You just decided to start your coaching practice. You’ve got the skills, maybe a certification in progress, and a clear niche. But then you open a blank Google Drive folder and stare at it.
What exactly does a coach need to have ready?
That’s what this list is for. Below you’ll find 75+ life coach materials organized by category — from the physical tools you’ll actually hand clients in person, to the digital assets that run behind the scenes, to the certification documentation you’ll need if you’re pursuing an ICF credential. Whether you’re brand new or doing a full practice audit, consider this your master inventory.
Try Paperbell for free: it handles contracts, scheduling, payments, and client materials all in one place, so you can spend less time managing files and more time coaching.
Physical Life Coach Materials
Some coaches run fully online practices. Others prefer in-person sessions or hybrid formats. Either way, these are the physical tools worth having on hand.
- Notebooks and journals — a quality journal to give clients between sessions signals that the work continues outside your calls. A simple, unbranded notebook works. Some coaches source branded ones as part of their welcome kit.
- Printed worksheets — physical versions of exercises clients can write on directly. Values clarification, wheel of life, SWOT, priority matrix. These are especially useful for in-person sessions.
- Books — curated recommendations you hand-select for individual clients based on where they are in their work. Build a short lending library or a “recommended reads” list.
- Business cards — still useful for networking events, conferences, and in-person referrals. Keep a stack in your bag.
- Professional stationery — letterhead, branded note cards, thank-you cards. Small touches that stick with clients and referral partners.
- Wall calendars or planner pads — useful in office settings for mapping out goal timelines visually during sessions.
- Visual aids — printed diagrams of coaching models (the GROW model flowchart, Wheel of Life blank template) that you can annotate together in real time.
- Brochures — a one-page or tri-fold overview of your services and packages. Good for events, referral partners, or waiting room tables if you work from a physical office.
- Workbooks — a bound, structured series of exercises tied to a specific program you offer. Unlike individual worksheets, workbooks guide a client through a full arc.
- Printed contracts and intake forms — for clients who prefer signing on paper, or in jurisdictions where physical signatures are preferred. Always keep digital backups.
Digital Coaching Materials
Most of your materials will live digitally. Here’s what a well-stocked digital library looks like.
- Digital worksheets (PDF or fillable) — the online version of your printed worksheets. Fillable PDFs let clients complete exercises inside their own document.
- E-books and guides — downloadable resources on niche topics relevant to your clients. These can double as lead magnets on your site.
- Slide decks — presentation slides for group coaching sessions, workshops, or webinars. Canva is the standard tool for creating these without a designer.
- Infographics — visual summaries of frameworks or concepts (the five stages of change, the stress-performance curve) that clients can save and reference.
- Email templates — pre-written emails for common touchpoints: session reminders, follow-ups, check-in notes between sessions, referral requests.
- Digital journals — Google Doc or Notion templates set up for daily reflection prompts, mood tracking, or goal journaling between sessions.
- Self-care and habit tracking templates — trackers for sleep, movement, hydration, gratitude — whatever habits are part of your client’s goals.
- Habit trackers — 30-day or weekly grids tracking specific target behaviors. Simple and effective between-session accountability tools.
- Intake forms — questionnaires clients fill out before the first session covering goals, challenges, history, and expectations. (See onboarding section for more.)
- Session prep guides — a short prompt sheet sent before each call to help clients arrive focused (“What’s your biggest priority for today’s session?”).
- Session notes templates — your internal template for documenting each session. Includes key themes, commitments made, and follow-up items.
- Webinar recordings and replays — past trainings or educational content you’ve created that you share with clients as supplemental material.
- Articles, podcast episodes, and video links — a curated “further reading” list tailored to each client’s focus area. Organize these by topic so you can pull quickly.
- Client case studies or success stories — anonymized examples of what other clients have accomplished, shared to inspire current clients or illustrate what’s possible.
- Journaling prompt templates — a bank of reflection questions organized by theme (identity, relationships, career, values) that you assign as between-session homework. Different from a full journaling prompts guide — these are the templates, not the prompts themselves.
Client Onboarding Materials
The onboarding experience sets the tone for the entire coaching relationship. These are the materials that help a new client hit the ground running from day one.
