What Is a Transformational Coach? The Ultimate Guide

transformational coach

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, their specific techniques and certifications, and how you can become one.

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.

Transformational coaches help others enable self-actualization, which can be 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. And 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 holistic account who that individual is, how they can be different through self-awareness, and how this knowledge can help them achieve their core desires.

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 about helping individuals achieve their goals and guiding them to become more productive versions of themselves. It is primarily goal-focused and strategy-oriented because you can address 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.

Types of Transformational Coaching Techniques

As a transformational coach, you need to be skilled in techniques that will allow you to coach your clients in result-driven ways.

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

While starting a transformational coaching business might look like a complicated process, 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, don’t launch your transformational coaching business without a plan.

Take some time to map out a business plan. It doesn’t have to be comprehensive or perfect. Define your brand mission, short-term and long-term plans, target clients, core message, income goals, and 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 offerings.

Create a coaching package that caters to the needs of your target market. For this, you can create a sales page or landing page on your website for people to learn more about the offer.

You’ll need to make business seamless by streamlining operations such as creating packages, generating invoices, managing payments, scheduling appointments, and 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. It gives you access to the tools you need to create stellar packages, schedule appointments, create landing pages, manage payments, and automate messaging. 

If you’re just starting out, you can download our free coaching templates to help you create a coaching package.

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 marketing strategies—both free and paid—to promote your coaching business. Some of these include blogging, Pinterest marketing, search engine optimization, collaborations, referrals, and social media.

how to become a transformational coach

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 transformation life coach who has these skills, here are the training programs approved by the International Coaching Federation (ICF):

Deep Coaching Intensive (DCI) (By Center for Transformational Coaching)

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 $4700. 

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 nine months, and it costs $7,400.

Transformational Coaching Program (By Coach Masters Academy)

In this program, 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. 

Transformation Life Coach Certification (By Transformation Academy)

If you don’t have thousands of dollars, this self-paced program—priced at $197—is an affordable option that gives you access to the practical processes and materials you need to start your coaching journey. 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.

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 transformational coaches you can learn from: 

Michelle Valenzuela Wolf

Michelle is a top 1% certified transformational coach, according to Yahoo Finance. She’s the founder of EmpowHer Purpose, which is a community for women’s empowerment, personal growth, and life transitions. 

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. 

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.

Transformational Coaching FAQs

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 despite being successful according to societal standards. She doesn’t feel excited about what she does and has no clarity about her core goals. 

Anna, then decides to invest in transformation coaching experience to make meaningful changes in her life so that she can:

  • Discover her strengths, aspirations, priorities, and values
  • Break free from limiting beliefs and make profound shifts in her thought process
  • Gain clarity about her direction and take action to pursue 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, and mindset. It is a deep-search version of life coaching. 

With this guide above, you can start your transformational coaching business and help individuals focus on personal growth.Looking to kickstart your journey and need help streamlining your coaching processes? Try Paperbell for FREE .

transformational coach

By Team Paperbell
April 24, 2024

Are You Undercharging?

Find Out In This Free Report

Ever wondered exactly what other coaches are offering, and ​for how much? Find out if you’re charging too much or too ​little by benchmarking your own rates with this free report.

Subscribe to our updates for instant access: