Have you ever wondered what makes some people navigate life’s challenges easily as if they have no fears or worries? Well, that’s one of the many things a transformational coach can help people achieve.
In this guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at:
- What a transformational coach is
- How they differ from conventional life coaches
- Specific transformational coach techniques and certifications
- How to become a transformational coach
What is a Transformational Coach?
A transformational coach is a professional who guides individuals who want to undergo major shifts and deep transformation to become the best versions of themselves.
Specifically:
- Transformational coaches help others enable self-actualization via coaching sessions.
- Self-actualization is defined as the act of “becoming all that you’re capable of,” according to Abraham Maslow, a humanistic psychologist.
- The word “transformation” means spontaneous or dramatic change.
- To achieve this kind of change, you need to go beyond making a list of action steps to help clients achieve their goals.
The transformational coaching model goes beyond creating strategies and guides. Instead, it takes into account:
- Who that individual is
- How they can be different through self-awareness
- How this knowledge can help them achieve their core desires
The above is approached in a holistic way to create a plan for transformation.
Pro tip: It’s so much easier to help your clients achieve massive transformation when you’re able to fully focus on them (and not business admin). Try Paperbell for free to book clients, get paid, share resources, and so much more from a single platform.
What Is the Difference Between a Life Coach and a Transformation Coach?
Transformational coaching and life coaching are similar in the sense that both focus on helping people become their best versions.
However, life coaching is focused on:
- Helping individuals achieve their goals
- Guiding clients to become more productive versions of themselves
- Goal-focused and strategy-oriented
- Addresses a specific problem using a set of rules to get a specific outcome
Contrarily, transformational coaching isn’t just about giving your clients directives to follow. It’s about co-creating their paths with them.
You, as a transformational coach, are focused on helping clients:
- Design the life they want
- Map out their goals based on the values and priorities you uncover
- Identify resistance and self-limiting beliefs they need to grow out of
You help them become self-aware: who they are, where their goals stem from, and how they can achieve them.em from, and how they can achieve them.
Types of Transformational Coaching Techniques
As a transformational coach, you need to be skilled in coaching techniques that’ll allow you to coach your clients in a result-driven way.
Here are the best transformational coaching skills you need to know about:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): With CBT, you can teach your clients how to challenge their default negative beliefs and replace them with positive thoughts and a growth mindset.
- Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP): This empowers clients to reprogram their minds and reframe their thought patterns so they can live life and achieve their dreams.
- Positive Psychological Coaching (PPC): PPC will help you identify their psychological strengths so they can optimize and use these to develop positive thought patterns and behaviors.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): This type of psychotherapy helps clients stay present and embrace their feelings without judgment, rather than avoiding, denying, or eliminating them.
Motivational interviewing (MI): This counseling-style coaching encourages clients to uncover their priorities, personal resources, and values and find the motivation to make positive behavioral changes.
How to Become a Transformational Coach
Starting a transformational coaching business might look like a complicated process, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are four steps you need to take:
1. Choose & Research a Niche.
As the transformational coaching sector grows, one effective way to stand out quickly and create a memorable, unique value proposition is by “niching down.”
So, pick a niche. Ask yourself: “Who do I want to become a transformational coach for?”
- Are they busy moms?
- Career professionals?
- Small business owners?
- 6-figure coaches?
Get clear about who it is you want to serve.
Once you know who your ideal client is, do thorough research on their challenges, desires, and behavioral patterns. Having this information will inform your content and marketing processes.
2. Set Your Goals.
Business owners who develop strategic plans experience 30% more growth than those who do not. So, take some time to map out a business plan. It doesn’t have to be comprehensive or perfect, but you should define:
- Your brand mission
- Short-term and long-term plans
- Target clients
- Core message
- Your income goals
- A simple marketing strategy
3. Create a Coaching Package.
Now that you know your brand message, target clients, and income goals, you need to design aligned coaching programs that will help your ideal clients with their personal transformations.
Create a coaching package that caters to the needs of your target market, but also to your own coaching style. For this, you can create a sales page or landing page on your coaching website for people to learn more about the offer.
To be a successful coach and empower clients without burning yourself out, you’ll need to make your business seamless by streamlining operations such as:
- Creating packages
- Generating invoices
- Managing payments
- Scheduling appointments
- Sending welcome emails
This might sound like a whole lot (and it is) if you have to do them one by one. But you don’t have to go through the stress when there’s Paperbell, an all-in-one solution to simplify your coaching business.
Paperbell gives you an all-in-one coaching website, business platform, and client portal from which you can:
- Generate coaching packages with a variety of pricing models.
