Last updated on September 17, 2024
One of the best ways to build credibility and skills as a coach is to get a coaching certification from a reputable organization. And with so many coaching training and certification programs available today, finding one that fits your goals and budget has never been easier.
We’ve written this article to help you find the best life coach certification program for your specific situation. The “best” program is the one that aligns with your values, personality, and specific coaching goals, and that helps you become the best coach you can be. So the “best” may be different for everyone.
With that said, here are the coach training and certification programs we’ve chosen to include:
- Transformation Academy – Best Budget Option
- Coach Training Alliance – Best for Building a Coaching Business and Affordable ICF Accreditation
- Coach Training EDU – Best Dual Certification Option
- Mindbodygreen – Best for Holistic Wellness
- Life Coach Training Institute – Best for Interactive Affordable Learning
- iPEC – Best Advanced Coaching Certification
- iNLP Center – Best for NLP Coaching and Hypnosis
- CreativeMind – Best for Jungian Approach to Life Coaching
We regularly update this article based on our research and the responses from our Coach Training & Certification Program Feedback Survey. If you have experience with any coach training and certification programs (included in this article or not), we’d love to hear about your experience.
Table of Contents
Do You Need a Certification to Be a Coach?
Before we get into the best coach training and certification programs, it’s important to note that you don’t need any kind of professional life coach certification or other qualification to be a life coach. As long as you are offering coaching services and not therapy, you can begin working as a coach at any time. There is currently no government regulation of the coaching industry.
That said, there are organizations like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) that operate to accredit individual coach certification programs. You can also get an ICF Credential for yourself as a coach. Many of the best life coach certification programs are accredited by the ICF or another association, but this is not a requirement. You will find many excellent programs with and without an ICF accreditation.
So why get a coaching certification? Among other reasons, you might choose to pursue a coaching training and certification program because you want to:
- Improve your coaching skills
- Increase your credibility and visibility as a coach
- Get help growing or starting your coaching business
- Join a community of like-minded coaches and mentors
The Best Coach Training & Certification Programs
(Overall Top Pick) Transformation Academy
The Professional Life Coach Certification from Transformation Academy is best for new coaches who want a faster and more affordable way to get trained and certified as a coach.
Transformation Academy offers several online coach training and programs, with a wide variety of coaching niches to choose from. Their Professional Life Coach Certification is an inexpensive way to get certified as a life coach, as well as to receive training on both how to be a coach and how to grow your business. You can also get access to this program as part of their more comprehensive Master Life Coach Certification program.
They offer several different coaching niche certification programs including Yoga, Career, Law of Attraction, Confidence & Growth Mindset, and many, many more. If you’re interested in these other programs, you can get access to all of these courses with a monthly Life Coach Membership. Transformation Academy is not accredited by the ICF. You can read more about that here.
- Program Cost: $197
- Course Length: Self-paced (can reasonably be completed in 30 days)
- Accredited by: CPD
Special Offer: Get 50% off all certification programs at Transformation Academy by clicking our link or entering code LIFECOACHMAG at checkout.
Where to Learn More:
- Visit the Professional Life Coach Certification page on the Transformation Academy Website
- Read our full Transformation Academy review
- Visit the Life Coach Membership page (to browse all their courses)
Coach Training Alliance
The Certified Coach Program from Coach Training Alliance is best for new or experienced coaches who want help growing and running a coaching business.
CTA was founded in 2008 by Will Craig (former president of the ICF Denver Chapter). Their Certified Coach Program takes a very hands-on, practical approach to coach training, with a focus on instantly applying what you’re learning to your coaching practice and business. The curriculum is comprised of their “three-legged stool” approach: coaching skills, marketing skills, and business skills–everything you need to have a successful coaching business.
One of CTA’s top values prop is that it is one of the most affordable coaching certifications paving the way to ICF accreditation. CTA makes this pathway very clear, unlike many other certifications leaving folks wondering where they stand upon graduation.
- Program Cost: $4,339 (Payable in full or in 3, 7, or 9 parts)
- Course Length: 6 months
- Accredited by: ICF
Where to Learn More:
- Visit the Certified Coach Program page on the CTA website
- Read our in-depth Coach Training Alliance review
- Take the CTA quiz
- Sign up for their free online workshop
Coach Training EDU
If you want to build a career in both life coaching and health & wellness coaching, we recommend Coach Training EDU’s Life Coach Certification.
This program offers a comprehensive curriculum that equips you with essential skills and ethical principles required by both the ICF and NBHWC. Throughout the training, you’ll develop practical coaching tools rooted in positive psychology and neuroscience and receive strong business support to help you start your own coaching practice.
Once you’ve earned your CTEDU certification, you can apply to the ICF via their Level 1 or 2 pathways. Coach Training EDU is recognized as a Level 1 and Level 2 training provider by the ICF and has helped over 4,000 coaches achieve their ACC, PCC, or MCC credentials.
For those seeking NBHWC accreditation, after finishing the Life Coach Certification, you’ll need to complete an additional wellness training program with 12 specific modules that focus on health coaching.
After that, you’ll be eligible to take the NBHWC exam. CTEDU-trained coaches currently have a 100% pass rate on the exam, which further speaks to the quality of their preparation and support.
- Program Cost: $259/mo for 24 months (or $5227 paid in full).
- Course Length: 6 months
- Accredited by: ICF, NBHWC
Enroll now!
Special Offer: Use code lifecoachmagazine to get $100 off CTEDU’S Life Coach Certification.
Where to Learn More:
- Visit CTEDU’s Life Coach Certification page.
- Read our Coach Training EDU review.
- Book a 15-minute exploratory call with a CTEDU Admissions Advisor.
Mindbodygreen
If you’re looking for a program that delivers a modern, holistic mind-body approach to coaching, we highly recommend exploring Mindbodygreen’s Life Coaching+.
