I will preface this by saying I qualified as a life coach in 2012 when the industry was essentially still emerging.
I think to say it’s a scam is inaccurate. I rather think that the industry has evolved from something which was intended to be beneficial to one which has become self-serving.
When I qualified, the initial premise of life coaching was that through coaching, you enabled people to find the answers for themselves. So it was never supposed to be about giving advice, it was supposed to be about the client finding their own answers through the questions you asked, iyswim.
However, as it became more popular, the idea of coaching seemed to turn away from the focus on the client and became more focussed on the life coach themselves. So e.g. “if you want to change your life, then you will attend my seminar to the tune of £££, and if you’re not prepared to do that then you’re obviously not committed enough to change your life.”
It became very much a blame game combined with the “hustle” of being a life coach. Suddenly it became less about how to help people change their lives, and more about how to earn a fortune by telling people that unless they hand over their cash they’re obviously not committed and it’s their fault their lives haven’t worked out.
Added to which, a lot of these seminars are almost about whipping up a life-changing experience. Almost like those religious gatherings where people shout and scream and proclaim their love of the lord, so these kinds of seminars end up with people walking out proclaiming they have changed their lives, and “preaching” to all around them that they need to do the same, and if they don’t then it is they who are in the wrong.
They all seem to aspire to be like Tony Robbins, the less said about him the better.
Although I started out with good intentions, the fact the industry evolved into this meant that it was no longer something I wanted to be associated with, and as such, while I qualified, I was caught up in my divorce etc straight after, and never practiced.