Transformational Life Coaching: How to Do It Right

What does transformation coaching even mean, many people ask?

Bottom line is – it is something that is supposed to make your life better. Who wouldn’t like to appoint someone that can do that for them? This is why transformational life coaching is becoming more and more popular.

Let’s look at people, for instance, who don’t feel accomplished enough. Their dreams didn’t come true, and they often have no purpose in their lives. As a result, they feel depressed, disappointed, and most of all frustrated.

The tremendous success of transformational coaching is dragging more and more people into the niche. Competition is harsh, and you need to be GREAT to succeed. You need to be confident and persuasive, responsible, and ready to help. Your mission will not only be to change people’s mindsets, but also their behavioral patterns.

The first and most important task is to identify the issues your clients have and to examine what is causing them. What stands in their ways? Why are they not successful? Your answers will be the keys to an amazing transformation that doesn’t take all that long.

That being said, transformational coaching will not only make you successful but also transform your own life.

What does a certified transformational life coach do?

Transformational coaches aim to help people improve and modify their personalities. Rather than listening to their problems, they dig deeper under the surface. They examine and dissolve any limitations in their behavior patterns. If there is a particular emotion that keeps people stuck and unmotivated, it is the job of the transformation coach to identify it.

The closest equivalent of what a coach does is therapy. The key difference, however, is that coaches ask questions to get acquainted with their clients. They tackle all aspects, instead of focusing on one thing.

Transforming people with life coaching, however, is a challenging assignment. The task at stake is convincing somebody that they are not what they seem and that there is a better version of themselves that needs to come out. This means that life coaching deals with every single aspect of personal development. That could be, for instance, a limiting belief or an unachievable goal.

It is not about how the coach sees the life coaching clients. It is about how they see themselves.

Most people land on transformational coaching because they want to help and empower others. They are rewarded each time a client unleashes his inner wisdom, and starts living the life he always wanted.

Are transformation coaches, in fact, life coaches?

Well, there certainly are many similarities. Thanks to the coach, people are encouraged to improve themselves and make changes they are afraid of. They don’t change what they do, but who they are. And that is exactly the difference between transformational coaching and life coaching.

You either seek help to improve what you do, or who you are.

Transformational life coaching is not about advice or strategies on how to change something. It aims to clarify the misunderstandings and mistakes people do, and which don’t let them move on with their lives. The coach intends to make people face their challenges, and rise above on their own merits. The ideas, plans, and solutions still belong to them.

Alike therapists, transformation coaches’ point of interest is the psyche. They also try to understand what is causing a certain behavior. The process is often long and intense, as some clients refuse to see that it is they who are causing the problem.

A great transformational coach has many roles at once:

• Setting customer’s goals straight and eliminating their fears
• Helping them grow and improve by defining their life’s purpose
• Transforming goals and wishes into feasible strategies
• Keeping them consistent and on track, with the changes, they want to do
• Updating the plan according to the situation
• Encouraging them when they want to resist or give up

Is a career in transformational coaching appropriate for you?

For starters, both transformational coaches and life coaches need an array of quality social skills. They must be experienced in different types of coaching. As a result, they develop problem-solving techniques that apply to different customers. Investing in a career like this requires investing in yourself. – the more you develop, the more able you will be to help others.

Secondly, you’ll need to listen effectively to what people are saying. You need to understand problems in detail and reveal hidden truths the client is not willing to talk about. Sometimes, all you’ll have to work with is their voice tonality and choice of words.

Present yourself as a reliable and trustworthy person. Show support and empathy, and tell clients openly that progress doesn’t come easy. They will need you to be there from the very beginning, but only if you establish a relationship based on trust. Treat their stories with respect, and build up the process as you go. Set realistic goals, and empower them at different stages. Most of all – don’t get discouraged if the clients don’t succeed as fast as you want them to.

Remember – you are not there to solve their problems. It will get difficult at times, but you must preserve a clear mind and a goal-oriented attitude. The client is the one who has the solution, and you should only guide him in the right direction.

