Program | USC | ICF | 6 months | $4,800 |
| Coach U Professional Coach Training Program | Coach U | ICF | 12 months | $12,190 |
| Life Coaching Institute of America Full ICF Pathway | Life Coaching Institute | ICF | 70 hours | $2,985 |
1. iPEC Coach Training Experience
The iPEC Coaching certification program provides training in their CORE Energy Coaching process. During the process, you’ll learn about research-backed tools and methods to motivate and empower your clients to reach their goals.
ICF accredited: Yes
Price: $13,995. Quarterly and monthly payment plans are also available.
Key features:
- 320+ coach training program hours
- 200 ICF-accredited training hours
- Participants graduate with three proprietary certifications
- Includes mentor coaching, peer coaching, and success coaching
- Resource library included
2. Coach Training EDU Life Coach Training
This versatile program applies to every coaching niche, but you can choose a specialized route. This base program lasts six months, and during those six months, you’ll discuss coaching tools, participate in live demonstrations, and maximize learning by applying new skills to practice.
ICF accredited: Yes
Price: $3,825 when paid at one time. Monthly payment plans are also available at $375 per month.
Key features:
- Has trained organizations like IBM, Harvard Kennedy School, and Nike
- Offers online self-study and live learning
- Learning happens in small mentoring groups
- Hard copy of textbook included
- Includes three ACC one-to-one mentor coaching hours
3. USC Coaching Program
The University of Southern California’s coaching program is a hybrid course taught mostly online, but it does include three in-person workshops. Each module is created to arm you with the skills necessary to build a partnership, hone your coaching presence, increase your emotional intelligence, and more.
ICF accredited: Yes
Price: $3,850 for USC employees. Early registration (before March 1) is $3,500.
Key features:
- University has an excellent reputation
- Taught by the best coaches in the world
- Includes coaching practice with a mentor coach who will provide feedback
- Will align you with the path toward becoming an ICF Associate Certified Coach
4. Coach U Professional Coach Training Program
Coach U has one of the longest and most detailed coaching programs online, lasting 12months. The course follows the CORE competencies outlined by the ICF, which means that even though the program isn’t focused solely on spirituality, you’ll get a good look at the kind of skills that make a coach successful.
ICF accredited: Yes
Price: $12,190. Discounts are available.
Key features:
- Held in high regard by the coaching community
- Shorter, fast-track routes are available
- Every instructor has earned their ICF accreditation
- You can attend Community Engagement groups
5. Life Coaching Institute of America Full ICF Pathway
The Full ICF Pathway is one of the most intensive programs on the list, clocking in at 70 hours. A majority of those hours – 60 – consist of online coach training, and the rest are mentor coach training in a telephonic class setting.
ICF accredited: Yes
Price: $2,985
Key features:
- Great price for a 70-hour program
- Covers ICF’s Core Competencies
- Of the 60 training hours, half are taught live on Zoom, and the other half are self-study
- Offers several modules on motivational interviewing, which is one of the critical components of coaching; includes lessons on key terms and fundamental processes
- Mentor sessions will help prepare you for your ICF accreditation
With your certification journey in mind, it’s time to explore how to actually become a successful spiritual life coach and launch a successful business!
How to become a spiritual life coach
At the end of the day, what you need to become a spiritual life coach is experience and knowledge.
That’s it!
Other than that, coaching as a skill is learnable. (And you’ll learn how to coach when you coach.)
But to build a successful spiritual life coaching business, you need a couple of things: A target audience and paying clients.
Let’s start with how to find your target audience.
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Find your target audience
The first step to building your coaching practice is to define your niche.
Your niche is what helps you attract a particular group of people who are interested in your services because they speak to the situation they’re going through.
It’s not enough to call yourself a spiritual life coach. You need to drill down further and define what you help your clients do.
One of my students, Summer, has become a spiritual coach. As a coach, she offers her clients pathways to more fulfilling lives.
And Estelle, another student of mine, is a successful energy healer who helps her clients align with their soul’s highest nature to unlock their own unique brand of magic.
Not sure what your niche is or how to find it? Here’s how – by focusing on three things.
Finding a few problems that people are willing to pay to have solved
One easy way to do this is to remember that those who work with coaches typically want one of the following:
- To be
- To have
- To feel
When people work with spirituality coaches, they might want to be more connected to their calling, have a better relationship with their religion, or feel more connected to the Universe.
There’s no limit to the kind of problems people want to solve.
