We all know how hard life can be and sometimes, we need a professional to guide us through the ups and downs. This is where life coaching comes in. It is defined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” The career of a life coach relies on the concept that you need a specialist to give you advice on your future. Their guidance will, ideally, help an individual reach their maximum potential.
Data and statistics
In 2012, the ICF reported that the industry earned $2 billion every year. However, it is likely even higher than this number since plenty of coaches do not undergo formal training. Like most fields, it is subject to change with various factors and developments. Let us review trends in life coaching and see what the future has in store for those who practice it.
Things to know
Below are some of the developments in life coaching to look out for. These will be useful to anyone who wishes to embark on such a career or looking for guidance when choosing a coach.
The industry is gaining more traction in this day and age. Young life coaches, however, often have a hard time launching a successful career in a profession dominated by older people. The ICF reported that 37% of coaches in the United States are aged anywhere from 46 to 55 years old. Younger coaches will have a smaller pool of clients to work with since most prefer someone with more life experience.
The biggest obstacle in the industry is the increasing number of incompetent and untrained coaches. The same people give the industry a terrible reputation. Sadly, it is hard to stop the numbers from increasing as it is an unregulated field. There have been calls for licensure and more organizational bodies are looking into it. In the future, it is highly likely that the profession will be standardized.
There are many reasons why clients prefer this setup than a face-to-face one. For one thing, it is generally more convenient, especially for people who are confined to their homes and those who have mobility issues. The system connects clients with high-profile coaches if they so wish. In the future, there is no doubt that more sessions will be conducted through the internet.
The bulk of practitioners are based in Europe and North America. People from different parts of the globe have started adapting it as well. In 2016, there were reportedly 4,000 coach practitioners in Latin America and the Caribbean. Meanwhile, there are allegedly 3,700 life coaches in Asia in the same year.
Conclusion
So what do these trends all lead up to? With regularization, the quality of the coaching will hopefully improve. Moreover, the dissemination of life coaching makes it possible for more people to partake in sessions. More people will likely express openness to the idea since they will be dealing with someone well-versed in their culture instead of a foreigner. No one can truly predict what comes next, though the trends seem to imply that the future of life coaching will be bright.
