The Coaching Directory is the best place in the world to find just the right coach to help you reach your biggest goals, both professionally and personally. Whether you are in a career transition, want to find the man or woman of your dreams, find the ideal work for your personality and style, start your own business, break through the corporate glass ceiling, write a book or a screenplay, transform your life, or make more money, we will help you find the best coach.

Our Guarantee:
All of the Coaching Directory coaches are either:

• Master Certified Coaches (MCC), currently the highest coaching certification/designation available in the world.
• Professional Certified Coaches (PCC), which means they have passed a peer review and written and oral examination in addition to graduating from an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP).
  
• Graduates from an International Coach Federation (ICF) Accredited Coach Training Program, or
  
• A Coach in training at an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program.

You can search for the level of qualification/training you desire. There are loads of coach training schools and programs out there. Unfortunately, most of them do not meet the rigorous industry training standards set by the ICF. In fact, most of the coaching directories or coach referral services out there (even the ICF’s Coach Referral Service I’m afraid to say), do not require their coaches to demonstrate any kind of credentials or even coach training whatsoever. This makes it hard for you, the public, to find a properly trained and qualified life coach as any yokel can put up their listing, even at the ICF’s website. Not here. The Coaching Directory only allows coaches who have real credentials and Accredited Coach Training to be listed in our coaching directory.

What Is a Life Coach?
A life coach is a partner who is most interested in one thing: your success. A life coach is neither a therapist nor a consultant—a coach provides an ongoing, supportive relationship that brings out your best in both your business and personal life. A coach will help you gain insight into what is truly important in your life. Then, by having a partner to work with on these goals, you stay on track as you implement them. A coach is an objective partner who observes you, supports you, and identifies ways to improve your performance—giving you the edge to take yourself from ordinary to extraordinary!

Coaching gives people advantages in both their business and personal lives. A coach will work with you to:

• determine the best goals for you
• make and keep more money
• reach higher—for what you want
• make better and smarter decisions
• design and live your ideal life
• gain sustainable energy
• and much more!

What the International Coach Federation says about coaching:
“Simply put, that we humans are great, that we're all discovering what we really want and that we get can get what we want faster and easier by having a coach who's been there and who can help us.

"No matter where you are in life, there is always a desire for more. More success, more money, closer relationships, a deeper feeling of meaning in life, etc. It is the nature of people to want to attain more, become more, be more, and we all struggle with how to get what we're looking for.”

What the media says about coaching:
“Part consultant, part motivational speaker, part therapist, and part rent-a-friend, coaches work with managers, entrepreneurs, and just plain folks, helping them define and achieve their goals — career, personal, or most often, both.”
– Newsweek, February 1996

“Coaches have the ability to view things from afar—in what some call ‘helicopter vision’—and to shed new light on difficult situations, often they can act as a sounding board through tough decisions, help sharpen skills, motivate.”
–CFO Magazine

BENEFITS OF COACHING

What people are saying about the benefits of coaching….
“… I’ve given up my addiction to adrenaline. Can you imagine not being late to every appointment, not speeding in rush-hour traffic, and not guzzling six cups of coffee a day? Today I’m relaxed and in control of my time and my life.”
– Executive Recruiter, New York

“… I organized my finances, calculated my net worth, hired a financial advisor, threw out a mountain of junk, redecorated my apartment, hired a reliable cleaning lady, upgraded my computer skills, and got a new job paying $20,000 more than my old one.”
– VP, Bear Stearns, New York

“I have a deep inner peace and sense of confidence that I am now able to create the life I want."
– Business Consultant, San Francisco

How to Find the Right Coach for You

1. Take a few minutes to fill in the Advanced Search form as it will save you time in finding the coach most closely suited to your goals and objectives.
2. You will receive the listing of the most closely matched coaches. E-mail the coaches with a brief description of your goals and situation and request a free half-hour telephone coaching session with the 2-4 coaches that appeal to you.
3. Feel free to ask each coach questions about their training, credentials, and if they have experience in coaching clients like you. A good coach should not only say yes, but give you an example without revealing any client names.
4. All good coaches should be able to offer you a reference. Feel free to call this person to find out what they particularly liked about their coach and what they achieved with the help of their coach.
5. If you clicked on the free half-hour call, then tell that coach you are ready to get started and they will take it from there. You may wish to hire a coach who has been where you want to go. For example, if you want to quit your corporate job and start a business, you might want to make sure your coach has done the same, and successfully! Go with your gut instincts when you decide.
6. And remember, all the Coaching Directory coaches have agreed that if you are not satisfied with the coaching, you may stop at the end of any month by simply telling your coach you would like to stop?—regardless of whether you agreed to a six-month contract. You should really enjoy your coaching sessions and, while at times you may be reluctant to call your coach because you didn’t do your homework, if you find yourself consistently dreading the calls, stop! Please tell your coach why you are stopping and pick a different coach. Sometimes it is just a matter of chemistry. Payment for each month is normally due and payable in advance of the month’s coaching sessions and most coaches offer 2-4 coaching sessions per month.

How to best leverage your free half hour coaching call:
The best way to use your half-hour coaching call is to bring an area or two that you’d really like coaching on and see how your coach does! Pick something manageable for half an hour. If you like the coaching, you feel motivated and/or challenged to think differently or try something new, then this could very well be a great coach for you! Feel free to try out a few coaches and then go with your gut instinct and you’ll be in good hands.

Phone coaching vs. In-person Coaching
Most coaches prefer to coach by phone. There are a number of reasons for this:

1. Efficiency. It is more efficient for both the client and the coach. You can attend your coaching call without having to commute to an office. You can be coached in your office or conference room at work, you can be coached while at home, or even while travelling. Given that most people who hire coaches are already very busy, this time savings makes a huge difference, saving hours a month on commuting to see a coach.
   
2. Greater choice. When you coach in person, you are limited to the coaches who happen to live in your local area. Why limit yourself unnecessarily? What if the best coach for you happens to live in Australia and you live in Nebraska? Not a problem. Coaches are experienced in managing the time differences and will work with you to find a mutually agreeable time. The most important thing is to have the right coach, regardless of geography. I’ve personally coached people all over the world and done it all by phone. So don’t limit yourself or your options!
   
   
3. Anonymity. In our experience, people tend to open up more quickly when they are on the phone. Some people feel uncomfortable with the thought of bumping into their coach at the supermarket. If you do, then phone coaching is the perfect choice as you can chose a coach outside your geographic area. Some people find this gives them the freedom to really tell the truth about their life and what is going on. Also, your coach will keep your conversations confidential.

In-person coaching is appropriate for people who might be hard of hearing or have some disability that requires an in-person meeting. Or, you might just prefer the personal face-to-face aspect of in-person coaching. If this is the case, select the in-person search option and your country and city for the coaches nearest you.

Many people wonder how phone coaching can be as effective. The best way to find out is to try it. I originally started coaching my first clients in person and then we both evolved to coaching by phone as it was easier and more effective. In order to get you over the hump, try a free coaching session with one of our life coaches and see for yourself. Bring an issue or area that you’d like some coaching on that can be addressed in half-an-hour and see what your coach can provide for you. My guess is that you’ll be impressed!