- Display all your packages, testimonials, FAQs, social links, and even your email opt-in form on a beautiful, branded website.
- Allow clients to book free appointments, purchase packages, access their resources, and more via their client portal.
If you’re just starting out, you can download our free coaching templates to help you create a coaching package. And make sure you snag your free trial of Paperbell to launch your brand new package into the world.
4. Put Yourself Out There.
Even with the best transformational coaching package and techniques, coaching clients won’t just find you, especially if you’re just starting.
You have to put your business into the world. Create meaningful content, drive traffic, and convert visitors and leads into clients.
There are many free and paid marketing strategies to promote your coaching business. Some of these include:
- Blogging
- Pinterest marketing
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Collaborations
- Referrals
- Social media
Top 4 Transformational Coaching Certifications
Becoming a transformational coach requires being skilled at certain coaching techniques (such as CBT and NLP) so you can get results for your clients.
If you’re looking to become a certified transformational life coach who has these skills, here are the training programs approved by the International Coaching Federation (ICF):
1. Deep Coaching Intensive (DCI) (By Center for Transformational Coaching)
The DCI program is a 6-month program that teaches you transpersonal psychology, spiritual wisdom, and consciousness studies.
It empowers you to help your clients rewire their sense of self so they can find their purpose. It costs approximately $6,999 for the deep coaching intensive.
2. Accredited Diploma in Transformative Coaching (By Animas Centre for Coaching)
This transformational coach training is a diploma that focuses on the proven processes of self-awareness, psychology, and the theory of change.
The duration of this program is between 9-12 months, and costs £5,995, which is approximately $8,000.
3. Transformational Coaching Program (By Coach Masters Academy)
The Transformational Coaching Program, which is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF), is a program where you’ll learn about transformational coaching by integrating positive psychology with CMA’s Awareness-Clarity-Choice framework.
The course duration is 1 year and 5 months and costs $4,900.
4. Transformation Life Coach Certification (By Transformation Academy)
This self-paced program—priced at $197—is an affordable coaching certification that gives you access to the practical processes and materials you need to start coaching.
While it isn’t ICF-accredited, it is CPD-certified, which is an official certification and means that the course has reached the required Continued Professional Development benchmark.
For more information on this coach training, check out real Transformation Academy reviews we’ve found.
Top 3 Successful Transformational Coaches
If you’re looking to become a transformational coach, you don’t have to fret about being alone on your coaching journey. Here are three successful coaches you can learn from who use the transformational coaching model:
1. Michelle Valenzuela Wolf
Michelle is a top 1% certified transformational coach, according to Yahoo Finance. She’s recognized as a thought leader in women’s empowerment and has been featured in major media outlets for her work helping professional women navigate career transitions and leadership development.
She’s the founder of EmpowHer Purpose, which is a community for women’s empowerment, personal growth, and life transitions.
2. Atousa Raissyan
As a certified transformation coach and spiritual healer, Atousa helps individuals tap into their “true selves” by reprogramming their minds, bodies, and spirits through coaching that addresses deep-rooted issues.
She’s known for her unique integration of Eastern and Western healing modalities, working with high-achieving professionals and entrepreneurs dealing with burnout and major life transitions.
3. Alison Canavan
Alison is a mindfulness facilitator and transformational coach who helps others channel their “personal energy” so they can make a positive life change and achieve their life purpose.
An Irish former model turned wellness advocate, she’s also an author and TEDx speaker who works with both individual clients and corporate organizations on mindfulness and mental health programs.x speaker who works with both individual clients and corporate organizations on mindfulness and mental health programs.
FAQs About Transformational Coaching
What is a transformation coach job description?
As a transformation coach, your job description is to help your clients improve their personal and professional lives through a holistic, deep-coaching approach that focuses on mindset change and self-growth.
What is another name for a transformation coach?
Transformation coaches can also be called personal development coaches, high-performance life coaches, success coaches, or transformational life coaches.
What is an example of transformational coaching?
Let’s say Anna feels stuck and unfulfilled in her career. She decides to invest in a transformation coaching experience. Her coach helps her discover her strengths and priorities, but also supports her in breaking free from limiting beliefs and gaining clarity about her core goals.
Start Your Transformational Coaching Journey
Transformational coaching is about going deep to the root of your client’s issues so you can help them make life-changing shifts in their:
- Health
- Career
- Finances
- Relationships
- Mindset
It is a deep-search version of life coaching.
With this guide above, you can start your transformational coaching business as a certified life coach and help individuals focus on personal growth.
Looking to kickstart your journey and need help streamlining your coaching processes? Try Paperbell for FREE to get your coaching website launched in minutes.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2024 and has since been updated for accuracy.