Identifying the most profitable problem that you can help solve
But not all of those problems are going to be profitable. That’s why you need to do some outside research.
The best way to determine what people are willing to pay is to look at what’s already out there.
What are other coaches already being paid to help with?
When you take the time to do that research, you can be confident your niche will be just as profitable.
Getting specific
Don’t be afraid to get specific within your niche.
Specificity will get you better, more consistent business.
After all, people want to know how you’re going to help them through this phase of life.
Sure, a spirituality life coach could say, “I’ll help you feel more fulfilled in your life,” but that’s not very effective. Or memorable.
But saying, “I help highly sensitive people tap into their vibration so that they can lead truly fulfilling lives,” gets to the point immediately and stands out because it’s memorable.
To figure out your specific niche, use the following formula: “I help ___ to ___ so that __.”
Setting yourself apart from other coaches
Once you’ve nailed down your niche, it’s time to figure out what’s going to set you apart.
You need to differentiate yourself based on what I like to call your “secret sauce.”
Your secret sauce is the unique way in which you’ll help your clients get results and transform their lives.
To figure out what your secret sauce is, understand how your offer and experience differ from what other life coaches offer. For example, maybe it’s that you work with new-age spirituality or study astrology.
Once you’ve figured out your niche and what’s going to help you stand out, it’s time to get out there and find your first paying clients.
Get your first clients
You know who your audience is and how you can help them – but to land your first client, you need a strong coaching offer.
Here’s how to make one.
Come up with a coaching offer
The most well-written offers include a promise of transformation.
What will your clients get out of your coaching?
Think more along the lines of intangible goals, which you’ll be offering as a spiritual coach.
How will each of your clients’ lives have changed by the end of your time together?
Will they have a better sense of purpose?
Will they know what helps them feel more fulfilled?
Or will they be happier?
Whatever the answer, those are the results you’ll use to craft a clear goal for your coaching program.
But be careful in the way that you phrase it. Don’t offer something simple, like “I’ll help you feel more fulfilled.”
Instead, be more specific: “I help each client get past the obstacles standing in the way of their fulfillment in six months with a few simple steps.”
See the difference?
Setting your price and package
If you’re just starting out as a spirituality coach, a reasonable rate for your coaching package is $1,500 for a three-month commitment.
Note that this is per package, not per month.
It’s exactly the right amount of time:
Three months isn’t too long, which can scare off potential clients.
But it’s not too short, either, which could hinder your results.
Over the course of your three months together, you’ll:
- Articulate what purpose means to them
- Find a few things that will bring them joy
- Define a long-term plan for finding their purpose
I recommend you start with one or two monthly calls while offering a second line of communication where your clients can ask questions and receive answers.
Email, Slack, WhatsApp, and social media are great ways to do that.
Of course, you can increase your rate to $2,000 or more as your business grows. Check out this video, where I dig deeper into how to price your coaching package to learn more.
How to get clients
At this point, you might be saying, “But Luisa, how do I actually find a paying client?”
By focusing on how to reach your target audience and attract them with your message and offer.
The truth is you won’t find your clients in one place. Instead, you’ll find them in places like Facebook groups, hiring platforms like Upwork or LinkedIn, and industry-specific sites.
It all depends on your niche, offer, and preferences.
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Some of the best strategies for new coaches are:
- Leveraging your already-existing network by offering services to your friends or family (that’s how I got started in one of my businesses)
- Using social media like Instagram, Facebook, or Reddit to build relationships with people who are interested in your services
- Building trust by guest starring on podcasts or writing guest blogs
Regardless of the route you choose to take, make sure that you’re placing yourself in front of the right audience, sharing great content, and giving them a great offer.
I always tell my clients to choose one or two strategies and focus only on those. After all, a jack of all trades is a master of none – and wouldn’t you rather be the master of two really effective marketing strategies?
And stay consistent!
When you do, you avoid losing the momentum you need to land clients.
For example, if you decide to focus on using social media to find clients, engage with people on the same platform consistently every day. Pay close attention to the feedback and engagement to improve your content.
That way, you’ll start seeing more and more clients come to you for help.
Next steps
That’s it!
Now you know about the best spiritual life coach certifications currently available.
But whether you decide to get certified or not, you also need to build your business.
And contrary to popular belief, you DON’T need to hustle every waking minute.
In fact, you can build your business while working a 9-5.
That’s what I teach you in my blueprint for growing a six-figure spiritual coaching business.
Get it now!
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