- Welcome packet — a branded PDF or client portal page covering how sessions work, your policies, what to expect, and any housekeeping details (cancellation policy, recording consent, contact preferences).
- Client intake questionnaire — a deeper pre-program form beyond the basic intake. Covers background, past coaching experience, what they’ve already tried, their definition of success, and communication preferences. This is often 10-15 questions.
- Coaching agreement (contract) — a formal document outlining scope of services, payment terms, confidentiality, liability, and cancellation policy. This protects both you and your client. Get legal review for your jurisdiction.
- Goal-setting worksheet — completed at the start of a program, documenting long-term goals, short-term milestones, and why this is important to the client now.
- Session guidelines document — a one-pager explaining how to make the most of sessions (come prepared, be ready to take notes, devices turned off, etc.).
- Password and portal access instructions — if you use a client portal like Paperbell, a short welcome email walking them through where to log in, where to find materials, and how to book sessions.
- Liability waiver — a separate document (or clause within the coaching agreement) limiting your liability, particularly relevant if your coaching touches on health, wellness, or mental health adjacent topics.
Coaching Model Templates
These frameworks are the structure behind your sessions. Having a template for each one means you can pull the right model for the right client situation without rebuilding it from scratch every time.
- GROW model — Goal, Reality, Options, Will. The most widely-used coaching framework, great for problem-solving conversations. Should include prompts for each stage.
- SMART goals — Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound. A goal-setting template your clients fill out at the start of a new objective.
- CLEAR model — Contracting, Listening, Exploring, Action, Review. Structured for ongoing coaching engagements rather than single sessions.
- OSKAR model — Outcome, Scaling, Know-how, Affirm and Action, Review. Solution-focused; works well for clients who tend to stay stuck in problem mode.
- FUEL model — Frame the Conversation, Understand the Current State, Explore the Desired State, Lay Out a Success Plan. Common in leadership coaching contexts.
Materials for Life Coaching Exercises
These are the hands-on tools you bring into sessions to help clients gain clarity, identify patterns, or make decisions.
- Prioritization matrix — a 2×2 grid (urgent vs. important) for sorting tasks and decisions. Helps clients see where their energy is actually going.
- Wheel of Life — one of the most-used tools in life coaching. Clients rate satisfaction across 8 life areas to surface where they’re most out of balance.
- SWOT analysis template — personal SWOT applied to a client’s career, business, or life situation. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.
- Future self visualization script — a guided visualization exercise (read aloud by you or shared as audio) helping clients connect with the version of themselves they’re working toward.
- Vision board template or guide — instructions and a template for creating a visual representation of goals. Digital (Canva) or physical.
- Mind mapping template — a blank radial diagram for brainstorming around a central topic: a decision, a goal, a life area.
- Life timeline or lifeline exercise — clients map key events across their life to spot patterns, turning points, and themes that connect to current goals.
- Energy audit worksheet — clients track what gives them energy vs. what drains it over a week. One of the fastest ways to identify misalignment between values and daily life.
- Meditation or mindfulness scripts — brief grounding or centering scripts for opening or closing sessions, particularly useful with high-stress clients.
Coaching Assessments
Assessments add a layer of objective data to what clients bring to sessions. You don’t need all of these. Most coaches work with 2-3 regularly. Pick the ones that fit your niche and the way you work.
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) — personality framework across four dimensions. Helps clients understand their default patterns in decision-making, energy, and communication. Requires certified administration; there are free alternatives like 16Personalities.
- DISC assessment — measures Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness. Especially useful in leadership and communication coaching. Various providers offer it at different price points.
- CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) — identifies a client’s top talent themes. Strong fit for career and leadership coaching. Assessment is paid directly through Gallup.
- Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i 2.0) — measures emotional intelligence across multiple dimensions. Certification required. Well-regarded in executive and leadership contexts.
- 360-degree feedback — collects input from a client’s colleagues, manager, and direct reports on leadership behaviors. Used primarily in executive coaching engagements.
- Enneagram — a 9-type personality framework focused on core motivations and fears. Popular in values-based and spiritual life coaching.