These are the most important skills you need:

Observation

You are an explorer looking to identify behavior patterns and blockages. You should monitor the client from the very beginning, and stay alert for things that have not been saying. Words are your best clues, but look out for body language and facial expressions too. Soon enough, you will be able to understand what your clients are feeling.

Of course, this is not something you can learn overnight. The more people you work with, the better you will understand the variety of problems they deal with. You will then attack the saboteurs at their very core, and lead clients throughout their journey.

Reliability

As a transformational coach, you need to guide clients to the point where your services are no longer required. This, of course, can take much longer than planned. Regardless of their motivation, people happen to back out and lose their path, and that’s where you are most needed. You will hear all sorts of excuses, but you should remain strong and determined.

Also, there is no guarantee that you will like all clients and conversations. You won’t always feel comfortable asking tough questions and assessing difficult situations. And yet, this is the moment when clients need to trust you the most.

Luckily, all of this cedes by the first progress a client has made. Once they see you are right, they will be less resistant. They will believe that their transformation is something possible and tangible.

Confidentiality

To be able to do your job right, you will need clients to open up and trust you. The easiest way to show them that they are in a safe place is to listen to what they say.

Plan each session, and lead clients to talk about literally anything, including topics they are afraid of. Don’t criticize them, but assess carefully what they are saying. Be open and set things into perspective, even if it doesn’t seem easy. They should know that it is possible to transform their personality, but also that this isn’t as easy as it seems.

Staying on top of things

If you feel you are making progress, find a way to show your clients. This will help keep them encouraged and motivated, even in times when they are not that optimistic. External challenges will stand in your way, but you need to soften their impact on the process.

Explain by pointing out success stories and experiences other clients had. A real-life solution to a problem is better than any lecture on what needs to be done. Therefore, check your database and see which cases apply – your experience will teach you how to deal with any situation.

Learn and develop yourself. Your job is not limited to meeting clients and talking to them. As a life coach or a transformational coach, you need to position yourself on the market with an understanding of the matter. Next, you’d need a proper marketing plan and a social media strategy.

What does it take to be a great transformational life coach?

This is probably one of the most rewarding careers you can have. At the same time, it falls within a highly competitive niche followed by rapid and massive changes. If this sounds like something you would like to do, keep the following things in mind:

Do you want to specialize in a particular niche?

The niche is important enough to determine the entire trajectory of your career.

The same as with a life coach, a transformational coach has multiple niches to choose from. Any activity related to helping people transform themselves can qualify as an appropriate niche.

• Mindset transformational coaching. Many people argue, that only permanent changes are real changes. As a transformational life coach, you can take this premise and help people make changes that will last.
• Business transformational coaching. In this case, you’ll need to identify issues that hold people back professionally. You should guide them towards learning more or solving problems.
• Body transformational coaching. Reading this, you probably thought of fitness or nutrition, and you were right. Yet, this type of transformational life coaching can help people accept their sexual preferences, emotions, or fears.

The training and certification of a transformational coach

Technically, it is very possible to label yourself and work as a life or a transformational coach without formal education. Some of the best-known gurus and life coaches don’t have transformational life coach certification.

In a way, the transformational life coaching industry regulates itself. Nonetheless, coaches are expected to invest in themselves and learn, to do their job properly.

We need to assume, of course, that most potential clients will be after someone that is trained and certified to help them. This would also require the necessary training to be able to assess and modify willpower.

He is expected to know human psychology and tackle matters on an intellectual level. Transformational coaches are the only experts in the niche that can improve intellectual results. As a result, they often make quicker and more important breakthroughs than in any other session.

Most life coaching experts opt for ICF (International Coaching Federation) certification and accreditation. They are provided comprehensive education on a variety of topics and training methods. The institution is very well-known and respected. This makes the possibility of attracting life coaching clients even bigger.

The importance of emotional intelligence

From all the things that are important for a transformation coach, emotional intelligence is the most desired one. These professionals don’t only need to know their life coaching client dreams, but also understand them.

