A question I asked myself when I was first learning about coaching, which believes we all have our own answers, was this… “If I have all of my answers, then why do I ever feel confused?”
 
What I learned was powerful.

1. When we invest time in a skilled coach, we subsequently avoid years of painful self-deception.
2. When we have a skilled outsider to help us see the trees from the forest, the next best direction goes from cloudy to clear.
3. When we give ourselves space to be seen and heard in a safe, creative, exploratory setting, our Highest Self has a chance to speak up about what it wants and sees.

 
You may not have all the answers right away when a problem arises, none of us do when it comes to bigger issues where consequences are at stake.  For example, “If I follow my heart, my family (or spouse) will look down on me.”  “If I quit the job I hate, how will I make ends meet?”  "If I head in a new direction, what might happen?"
 
Those bigger questions, when brought into a coaching conversation, are game changing.  In this regard, the coach helps us look deeper into ourselves for the soul-utions we seek.  Once we are asked the right questions, new openings become possible. 
 
Coaching is so powerful because the questions become the keys that unlock new possibilities, and then we realize we did have the answer, we did all along.  This is why coaching feels magical, yet is practical.  It feels miraculous, yet is grounding.  So, without the key that unlocks the door, we stay stuck by the illusory closed door. 
 
Once the question has been posed, our brain sets out to answer it and our heart can jump in to pour forth it’s knowing that is rooted deeper that we’ve ever known prior.
 
Now, this is a concept worth exploring…

You have heard of hackers, right?  All of the sudden your computer no longer works and is wigging out from a “virus” sent out.  “Thanks hacker,” you think. 
 
Wikipedia’s rendition of a hacker is:  “someone who seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network.”  I would like to add, “and then subsequently does damage.”
 

Now, have you heard of a white-hat hacker?   A white-hat hacker is also a skilled “hacker” that knows how to navigate internal systems, however, for the greater good.  The intent is to protect a system from future damage or fix damage that has occurred.  The white-hats are hired for both prevention and damage control.
 
Our egos are like the hackers that create breakdowns and limits.  Our heart speaks and the ego says, “No, silly, you can’t accomplish that.  You don’t deserve it anyway.”  The egoic self wears us thin, can break us down, or keep us thinking in loops, cycles or limits.  Or, how about when your ego says, “Wow, you really blew that.  Good luck ever landing that gig again.”
 
That is where a coach comes in.  We do not buy into the ego stories that run viral.  We are the white-hat hackers to the limiting beliefs we’ve kept in place far too long or keeping us at arms length from a major success.  What keeps us small is our ego structure and defense mechanisms, which act like a buffer to the external world.  We may be so enmeshed with our believe structure that we don’t identify it without an external person offering a pattern disrupt and helping us question our “limitations”.  

Ok. I’m going to be really honest and go against the grain here.  I’m not sure why my profession landed on the word “coach” as our collective title.  First, when I hear coach, my brain often defaults to football or basketball.  Being that we share the title of athletic coaches, it obviously has created some confusion.
 
Second, the word coach does not really do “what we do” justice.  Those of you in the profession know what I mean.  What happens in coaching sessions is amazing to witness!  Coaching believes that each client carries deeper levels of wisdom and knowledge, about what is best for them, within.  I call this, ‘the wisdom waiting within.’  Yet, we aren’t guides, or mentors per se.  

Well, coaching it is!
 
A Peer-Regulated Industry   
 
Coaching is a peer-regulated industry, just like yoga instructors, personal trainers, Search and Rescue and consultants.  This means that associations, or federations, come together to set and uphold standards.  However, those standards are not mandatory to practice, unless organizations or individuals choose to require a certain level of training or certification.
 
Here is a breakdown:

1. Accreditation – Schools or training institutes that are approved by an accrediting agency, we call “accredited”.   People are not accredited, only schools are.  If a school is accredited that means it is held to a higher standard by an outside agency. 
2. Certification – People are certified through training institutes.  Certification means you have met and passed standards of the training, or education.  Sometimes, recertification is required to maintain an active certification.
3. Certificate – A certificate is a confirmation of hours completed and may or may not be accompanied by certification.
4. Licensing – Licenses are issued by the government to regulate professions and protect people from misconduct.  The professions that fall under licensing typically are professions that could potentially cause damage if not practiced with care and required training.  Some examples: therapists, medical doctors, acupuncturists, massage therapists, etc.  Coaches are not subject to licensure because we do not diagnose or treat physical or emotional disorders.

 
What does it mean for coaching that we fall into the peer-regulated industry?  First, it means there are many people that call themselves coaches that are not trained, and/or not really coaching.  Many of them are consulting, or perhaps guiding people. 
 
I was a health coach for years.  That was my hired title.  However, we were hired to give people direction, teach them how to eat healthier and provide guidance on a work-out routine.  10% was getting clients to their own answers and 90% was giving them the must needed direction and information needed to act on.  While healthful tips and education is highly useful to give people that are missing valuable information, this is technically not coaching.  Essentially, we were Health Consultants and I could not use the majority of my hours for coaching re-certification.
 
How do I find a qualified coach?
 
It is good to seek a trained coach, who knows the differences and the importance of when to engage a client’s inner knowing and when to provide a resource.  Many training schools are accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF).  The ICF is the longest standing standard setter and works hard to ensure quality is maintained in our field.  If a coach graduated from an ICF accredited school, then you know their program met solid standards.  Make sure you interview the coach to see if they are a fit for you.  Each coach is highly unique.
 
How do I find a qualified training institute?
 
First, look for accreditation, or approval.  ICF is the best regarded accrediting body in the coaching world.
 
If you wish to just add coaching skills to a full-time job, you may wish to pursue a shorter, more basic training.  The ICF has a level of ACSTH, or Approved Coach Specific Training Hours for this first level.  These programs are typically around 60 hours. 
 
If you wish to add transformational coaching to a current practice, business or become a full-time coach, then I recommend an ACTP, or Accredited Coach Training Program by the ICF.  These programs are longer and prepare you for the professional level credential.  This level prepares you to become a masterful coach.