- VIA Character Strengths — identifies a person’s top character strengths from a list of 24. Free to take at viacharacter.org. Great for values and identity work.
- Hogan Assessments — suite of professional assessments including personality, values, and derailment risks. Used primarily in high-end executive coaching. Requires certification.
- Big Five Personality (OCEAN) — research-backed framework measuring Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism. Several free versions are available online.
- Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) — assesses a client’s default conflict resolution style. Useful in relationship, leadership, and career coaching.
- Love Languages quiz — applies to relationship, communication, and values work. Free version at 5lovelanguages.com.
- Ikigai worksheet — a reflection exercise mapping the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Useful for career clarity and purpose work.
Business and Marketing Materials
Here’s a category most coaches forget to think of as “materials” — but your business development documents are just as much a part of your practice toolkit as any worksheet.
- Website copy — your about page, services page, and home page copy. If you’re writing it yourself, draft it as a document first. Keep a saved version outside your website so you’re not rebuilding from scratch if you need to update it.
- Discovery call script — a structured guide for your sales calls. Covers the questions you ask, how you describe your programs, and how you handle objections and how you close. Even coaches who prefer freeform calls benefit from having this written out at least once.
- Coaching packages and pricing document — a written description of each package you offer, what’s included, pricing, and payment terms. Have a version formatted for external sharing (sent to prospects) and an internal version with your margins and notes.
- Proposal template — for corporate or group coaching clients who need a formal proposal. Includes scope of work, timeline, investment, and next steps.
- Email outreach templates — pre-written templates for cold outreach, follow-ups after a discovery call, reconnecting with warm leads, and referral requests from past clients.
- Social media content templates — repeatable post formats for the platforms you’re active on. A caption template for client wins, a template for sharing a coaching tip, a template for a personal story. Canva templates for graphics.
- Testimonials and case studies — collected, organized, and ready to use. Written testimonials, video testimonials, and long-form case studies (with client permission) belong in a folder you can pull from for your website and marketing.
- Lead magnet or free resource — a downloadable guide, quiz, or checklist that attracts potential clients from your website or social media. Typically the first thing a prospect receives from you before they’re ready to book a call.
- Referral program description — if you offer incentives for referrals (a session discount, a gift card), a simple one-pager explaining how it works and what past clients get for sending someone your way.
- Speaker bio and headshots — for podcasts, conference applications, and guest posts. Keep an updated short bio (2-3 sentences), a medium bio (one paragraph), and a long bio (full page), plus a folder of professional photos at different crop sizes.
Materials for Life Coach Certification
If you’re pursuing an ICF (International Coaching Federation) credential — or planning to — this section is especially relevant. ICF certification requires documenting your coaching hours, training, and competency evidence in specific formats. This is the category that separates “I coach people” from “I’m a credentialed professional.”
Three ICF credential levels exist: ACC (Associate Certified Coach), PCC (Professional Certified Coach), and MCC (Master Certified Coach). The documentation requirements increase at each level, but the core materials are the same across all three.
- ICF application form — the online application submitted through the ICF portal. Requires a complete coaching log, training verification, and mentor coaching hours. Start maintaining your log before you need it.
- Coach-specific training hours log — documentation of your total training hours from an ICF-accredited coach training program (ACTP or ACSTH). You’ll need this to verify training requirements. Your school typically provides an official transcript.
- Coaching hours log — a session-by-session record of every paid and pro bono coaching hour you’ve completed. Each entry typically includes client ID, date, session length, and whether it was paid or pro bono. ICF requires specific minimum totals at each credential level (100 for ACC, 500 for PCC, 2,500 for MCC). Paperbell automatically logs all your sessions with dates and durations — a significant administrative advantage when it’s time to compile this log for your credential application.
- Client feedback forms — surveys sent to clients confirming that the sessions occurred and that they were satisfied with the coaching. ICF requires client verification as part of the application.
- ICF Code of Ethics — you’re required to read, understand, and adhere to the ICF Code of Ethics as a credentialed coach. Keep a copy on hand and familiarize yourself with it before applying — there’s an ethics component in the credentialing exam.