Odds are great that a certified life coach has also lots of experience to share. Therefore, he’d offer several ways to heal your personality and ensure a sustainable focus on what matters. If he has the skills for it, transformation life coaching certification is just a formality.

As an emphatically and emotionally intelligent person, a transformation coach creates a safe hub for his clients. Here, they can tell their stories and embrace change from somebody they trust. For the certified transformation life coach, this means constant development and learning to be able to help others.

The transformational coaching techniques you should adopt

If you are sure this is a career for you, you should adopt an array of techniques that will help you excel in what you do. We’ve gathered tips from a few prominent scientific studies to assist you with this.

Neuroscience knowledge

As you know, neuroscience studies the human brain as well as all parts of the nervous system.

This is one of the most advanced sciences in recent years, and transformation coaches often rely on it to be able to help their clients. These are the techniques they work with:

• Self-awareness
• Resilience
• Empathy
• Mindfulness
• Motivation and optimism
• Stress management
• Critical judgment

Application of positive psychology

Positive psychology hasn’t been around for that long, but it is the most prosperous branch of science. The reason is, that it provides a critical and even philosophical approach to observing one’s mindset. In a nutshell, it asks people to focus on the good things instead of the bad ones.

Experts in positive psychology break happiness down into three dimensions that require improvement. These are meaningful life, pleasant life, and good life.

Motivational interviewing & counseling

Motivational interviewing applies when a life coaching client identified an addiction. In recent years, however, it is used in different areas of public health and health care and leads clients through a long but safe path of change.

Cognitive behavior

Cognitive behavior is a technique used to help life coaching clients reprogram the way they think. The best psychologists in the branch believe that our actions are driven by the way we think, and the feelings that we have.

Flexible treatment and therapy of this kind are very useful for a coaching business. It can be applied in almost any situation, as it tackles ingrained thinking patterns to improve the results of our actions.

NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming)

NLP enables you to program clients’ mindsets. The tool you have available, however, is only the language they use.

By language, we mean the things they are saying and thinking. it is based on the premise that everything that happens to people, internal or external, can trigger feelings and be a cause of a particular action.

Assessing your client’s situation – these are the 10 questions you should ask

Clients need time to open up and tell you what their problem is. Therefore, you need to have a set of questions that will provide you with key information from the very beginning.

The answers to the following 10 questions will help you customize and plan sessions for each of your clients.

• What is your ultimate goal or biggest dream?
• Please name the three things you’d like to change about yourself
• Why do you think these changes are necessary?
• Are you living in sync with your values, and why not?
• How does the best and most satisfying day for you look like?
• Assuming you’re about to die now, what would you regret the most?
• What gives you the most energy?
• How should your life look, and what is holding you back?
• Name a job you’d do every day, even if no one is paying you for it.

Why are these questions so important?

Seeing a life coaching client eliminate his problems and become a better person, you are growing too. The job of a transformation coach is not just an activity that pays off. It is a way of life, and it helps coaches overcome their own wrong beliefs and find inner peace.

Embarking on a journey like this will enable you to:

• Get to know yourself and define your values and desires.
• Come to peace with who you are.
• Overcome your fears and insecurities
• Master the skill of helping others and helping yourself
• Get rid of the victim-based and diminishing mindset in difficult situations
• Help people with your spiritual wisdom
• take action and empower yourself, as you do with other people

FAQs about transformational life coaching

1. What is transformational life coaching, and how is it different from traditional life coaching?

One kind of coaching that tries to assist people in making important life changes is transformational life coaching. Transformational life coaching is more holistic and focuses on helping people modify their thought patterns, actions, and beliefs to bring about sustainable change, as opposed to standard life coaching, which places more emphasis on specific goals or outcomes.

2. What kinds of issues or challenges can be addressed through transformational life coaching?

Career transitions, marital problems, health and wellness objectives, personal growth and development, and spiritual inquiry are just a few of the difficulties and obstacles that can be addressed through the use of transformational life coaching.

Also, it can assist people in overcoming restrictive attitudes and habits that may be preventing them from reaching their full potential.

