5 things I wish I knew before choosing a coaching school 👏

Waaayyyyy back in the late 1990s, I knew I wanted to take a coaching program.

I was working at a large corporate law firm as an attorney in the Health Care Department.

But, working long desk hours in the corporate world didn’t suit me (or my adrenals!) very well.

I was considering switching careers, and the thought scared me.

But I talked with a friend of the family who was a life coach and then I found CoachU and dove in.

It was amazing!

I learned how to become a life coach and executive coach at a time when coaching programs were 3 years long (yep!) and all calls were held on a “bridge line” (remember that?) Nothing was online. All of our materials were sent to us in HUGE 3-ring binders via snail mail!

Even after I completed my program, I was still not comfortable plunging into Life Coaching. It was still too new of a profession and most people had never heard of it.

So I kept on at the law firm until my sugar addiction of living off of M&M’s and Starbucks got out of control.

Fast forward a decade….

I realized that health coaching may be the best way to help me wean off sugar (and help others do the same!) when I discovered the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in 2012 – and I enrolled right away.

I had no idea what it would lead to – but I wanted to find.a.better.way.

Now, 20 years and a thriving business later, I want to share with you 5 things I wish I knew before choosing a coaching school.

Why?

Because clients come to me everyday wanting to find.a.better.way.

They want to:

⭐ expand their skills to serve clients in a deeper way.

⭐ help people change their health (and their lives!) by focusing on the underlying causes of disease and discomfort.

⭐ escape their 9-to-5 J-O-B and build a business that they love.

⭐ and so many other reasons (truly – I could go on and on!)

Here are 5 things to consider when choosing a coaching program:

1️⃣ Get clear about what you’re passionate about. The type of program you choose will depend on how you want to help your clients.

If you want to help people “get healthier”, do you want to offer:

– overall health coaching to live a healthy lifestyle?

– wellness coaching based on a metabolic type or a specific way of eating (like Primal, Paleo, Whole30, Vegan)?

– integrative or holistic health coaching?

– functional nutrition coaching, including reviewing lab tests or recommending supplements?

– intuitive or spiritual approaches to coaching?

– life coaching (to focus on more areas than just nutrition/health)?

– some combination of the above?

Get clear about where you feel drawn and explore coaching programs in those areas.

2️⃣ Determine your timeframe & budget. Some programs are longer and more robust. Others are shorter and easier. How much time do you have? How deep do you want to go?

(Psst! Keep reading for my free gift to help you with this part!)

3️⃣ Understand accreditation. Some health coaching and functional nutrition programs are approved by the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC), thereby qualifying you to sit for the NBHWC exam and earn the NBC-HWC credential.

Other programs are accredited by the gold-standard International Coach Federation (ICF).

Some programs are excellent, but not accredited at all.

You’ll want to decide if accreditation is important to you. If you want a job in an insurance company, corporation, or medical setting, an accredited program may be helpful. Do your research first.

If you want to work for yourself, it might not be necessary.

4️⃣ Know your state laws. This one is super-important. BEFORE you select a coaching program, be clear about what you are allowed to do – and NOT do – under your state laws.

You may be shocked, but some states are MUCH more restrictive around the scope of practice for health & wellness coaches. Others aren’t.

I don’t want you to get well into a coaching program, only to realize you can’t do what you are dreaming of!

Clients come to me all the time AFTER they’ve invested in a coaching program and are deeply disappointed they are in a state with restrictive nutrition laws and can’t do what their program taught.

BTW, know that it’s not your coaching program’s responsibility to teach you the law. (In fact, they should stay laser focused on their coaching content and defer to lawyers for the legal part.)

5️⃣ Make the right choice if you are a licensed practitioner. BEFORE you choose your coaching program, know the law and get SUPER clear on how you can stay safe as to how to work with clients everywhere without violating the law or jeopardizing your license.

Coaching is an entirely separate profession from medicine. I know you don’t want to get accused of practicing medicine without a license.

(This is a TRICKY one. A LOT of people online are not doing it legally – not gonna lie!)

I know finding the right coaching school can be daunting, which is why I created a FREE GUIDE for you full of my recommended coaching schools.

👉🏼Download Lisa’s List of Recommended Coaching Schools HERE.

This guide will help you know my fave coaching programs in each area, avoid legal pitfalls, and select the right coaching school for you.

This gift is a place for you to start your research.

And, if you have questions about how to keep yourself legally safe as you look at coaching schools, just book a free 20-Minute Legal Chat with our team here.

We’ll help you get clear. We’re here to support you along the way!

Here’s to getting trained as a coach AND stay legally safe! 🎉