Last updated on February 21, 2024
Coaching is one of the fastest-growing professions in the world. You know what that means—training programs for life coaching are popping up all around, making it difficult to spot the legitimate ones.
With a wide array of choices, it’s crucial to do your research and separate effective programs from the ones that are nothing but fiction. This is why we’re doing a review of the best life coaching certifications to help you find the one that fits your criteria.
Often listed among the best of the best, The Life Coach School has caught our attention. If you want to know if this program justifies the hype and whether it aligns with your vision of coaching, keep reading. We’ll cover what the program offers, how much it costs, how long it lasts, and what graduates are saying in The Life Coach School certification reviews.
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About The Life Coach School Coaching
Brooke Castillo is the founder of The Life Coach School (LCS) and a respected life coach. She had years of experience in this field before she established the school in 2010. While there are many schools with a longer record, The Life Coach School has managed to earn the status of an “Ivy League” life coaching school with thousands of coaches in their alumni network.
The Life Coach School is also making a positive impact through humanitarian efforts. They donate $1M per year to selected charities.
The Life Coach School Coaching Philosophy
LCS believes that the recipe for results-driven coaching is understanding the why and what and finding the origins of clients’ issues—not just working on the current problems. This philosophy is embodied in their one-of-a-kind tool, “The Model.”
Instead of treating the symptoms, “The Model” approach teaches you how to find the root of clients’ issues and guide them toward eliminating the pain. You can use “The Model” to coach anyone. This unique tool is what separates LCS from other coaching programs.
Their approach is deeply centered around life coaching, and Brooke explained why in the LCS podcast:
“I really genuinely wanted to focus only on teaching The Model and only teaching coaching because I think, honestly, that’s what I’m best in the world at. I didn’t want to teach business as part of my certification; I didn’t want to coach people on business. I didn’t want to focus on that area because I think there [are] other people out there that teach business, and I think they teach it better than me.”
The Life Coach School Coaching and Accreditation
For those familiar with coaching credentials, it may come as a surprise that LCS isn’t ICF-accredited. If you haven’t come across the International Coaching Federation (ICF), let us briefly explain: while there is no governing body for life coaching, certain entities accredit coaching training programs according to their standards and ethics. In the coaching world, ICF is the most recognized accrediting entity.
LCS isn’t ICF-accredited because training programs need to follow a certain framework to obtain this accreditation, and LCS has its unique approach to coaching.
Does this mean that LCS isn’t legit? Absolutely not! ICF is no indicator of legitimacy, but of a structured curriculum that adheres to its guidelines.
(If you want to get your ICF accreditation, there are other options, such as Coach Training Alliance. Find out more about CTA in our review.)
Pros and Cons of The Life Coach School Coaching Certification
You surely don’t want to commit to any training program before you know everything about it. So, to save you time on research, we have compiled all the key decision-making factors about LCS for you to review.
Single Coach Certification Program
LCS doesn’t offer specialty programs or program variety, since they are strictly focused on transforming you into a successful life coach. Their Coach Certification Program will give you access to their exclusive coaching tools and resources, including the tool that contributed to Brooke’s success: “The Model.”
Here’s a quick overview of the modules you’ll tackle throughout the learning journey:
- Mastery of “The Model” / How to Coach Yourself
- Emotional Childhood / Adulthood
- The Manual
- Outcome and Goal Cultivation
- Belief System Navigation
- Past / Future Focus Techniques
- Unconditional Love
- Culturally Competent Coaching
- Stop Buffering Curriculum
Once you complete the Coach Certification Program, the doors open to two additional training programs. The options are Entrepreneur Training—a step-by-step process for successful online coach entrepreneurs—and Applied Training, for deepening your coaching skills. Both of these courses are self-paced.
Video Lectures and Instructor Sessions
The program combines self-paced learning through video lessons and classes taught by certified coach instructors. The videos will cover every concept, and the lectures are presented by Brooke herself. The Curriculum Book and Workbook will complement the lessons.
