Life coaches- it’s a scam isn’t it?

[TrollTheRespawnJeremy]

I am seeing a LOT of women in their 40s rebranding themselves as life coaches. Is this some kind of MLM thing?
They have an accreditation of some sort but I have no idea what qualifies them really.

Pyramid schemes are a scam. Life coaching is not.

My friend has qualified as a life coach and is marketing herself to people in the performing arts as a confidence coach.
I don’t know how qualified she is to do this, she took a 3 month course but l think she feels she is a qualified psychologist now.

@RubyViolet

My friend has qualified as a life coach and is marketing herself to people in the performing arts as a confidence coach. I don’t know how qualified she is to do this, she took a 3 month course but l think she feels she is a qualified psychologist now.

You sound like a great friend to have.

About 8 years ago I saw one twice and it was very good for the situation I was in, basically had previously had a management quite high powered career then had three babies and moved countries, my youngest was three and I was returning to work in a much lower position. I was terrified and conflicted about returning to work. The life coach sessions got me back in work and steadied me when I wobbled. So yes she was good but I had specific problems to address and it was a while ago. Shop around some are definitely better than others.

Life coaches as described here give actual career mentors/coaches a bad name.

I knew someone whose coach had been on various UK boards and was top of his game. I'm told he was very insightful and helped a lot.

I know other life coaches who are just looking for work they can do mostly from home and have no decent qualifications or life experiences to draw upon.

I know someone who does this. They're also a motivational speaker. All they need now is to set up a MLM business and they'll have the (un)holy triptych.

If life coaches had a professional body, I'd complain to it.

There is a professional body for coaches, it’s called the ICF. It’s the body for coaches in all sorts of areas including executive, leadership, career etc. I suspect the issue is that many or all of these people describing themselves as coaches aren’t members of it or particularly professional, and may well not even be actually coaching.

As a PP said the ICF is an independent body with a pretty rigorous Credentialling process, including a minimum number of recognised coach training hours, recorded coaching sessions submitted that must demonstrate a high level of the coaching competencies, an online exam, and being mentored on your coaching skills by a senior coach. You also have to sign up to the ICF code of ethics, and complete a certain amount of CPD to renew your credential.

Coaching is an emerging profession with a sound and growing evidence base behind it. However, as anyone can call themselves a coach without even being aware of all of that, it is a bit of a buyer beware situation and you need to do your research.

It’s also just an excuse to nose into other people’s lives, isn’t it?

Yeah, my brother in law got into it. It's caused no ends of fights in the family when he tries to turn psychoanalyst and tries to undermine others who have much more successful track records career wise by trying to imply they are not reaching their full potential!! 😂😂

I used to work with a woman who did short course and is now a mentor and life coach...she rings a few spoilt rich kids twice a day to see if they have completed a journal ?? I think she has had a few adult clients who left a few gushing reviews on Instagram etc but that was a few years ago...she is actually terribly needy and neurotic person..self entitled and blames everyone else if something goes wrong e.g. parking ticket..speeding fines etc...I blocked her years ago ..what a relief...I find the whole life coach role bemusing as her own life is total chaos and panic...bizarre...

I know someone who does this. They're also a motivational speaker. All they need now is to set up a MLM business and they'll have the (un)holy triptych

Motivational speakers. What a bunch of cunts (I believe that is the correct group name). In 40+ years of teaching these shonky wasters have infested so many senior school rah-fest lectures.

1. They say you can be anything you want to be/just try and you can do it. Contemptuous denial of the lived experience, the objective reality of people's lives. This can also be said about Positive psychology, positive thinking, mindset theory.

1. They always espouse Learning Styles. These have been solidly debunked.

1. They are paid to present and would never pass a learning walk in a school. Or Year 9 last lesson. First, probably.

I don’t think it is a scam as such since there are certain skills involved. They include a shed load of self confidence.