It offers a comprehensive curriculum that teaches you how to integrate well-being principles into your practice, master core coaching techniques, build a sustainable coaching business, and more.
The program is primarily asynchronous, allowing you to work at your own pace while attending two weekly live sessions. These live sessions complement the self-paced modules and provide real-time interaction and peer coaching opportunities.
After completing the course, you’ll earn 32 ICF CEUs and gain lifelong access to an engaged alumni community for ongoing support and growth.
- Program Cost: $208/mo for 24 months (or $4,999 paid in full).
- Course Length: 12 weeks
- Accredited by: In the process of becoming BCC, AC, and IAC accredited
Special Offer: Use code LCM1100 to get $1,100 off mindbodygreen’s Life Coaching+.
Where to Learn More:
- Check out mindbodygreen’s Life Coaching+ page.
- Visit our mindbodygreen review.
Life Coach Training Institute
Life Coach Training Institute is perfect for coaches who want an affordable certification without sacrificing quality and for those who prefer a hybrid learning setup.
The program blends a self-paced curriculum with interactive lessons, providing the flexibility to learn at your own pace while also benefiting from live, engaging components that enhance the overall experience.
LCTI is one of the pioneering academies that transferred their teachings completely online. They offer several life coach certifications, including the Life Coach Certification, the advanced Certified Professional Coach Certification, the comprehensive Business Jumpstart + Certification bundle, and the live intensive Coaching Bootcamp Bundle.
Their courses deliver more than informative content, as they also equip you with proven tools, blueprints, editable materials, and more. What sets them apart are their budget-friendly pricing and the engaging mix of self-paced lessons and live sessions.
- Program Cost: $195
- Course Length: Self-paced
- Accredited by: ICOES
Where to Learn More:
- Visit the Life Coach Training Institute page
- Read our Life Coach Training Institute review
- Sign up for the free mini life coach training course
iPEC
The Coach Training Program from iPEC is best for new or experienced coaches who want an advanced coach training program that incorporates distinctive coaching techniques through three certification credentials.
Founded in 1999 by Bruce D Schneider, iPEC has been training coaches for almost 25 years. Their advanced, immersive training is based on unique coaching techniques rooted in Core Energy Coaching™, which you can read more about on their site.
iPEC’s Coach Training Experience leads to three certifications: Certified Professional Coach (CPC), Energy Leadership™ Index Master Practitioner (ELI-MP), and a COR.E Dynamics™ Specialist certification in one of many niches. You can choose between four popular specialties, including life coaching, health and wellness, executive coaching, and sports & performance coaching.
iPEC also offers a Fundamentals Course as a 3-day, in-person live training. It’s a light-speed version of Module I of iPEC’s full Coach Training Program that delivers 30 hours of ICF-accredited coach training.
- Program Cost: $13,995—Full Program; $2,995—Fundamentals Course
- Course Length: 9 months – 1 year (320+ training hours), self-paced—Full Program; 3 days (30 training hours)—Fundamentals
- Accredited by: ICF, BCC
Where to Learn More:
- Read our in-depth iPEC review
- Learn how you can save up to $600 off tuition
- Sign up for a short 1:1 admission call
- Download the free guide “How to Choose a Coach Training Program”
iNLP Center
The Life Coach Training from iNLP Center is best for new or experienced coaches interested in building a coaching practice that incorporates NLP techniques.
iNLP Center was founded in 2011 by Mike and Hope Bundrant. It was the first successful online neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) training center. iNLP Center has training and certification programs for Life Coaches, NLP Practitioners, and Hypnosis Practitioners. If you aren’t familiar with neuro-linguistic programming, you can read more about it in this article.
- Program Cost: $2,600 (Payable in full or in 6 monthly payments)
- Course Length: Self-paced (Approx. 160 hours)
- Accredited by: ICF, INA
Where to Learn More:
- Visit the NLP-Integrated Life Coach Training page on their website
- Read our detailed iNLP Center review
- Check out their blog and their reviews
Creative Mind
CreativeMind is best for coaches who want an immersive training experience and access to a unique coaching method, the CreativeMind Method™.
CreativeMind and its Jungian Life Coach Certification program breaks the boundaries of traditional life coaching. The founders, Debra and Dr. Robert Maldonado, have developed a one-of-a-kind CreativeMind Method™ that blends Jungian theory, Eastern spirituality, and social neuroscience.
In addition to equipping you with this unique coaching method (which can give you an advantage in the coaching industry), the program covers business training as well. They delve into strategies for building a sustainable business and developing a success mindset. The program is delivered through video lessons, live sessions, and one-on-one mentorship.
- Program Cost: $16,997
- Course Length: 1 year
Where to Learn More:
- Request a free brochure
- Read our CreativeMind review
How to Choose a Coaching Program
In choosing a coach training and certification program, we recommend that you find a reputable and respected organization with good reviews that aligns with your specific coaching goals and values. Here’s a recap of our top choices for the best coach training and certification programs.
- Transformation Academy – Best Budget Option
- Coach Training Alliance – Best for Building a Coaching Business and Affordable ICF Accreditation
- Coach Training EDU – Best Dual Certification Option
- Mindbodygreen – Best for Holistic Wellness
- Life Coach Training Institute – Best for Interactive Affordable Learning
- iPEC – Best Advanced Coaching Certification
- iNLP Center – Best for NLP Coaching and Hypnosis
- CreativeMind – Best for Jungian Approach to Life Coaching
We hope this article has helped you to find the best coaching program for you, and we sincerely wish you all the best on your coaching journey!
The Life Coach Magazine staff is your team for high-quality content on topics from personal development, to coaching tips, to how to grow your coaching business.
Be First to Comment