You’ll also get to watch Instructor Panels to witness coaching in action and learn how to handle real-life situations. You’ll observe different coaching styles and see how diverse coaching methods can have the same effect.
When it comes to the interactive part of the program, you’ll get 20 private sessions with a coach instructor. You can schedule these at your convenience. In these sessions, the instructor will hear you practicing with real clients and provide you with feedback. In addition, you can ask the instructor any questions, and they can review your certification requirements.
(Note: If you want to study at your own pace without any limitations, you can also check out the more affordable Transformation Academy. Our TA review can give you an overview of what they offer.)
Ongoing Content and Opportunities After Certification
What’s awesome about The Life Coach School is that you’ll receive lifetime benefits after you graduate.
These benefits include a certified alumni site where you’ll have access to ongoing education, regular updates, and call recordings. The call recordings refer to monthly calls with Brooke and master coach instructors that you can join or listen to afterward. You’ll also get invitations to Mastermind Workshops.
All graduates get a free six-month membership to Get Coached in Scholars (a $297 per month value) that starts on your certification day. The membership includes weekly private coaching, available programs, and calls.
All alumni coaches will be invited to attend in-person teaching and coaching events with Brooke and The Life Coach School.
How Long is The Life Coach School Program?
The Coach Certification Program is self-paced, so you can finish it within a few weeks or take your time and complete it over several months. You also get to schedule the instructor sessions, so the training will completely adapt to your availability.
However, you will need to complete all the requirements for the certification within one year from the date of your enrollment.
How Much Does The Life Coach School Coaching Training Cost?
Since it’s quite expensive, The Life Coach School’s price is for coaches who look at training as an investment. However, the price is justified by unique training opportunities and lifetime benefits.
The tuition includes the Coach Certification Program, certification, post-certification training (Entrepreneur Training and Applied Training), and alumni benefits. The full package costs $18,000 (made in a single payment). If you prefer installment payments, they offer an option of paying $3,000 per month for 7 months.
The Life Coach School Coaching Reviews
Reviews are a great source of insider knowledge and can help you get a taste of what the training looks like from a student’s and graduate’s perspective.
Reviews From Graduates
Coaches who took our survey left several insightful reviews about LCS, so we want to share this with you:
- Very comprehensive, very supportive environment, excellent tools, and philosophy.
- The main tool the training is based around is so simple, it cuts a lot of the peripheral drama out. The training was thorough, and I really appreciated that I had to submit audio recordings of actual sessions I held with people, and had to coach in small groups over Zoom with a facilitator and other coaches in training. I haven’t gone through another training, so I have nothing to compare it to, but I thought the training I received was top-notch.
- The Life Coach School over-delivers every step of the way. Brooke and her team of coaches are all top notch and you can expect with complete certainty that every interaction, training, and call is going to be amazing. I love constantly being challenged to become a better version of myself thanks to all of the LCS resources!
- I did a program before the LCS, but it didn’t give me the tangible skills I was looking for—but I found that with the LCS.
At Indeed.com, LCS has a couple of reviews that praise the flexible schedule, the curriculum that inspires self-growth, and the experienced instructors.
In the LCS Brochure, we have come across numerous inspiring reviews. Here’s a small sample:
Is The Life Coach School Coaching the Life Coach Training Program For You?
After carefully reviewing LCS, we can say that this is an excellent program for becoming an amazing coach. You’ll receive top-notch training and get all the right tools for learning the ins and outs of coaching—and the reviews prove it.
However, the program is less focused on the business and marketing side of coaching, so if you want that included in your training, you might want to look elsewhere. Coach Training Alliance, our top pick for comprehensive training, covers every aspect of coaching, including how to expand the business and attract clients. In case the LCS price is over your budget at the moment, we recommend that you check out the incredibly affordable Transformation Academy or have a look at our other best life coaching certifications.
Take the Coach Certification Quiz
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