Myths are stories that help us develop our beliefs, culture and help us understand our world but there are many types of myths one being the kind in which we think understand something new but in reality, we really don’t and those myths spread like wild-fire. Such myths can make people deprived of something truly great as with time these myths begin to sound very truth-like. Similarly, there are many myths about life coaching that we will discuss in this article.
8 Myths about Life Coaching
Coaching is the new form of therapy
This is a common misconception that coaching is the new form of therapy however this is not true. A landmark case was won that established coaching as a separate profession from therapy. However, you will notice that many therapists join the bandwagon and became coaches.
Coaching cannot be considered a real profession
This can be true maybe many years ago from now, just like any profession in its early days. Professions develop over time. Every profession starts with just a few practitioners.
Eventually, regulatory bodies like ICF come into being and standardize the process. Then coaching institutes came which provided this teaching to many others and coaching is now a legit profession.
You can get away with anything in coaching
Since coaching isn’t regulated by the government it causes some confusion and people think you can get away with anything in coaching. However, fortunately, there are regulatory bodies like ICF that have established ethical guidelines and best practices in coaching. If you are working with an ICF Certified Coach you can be certain that they are following the set ethics and ICF core competencies.
Training isn’t needed for coaching
This depends on how successful you want to be as a coach. The ICF has been surveying for many years and has found out that coaches who have received coach-specific training are more likely to be successful and less likely to drop out of the profession. So, if you want to be a successful coach, get ICF accredited coach training which can be a lifetime investment.
With a degree in Psychology, you’re okay to coach
This isn’t true. You need to invest in an ICF accredited coach training program, most degrees in psychology or social work won't work. There is so much more to coaching that goes past just a degree. There are scientific studies and real-time coaching hours we use to ensure that whatever we say or do in a session is beneficial and effective for our clients.
Clients don’t check if you are certified
Of course, they do, ICF surveyed actual coaching clients and asked them if they would prefer to work with a certified coach and 84% of them replied that they very much care if their coach is certified. Numbers do not lie.
If you would not go to a certified doctor, why would you not want to go to a coach who is also certified? Being certified also tells your clients that you are willing to take your profession seriously and that in turn shows them that you are serious about changing their lives too. It shows dedication and respect for the profession above all else.
Coaches have the answers for everything
It is a common myth that coaches know everything. But that’s not true. Coaches are skilled to ask important coaching questions that stimulate the client's mind and help them find the answers themselves.
Coaching is only for celebrities
As Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO once said, “everyone needs a coach” It’s a myth that only high-level executives, celebrities, movie stars, and rich people need coaching. As the profession grows there are coaches that focus on all types of clients. Coaching is for everyone.
In ancient times myths spread because there was too little information available. Nowadays myths are created for the opposite reason as there is too much information available and not sure which is true.
As a coach, it is your responsibility to spread the truth about coaching. Effective coaching can make a difference in this world where everyone has their own opinions about coaching. If you want to enroll in an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program sign up for one of our upcoming courses.
What are some myths you would like debunked? Let us know in the comments below.