- Letter(s) of recommendation — for certain credential applications and renewal cycles, letters from a mentor coach or coaching supervisor confirming your coaching competence and professional conduct.
- Competency evaluation — evidence that you’re applying the ICF Core Competencies in your sessions. This may involve submitting a recorded or transcribed coaching session for review by an ICF assessor.
- Written exam preparation materials — study guides and practice questions for the ICF credentialing exam (the Coach Knowledge Assessment). The ICF provides a study guide; third-party prep courses are also available.
- Continuing education records (CCEUs) — documentation of ongoing education for credential renewal. ICF requires continuing coach education (CCE) units every three years to renew your credential. Track these from the moment you earn your first credential.
A note on organizing them: many coaches keep certification materials in a dedicated folder (physical or cloud) labeled by credential level. When you’re ready to apply, having clean records ready significantly speeds up the process — applications can be delayed by incomplete logs or missing client verification forms.
The Easiest Way to Manage Coaching Materials
Pulling all of these materials together is one thing. Actually keeping them organized and accessible — for you and your clients — is where a lot of coaches hit a wall.
Here’s what usually happens: worksheets live in Google Drive, contracts go out via DocuSign, intake forms are a separate Typeform, and payments happen in Stripe. Your clients are logging into four different tools. You’re tracking down signatures, chasing overdue invoices, and manually sending the right worksheet to the right client at the right time.
Paperbell was built to replace that whole stack. When a client books a package with a contract attached, the contract goes out at checkout. Their intake form is tied to the booking flow. Their worksheets and materials live in a dedicated client portal. And their session history — including every session date and duration — is all in one place (which, as mentioned above, is genuinely useful when compiling your ICF coaching hours log).
You create your packages, upload your materials, and Paperbell handles the rest. Try Paperbell for free and see how much of your admin stack you can replace with one tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
What materials do you need to be a life coach?
At a minimum, you need a coaching agreement (contract), an intake questionnaire, a scheduling tool, and a payment method. From there, the most useful additions are a welcome packet for new clients, a session prep template, and a few core exercise worksheets (Wheel of Life and a values clarification tool cover a lot of ground). You don’t need 75 things on day one — build your library as you encounter what clients actually need.
What is included in a coaching toolkit?
A coaching toolkit typically refers to the collection of tools, frameworks, and assessments a coach draws on during sessions — things like the GROW model, the Wheel of Life, DISC or StrengthsFinder assessments, and visualization exercises. “Coaching materials” is a broader term that also includes business documents, client onboarding materials, certification documentation, and marketing assets. The two categories overlap but aren’t the same.
How do you organize coaching materials for clients?
The simplest approach is a dedicated client folder in Google Drive or Dropbox, shared with each client individually. More organized coaches use a client portal (Paperbell has one built in) where materials are tied to specific packages and accessible on demand. The key is having one place where a client can always find what they need without emailing you for a link.
What software do life coaches use to manage materials?
For documents: Google Drive or Notion. For forms and intake: Typeform, Google Forms, or built-in forms from a coaching platform. For contracts: DocuSign or HelloSign (or a platform like Paperbell that includes contracts). For client portals and materials delivery: Paperbell, Honeybook, or CoachAccountable. Many coaches start with a pile of separate tools and eventually consolidate.
What materials do you need for ICF certification?
ICF certification requires a coaching hours log (session-by-session records of every paid and pro bono session), training hour verification from an accredited program, client feedback forms, and preparation for the Coach Knowledge Assessment (written exam). At the PCC and MCC levels, you’ll also need to submit a recorded or transcribed coaching session for competency evaluation. See the certification section above for the full list.
Are there free life coach materials available?
Yes. Several assessments are free to use: the VIA Character Strengths survey, the Big Five personality test (multiple free versions available online), Love Languages quiz, and the Ikigai worksheet. The Wheel of Life, GROW model templates, and basic journaling prompts are freely available and customizable. Canva has free templates for worksheets and workbooks. The paid assessments (MBTI, EQ-i 2.0, Hogan, StrengthsFinder) are typically reserved for specialized coaching niches where the depth justifies the cost.