3. What is the process of transformational life coaching, and how does it work?

An initial consultation or assessment is usually the first step in the transformational life coaching process. During this time, the coach and client get to know one another and assess whether they are a good fit.

The coach will then collaborate with the client to determine their goals, values, and beliefs in order to create a coaching strategy that is unique to them. To assist the client in achieving their goals, sessions may combine discussion, contemplation, goal-setting, visualization, and other strategies.

4. How long does it typically take to see results from transformational life coaching?

Depending on the person and their particular goals, the time it takes to experience results through transformational life coaching can vary. While some clients could see major improvements after just a few sessions, others might need more time and assistance.

Nonetheless, transformational life coaching typically aims to bring about long-lasting change, and clients can anticipate outcomes that continue to materialize over time.

5. Can anyone benefit from transformational life coaching, or is it only for people facing specific challenges or transitions?

Although everyone can gain from transformational life coaching, it works especially well for people who are going through big life transitions, is facing difficulties or barriers, or are looking to make significant changes in their lives. It can also be useful for people who are seeking better clarity, purpose, and direction when they feel lost or unfulfilled.

6. How much does transformational life coaching cost, and how do I know if it’s worth the investment?

Transformational life coaching fees might change depending on the coach’s qualifications, expertise, and location. Due to its more thorough and comprehensive nature of it, it is typically more expensive than regular life counseling.

Yet, many clients discover that transformational life coaching is well worth the investment since it may result in substantial growth and transformation on both a personal and professional level.

7. Do I need to have a specific goal or objective in mind before starting transformational life coaching?

Prior to beginning transformational life coaching, it might be good to have a basic idea of what you would like to accomplish or what areas of your life you would like to focus on.

Nevertheless, having a specific goal or purpose in mind is not required. Your coach will assist you in defining your objectives and creating a strategy to accomplish them.

8. What kind of training and certification do transformational life coaches typically have?

Life coaches that specialize in transformational coaching often have a background in coaching, counseling, psychology, or a related discipline. They have also gone through specialized training and received accreditation in this area.

Additionally, they might have extra training or certifications in particular methods or modalities, such as energy healing, positive psychology, or mindfulness.

9. What are some common techniques or tools used in transformational life coaching?

Visualization, journaling, meditation, goal-setting, affirmations, and mindfulness exercises are a few common tools and strategies utilized in transformational life coaching.

In order to help clients obtain a deeper understanding of their values, strengths, and areas for improvement, coaches may also use a variety of evaluation techniques and exercises.

10. How can I find a reputable and qualified transformational life coach to work with?

It’s crucial to conduct research and ask for referrals from reliable sources if you want to find a respectable and skilled transformational life coach.

Search for coaches that have a proven track record of success, have received certification from respectable organizations, and with whom you feel at ease working.

Also, you can search for coaches who focus on the issues you want to solve, such as relationship, career, or personal development coaching.

Ending thoughts on transformational life coaching

There are many benefits to being a certified transformational coach. It is an admirable career that makes you the favorite person among your friends’ circle, family, and the entire community. At the same time, it is a great way to adopt new skills, and a job you would be doing with passion and compassion. In short, it helps you make an impact on people’s lives and be remembered for it.

And yet, being successful in a niche like this requires effort and knowledge. You should master all fundamental elements of behavioral science, and base your work on knowledge and experience. You want clients to trust you and rely on you in their most difficult moments.

Last but not least, transformation coaching is a business that can generate some serious profits. You need the right tools and marketing strategies to impose yourself on the competitive market.

If you enjoyed reading this article about transformational life coaching, you should check out this one about life coaching contracts.

We also wrote about a few similar subjects like life coaching intake forms, types of life coaching, coaching vs consulting, personality coaching, best coaching questions, coaching apps, life coach mission statement, and life coaching niches. 

And since we’re talking about coaching topics, make sure to check out these on how to get clients as a life coach, how to make money as a life coach, the coaching business model, being a time management coach, and creating an efficient coaching schedule.