Do you have a natural talent for guiding others in their spiritual journey? If so, you may have asked yourself if it could be a career path for you.
This coaching specialty takes more than speaking wise words. Completing a spiritual coach certification program can teach you the frameworks and techniques you need to guide your clients into greater fulfillment.
Let’s look at the best ones out there and what they offer.
What is Spiritual Life Coaching?
Spiritual life coaching is a form of coaching that focuses on helping people identify and achieve their spiritual goals.
This coaching approach combines traditional life coaching techniques with spiritual guidance to support your clients as they find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in their lives.
The primary goal of spiritual life coaching is to provide the client with an understanding of their own spirituality, as well as provide tools for achieving personal growth. Spiritual coaches can help clients explore various aspects of themselves, such as their:
- Values,
- Beliefs,
- Attitudes, and
- Behavior patterns.
Once a coach understands these aspects of their clients, they can help them figure out which aspects may be holding them back from reaching their full potential.
A spiritual coach will typically begin by assessing the client’s current level of awareness of their spiritual beliefs. This helps them figure out what areas need further exploration or development to create a personalized plan for the client focused on self-discovery and personal growth.
Afterward, the coach works with the client to develop strategies for exploring different aspects of their spirituality through activities such as:
- Meditation practices,
- Journaling exercises, and
- Visualization techniques.
Coaches can also use other techniques, depending on their training and what resonates with the client.
Do Spiritual Life Coaches Need Certification?
You don’t need certification as a spiritual coach to start taking clients.
However, you can benefit greatly from enrolling in a certification program. Earning credentials provides credibility and legitimacy in the eyes of your potential clients. It also shows you’re committed to your own professional development and that you’ve taken the time to learn about coaching from an accredited institution or highly acclaimed teacher.
Spiritual life coach certification programs help you stand out from “fly by night” coaches who may not be as invested in their proficiency.
But that’s not all; by going through the certification process as a spiritual life coach, you’ll open up opportunities to meet other coaches with the same specialization. Building a support network can help you:
- Find a coaching mentor.
- Get advice from other coaches.
- Build a referral network.
The certification process can take years and, potentially, thousands of dollars. It can be a worthy investment, but it’s important you evaluate your options before you commit.
How To Get a Spiritual Life Coaching Certification
Let’s break down the process of becoming a certified spiritual coach.
1. Research Certification Programs
Coaching isn’t a regulated field. That means there isn’t one “gold standard” certification program you can take.
Anyone can launch a new program and claim you’ll be certified, so you should do your due diligence and research whether:
- The institution is seen as reputable in the spiritual coaching industry.
- Other spiritual and life coaches who’ve been certified have successful businesses.
- Students are happy with the program and certification process.
Keep reading for a list of the best spiritual life coach certification programs available right now.
2. Choose the Program That Aligns With Your Goals and Values
It’s important that the program you commit to isn’t only aligned with your career goals but also with your spiritual beliefs and values.
You should also weigh factors such as:
- Tuition fees and other costs,
- Course duration and intensity,
- The types of classes offered (online or in-person),
- The institution’s accreditation status, and
- The coaching style taught when making this decision.
For example, one certification program may put a bigger emphasis on a coaching framework that you don’t believe in. Others may only cover the basics that you are already aware of.
Additionally, while some programs enroll at all times, others have only a few cohorts throughout the year. See what aligns with both your current preferences and long-term goals.
3. Complete the Coursework
Even if you’re already fairly familiar with the material in your chosen spiritual coaching program, you should still go through all the coursework. Not only will this serve as a refresher, but you may learn something new that you didn’t expect.
Beyond taking the lectures, some programs may require you to submit additional homework or participate in study groups and practical exercises. This will help you put theory into practice and make the most of your investment in the program.
4. Take the Certification Exam
At the end of our course, you normally have to apply for a certification exam so your skills and knowledge acquired in the training can be evaluated.
This typically involves submitting documentation such as transcripts, performance evaluations, or coaching hours logged. You may also have to attend a final exam to complete the certification process.
In most cases, you’ll have a chance to try again if you fail your exam on the first try. If you’ve gone through all the lectures and exercises, you should have nothing to be worried about.
The Best Spiritual Coach Certification Programs
Let’s explore some of the best spiritual coach certification programs out there to advance your career.
1. The Institute of Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC)
iPEC is a life coach training institute that has been offering ICF-accredited coaching certification since 2002. It provides a comprehensive program as a part of three different kinds of certifications, namely:
- Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner Certification,
- Certified Professional Coach (CPC) Certification, and
- Executive Coach Certification.
The courses cover lectures on self-awareness, communication skills, goal setting, and problem-solving techniques. They also include mentoring opportunities with experienced coaches actively leading their own practices.
Although you won’t specifically get spiritual training with this program, it’s ideal for a coach with a background in spirituality who needs to develop their coaching toolkit.
Tuition costs $13,995 or three installments of $4,531.67.
2. World Coach Institute
The World Coach Institute offers spiritual coach certification online that will teach you how to apply its proven coaching methodology. In this program, you have three different paths available to you:
- CPC self-study course and the CSC add-on for spiritual coaching (CSC-207)
- CPC teleclass and the CSC add-on for spiritual coaching (CSC-207)
- CPC teleclass and the CMSC Weekend Teleclass Intensive (CMSC-407)
You can also enroll in other add-on courses depending on what additional skills you’d like to develop.
The teleclasses at the WCI range from $1,947 to $3,247, depending on when you enroll. These classes typically take eight weeks to complete, but they also have a six-day intensive.
3. Psychosynthesis Life Coach & Leadership Certification Training
If you’re interested in diving into the psychology of spirituality, there’s no better place than the Psychospiritual Institute.
Their 170-hour program is accredited and allows you to become certified as a Psychosynthesis Life Coach (PLC). You can even become a Board Certified Coach (BCC) if you qualify.
The program will prepare you to help coaching clients achieve a life of higher purpose, meaning, and values. It includes:
- Two books,
- An additional recommended reading list for successful spiritual life coaches,
- Two-weekend intensives,
- Weekly live video classes on Zoom,
- Supervised coaching labs,
- Private coaching sessions with a mentor,
- Co-coaching observation team practice,
- Fieldwork practice in groups, and
- Special guest speakers.
It’ll take nine months to complete this program, and the tuition costs $9,997. They also have payment plans available.
4. Center for Transformational Coaching
The Deep Coaching Intensive is just one of the programs you can take at the Center for Transformational Coaching.
Throughout this certification program, you’ll become a “deep coach,” which they define as being able to “meet the needs of those who are ready to embrace the magnificence of who they are.”
Not only is this certification ICF-accredited, but you’ll get an education in various topics such as:
- Practical psychology,
- Spiritual wisdom, and
- Consciousness studies.
This program is given in two parts and lasts 40+ hours:
- Part 1: Foundation. Lasts 12 weeks.
- Part 2: Mastery. Lasts 9 weeks.
Tuition ranges from $4,349 to $5,899, depending on how many units you choose and when you enroll.
Build a Spiritual Coaching Business with Paperbell
Getting your spiritual coach certification will lay the foundation for your business, but it’s only the beginning. If you want to start taking clients, you’ll need:
- A way to manage sessions and bookings,
- A payment gateway to allow clients to pay you, and
- An online signature tool to make it all legal.
Luckily, you don’t have to sign up for tons of different online tools to make it all possible. Paperbell makes it easy for spiritual life coaches to manage the admin side of their business all in one place.
Try Paperbell for free to explore all features.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2023 and has since been updated for accuracy.