few coaches earn enough from coaching to sustain a middle
class lifestyle. Since coaches tend to work privately, benefits are not
included in these figures. The key to success as a coach is the ability to demonstrate
expertise in a niche that is needed and wanted by persons with the ability to
pay.
Fifteen per cent of U.S. based executive coaches are trained
mental health professionals mostly clinical psychologists. Since coaching is
not a licensed profession, anyone with or without any training or experience
can offer coaching. Most practitioners use the title Life Coach as opposed to
Executive or Business Coach.
A careful review of Life Coaching suggests that it is
attractive to persons who are -` passionate about helping others.
Many of the ads for Life Coaching claim that this model is designed to “help
clients become the person they were meant to be”.
According to the International Coach Federation:
“People hire a life coach
because
- They want more.
- They want to grow.
- They want it easier.”
Unfortunately, the tools used to accomplish these vague
goals are the “passion” of the coach, the use of “powerful questions” and
a cell phone. Certification as a Life Coach only requires a two or three day on-line
training.
The International Coach Federation is the largest coaching
organization in the world. Here is a sample to the type of questions that they recommend
for use by Life Coaches: https://coachfederation.org/blog/index.php/1806/
Currently, there is no credible evidence that either
passion or powerful questions have any impact on the outcome of clients
who receive Life Coaching. Generally, Life Coaches receive their coaching
experience by offering free coaching via phone to other Life Coaches. Since
neither participant is a real client, this exercise amounts to role-playing
choachee and client. In contrast, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist must have a
Ph.D., successfully pass a rigorous written and oral examination along with
three years of Post Graduate experience. Licensed Clinical Social Workers must
complete a two-year graduate degree in Clinical Social Work plus 3,000 hours of
supervised clinical experience. An examination must also be successfully
completed. Seventy per cent of all mental health services in the U.S. have been
provided by Clinical Social Workers since World War 2. Therefore, Psychologists
and Clinical Social Workers are more likely to be favored by potential coaching
clients.
According to Len Sperry, Ph. D, “Generally speaking, mental
health professionals can more easily transition into personal or life coaching
than into executive coaching because their psychological training and
experience readily transfer to the practice of personal or life coaching”. Executive Coaching, Len Sperry, 2004
Some credibility may be better for Life Coaches than three
days of training, passion in helping others and the use of powerful questions. Emotional
Intelligence Assessment and Coaching may be a useful curriculum that can be
added to the painfully limited training and lack of competency inherent in the
practice of Life Coaching. Emotional Intelligence Coaching is trending in
California.
A Coaching Model For Emotional
Intelligence
This model provides a framework that includes a theoretical
foundation (emotional intelligence) as well as Pre and Post Assessments (EQ-I-2.0)
and Coaching Client Workbooks (The EQ
Edge, The Practice of Control, Grab The Wheels For Kids and Gaining Control Of
Ourselves). The training is available for trained counselors, mental health
clinicians, substance abuse providers or teachers and ICF Coaches.
·
Completion of the EQ-I-2.0 Assessment prior to
acceptance
·
Complete a six month Emotional Intelligence
Coaching program as a client
·
Certification as an EQ-I-2.0 Examiner
·
40 hour live or on-line Certification as an
Emotional Intelligence Coach
·
Six-months of Coach Supervision by an Emotional
Intelligence Coach using a published coaching curriculum.
·
Face to face coaching with actual clients
including children, adolescents or adults seeking skill enhancement in
emotional intelligence.
·
16 hours of continuing education should be
recommended for each certified emotional intelligence coach.
George Anderson, MSW,
LCSW, Certified EQ-2.0 Professional
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