Back in the 90s I was working as a visiting professor in uni of Nevada and lodging with a couple who ran a charity to help provide studentships for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. They knew I had come from a poor background where my parents saw no value in education and invited me to be a "motivational speaker" at their next fund raiser. I did not like to refuse - after all being a lecturer I had no fear of public speaking. But I was not trained as a "motivational speaker” and was aware that those who do this for a living in the USA can be very polished and flamboyant. However they said they did not want anything like that, but someone who could speak in a matter of fact and honest way about how they had overcome personal difficulties.

I assumed I was doing the talk just for expenses. However after the (very glitzy) fundraiser a large check arrived. I returned most of the money and only kept what I had spent on taxis etc. Subsequently I was offered several more speaking engagements in various parts of the US, including first class travel and hotels etc as well as generous payments. I do have a degree in psychology but I turned these other engagements down with the explanation that I was not a professionally trained motivational speaker/life change coach. These callings seem to be linked in the US with practitioners supplementing speaking engagements by writing books/tutorials etc. Im sure I could have made a very good living doing that but it was not my style.

Are they from the 'school of life' train of thought?

There's actually a training centre training centre near to where we live : they train you to train. I can't remember their slogan but it's bamboozling

Life Coach just reminds me of Jez on Peep Show where he just decided to become one and people actually hired him, anyone who's good at giving advice could do it this way!

It's a load of crap, most of the people I see doing have done nothing inspirational at all with their lives but suddenly want to start advising others on how to live theirs. One woman I know used to be a hairdresser, had 3 kids and then became a life coach. WTF? How is she going to give me any inspirational advice? The idea that people can't get their own shit together and make their own choices is insulting. If people are really struggling that much then they can see a psychologist for some professional help.

Hand me a £100 and I'll tell you what I think

I'm not sure it is MLM as such, but it is definitely a load of bullshit.

Jez from Peep Show, anyone?

@HarryElephante

Pyramid schemes are a scam. Life coaching is not.

We've found the life coach.

I was tempted to ask why she didn't coach herself into a job a bit better than earning min wage in a corner shop

What a sneery attitude!

I have a friend and her husband was having a bit of a midlife crisis, not sure what to do with work etc. She sent him off to a life coach and he had an affair with her, left his family and had a baby with said life coach.
So I suppose that’s one way of manifesting your destiny.

It's all just fluffy bollocks.

It's like Professional Declutteters, really? Just rent a skip, stop being an untidy bastard and chuck your crap out!!

There are definitely legitimate life coaches, they are like therapists but they help you define your goals. Your friend having a mid life crisis is provably not a great choice but there are people with experience and training in this area that could be helpful.

I’ve never tried one but DH got one - more a career coach - through work and it was very helpful for him.

We've found the life coach

Funny, but no.

I'm just open minded about these things. Not a Daily Mail reader.

I surprisingly know three life coaches.

One had previously built a very successful business and I think can genuinely offer excellent advice on starting a business, setting rates, finding your market. Heavy doses of 'woo' of thrown in and I suspect a large proportion of her clients are women with independent wealth (or I hope this is true). She's spent over £100k on having her own coaches.

The other two had successful careers, but are both desperate to get away from them. One I did a few sessions with as part of her 'certification' - it was all about my feelings and values and wasn't really any help at all in making concrete decisions. The session ended with me giving them business advice, which they then used.

The similarities with a MLM, from what I can see:

• you 'sell' your product off the back of your lifestyle.
• there is a sizeable investment upfront
• the only people who seem to be making money are the recruiters
• telling lies about how busy you are seems to be standard.

I would love to find an amazing life coach, but now I struggle to believe they exist. I've used interior designers before and they have all been incredible. What they offered I genuinely couldn't do myself. Id love someone to help me do my life 'better' in terms of what to spend time or money on, relationships etc.

Yeah, not sure it’s always MLM, but definitely a trend I’m seeing among women of a certain age and temperament