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How To Become A Couples Coach?
All relationships are going to go through difficult times at some point or another and a good way to try and overcome these issues with a partner is to attend a relationship coach.
Becoming a couples coach that helps peoples’ relationships can be incredibly rewarding as you will be able to see people in real-time improve and work on their relationship, helping it to become the best that it can be.
If you are looking to become a coach that helps people with their relationship or marital issues then there are a few things that are you going to need to do as well as numerous personal skills that you will need to have or develop.
- How To Become A Couples Coach?
- What is Couples Coaching?
- What Does a Couples Coach Do?
- What are the Benefits of Becoming a Couples Coach?
- How to Become a Couples Coach?
- What Qualifications are Needed to Become a Couples Coach?
- What Skills are Required to be Successful as a Couples Coach?
- 1. Communication skills – the ability to listen and understand what your client is saying.
- 2. Relationship skills – the ability to see both sides of every issue and help couples find common ground.
- 3. Counselling skills – the ability to offer guidance, support, and advice when needed.
- 4. Negotiation skills – the ability to help couples reach a compromise that works for everyone involved.
- 5. Organizational skills – the ability to keep track of multiple appointments and case files.
- 6. Emotional intelligence – the ability to stay calm and professional in difficult situations.
- What are the Certifications to Become a Couples Coach?
- How Much Does a Couples Coach Earn?
- Tips for Couples Coaches for Enhancing their Coaching Experience
- Who is a Good Candidate for Couples Coaching?
- What are the Differences Between Couples Coaching and Couples’ Therapy?
- Conclusion
- Frequently asked questions
What is Couples Coaching?
A couple’s coach also known as a relationship coach is someone that is trained or experienced in helping people overcome any relationship issues that a couple might be facing, they can also better help each side of the relationship understand how the other is feeling.
They will also help not only with issues in a relationship but also help couples have a greater level of connection and intimacy that should hopefully help their relationship be as strong as possible.
We are all going to have times in our lives where we would benefit from having someone that is experienced and honest with us about how we can work on ourselves and our relationships; that is what a couples coach is there to do.
What Does a Couples Coach Do?
A couples coach isn’t going to fix a relationship for the couple but what they are able to do is help to give both parties in the relationship the necessary tools needed to be able to work on the relationship together.
A couples coach should also be able to help any relationship regardless of whether they are going through any relationship issues or not, a coach isn’t about fixing something that is broken but about helping people grow and improve in such a crucial area of their lives.
1. Coaches help couples learn how to communicate with each other effectively.
A big thing that can detrimentally affect any relationship is a lack of communication, and a couples coach should be able to help open up the channels needed to be able to communicate effectively and with consideration for how the other is feeling.
A lack of communication can be the downfall of any relationship no matter how strong it is, being able to have an open and honest conversation can help both parties be able to come to amicable conclusions about any issues that may exist, or even before they become big issues in the first place.
2. They help resolve conflicts in a healthy way.
All relationships are going to have disagreements at some point or other, that is incredibly natural and by going to a couples coach they should be able to gain useful advice that can better help with conflict resolution.
Allowing a conflict to fester or grow out of proportion can cause serious harm to the overall happiness of both individuals in the relationship. A couples coach will be able to help both people by giving them the key ingredients to conflict resolution that they should then be able to use effectively in the relationship.
3. Coaches can also provide guidance on how to improve relationships.
Everyone can benefit from getting useful guidance from people that understand what they are going through. A coach will be experienced in understanding the standing of any given relationship.
All relationships can be worked on regardless of their health, to begin with, a good coach will be able to help improve and work on any and all relationships. Relationships are always work in progress; in a healthy relationship both parties are always working on the relationship, a coach will be there to help with any guidance that can benefit the couple.
4. Coaches are there to support couples during good times and bad times.
Speaking of all relationships, there sometimes can be a stigma that only a relationship in dire straits would benefit from speaking with a couples coach. That is just not the case.
Regardless of whether a relationship is going through a rough patch or if the opposite is true and things are better than ever, a good coach will be able to give support and advice to people in all relationships.
What are the Benefits of Becoming a Couples Coach?
There are many benefits that come with being a couples coach.
- You will be able to make a career out of helping people: there aren’t many careers in life where you will be able to make money and help people with such a crucial part of their life.
- Being a couples coach is incredibly rewarding: seeing people’s relationships flourish is something that is indescribable, there really aren’t many things like it.
- You will be providing an incredibly useful service that will be helping make the world at least a bit better; you might not change the world. You will be changing people’s lives for the better, there isn’t much more you could ask for from a career.
- Limitless opportunity for growth and success: there will always be relationships and in turn, there will also be a need for coaches to help guide people towards the path for happier and healthier relationships.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what you will be gaining when you start your couples coaching journey.
How to Become a Couples Coach?
There are several avenues that you can take to become a couples coach. First off, it’s important to know that you don’t necessarily need to go through formal education to become a couples coach, anyone can become a couples coach if they have the necessary skills to be able to do so.
It is important to know that a couple’s therapist will need formal training and a degree so that they will be qualified to be able to provide people with therapy.
You can though make the choice to better yourself and improve your skills through gaining a couple’s coaching qualification.
Gaining a qualification by going through training programs will always be a choice that you can make to be the best couples coach that you can be.
What Qualifications are Needed to Become a Couples Coach?
There are no qualifications that are mandatory for you to get before you can be a couples coach, however, there are many qualifications that you can choose to gain which will help to improve your coaching ability.
There are numerous online reputable sources where you are able to gain qualifications that you can put to good use in your coaching career.
What Skills are Required to be Successful as a Couples Coach?
If you are looking to become a couples coach then there are definitely some required skills that you will need to have or gain to be able to provide people with useful coaching advice.
Also, even if you have all the necessary skills, you will still need to always be working on yourself and your abilities so that you are able to continuously grow and improve your effectiveness as a couples coach.
1. Communication skills – the ability to listen and understand what your client is saying.
You without a doubt will need to have good communication skills; you will be working in a field directly with people that need your help and being able to communicate effectively with them is how you are able to offer that help.
If you aren’t able to listen and grasp what it exactly is that your clients are looking for then you simply won’t be able to offer them the much-needed advice that they are after.
2. Relationship skills – the ability to see both sides of every issue and help couples find common ground.
Being able to approach every situation with an unbiased attitude is a key skill in being able to give all clients the useful help that they require. It is crucially important to hear both sides when it comes to understanding the feelings that each individual has.
Relationships are a two-way street and both parties will need to be able to have their chance to express themselves, so being able to really understand how they each may be feeling is so important at being able to bring them closer together.
3. Counselling skills – the ability to offer guidance, support, and advice when needed.
This may seem obvious, but it is important to mention that will need to have the skill of being able to give clients the help that they need.
They are looking to you to give them guidance on their relationship, so you need to be able to provide them with advice that they will be able to use in their relationship.
Without this skill, you just won’t be able to truly provide all clients with the support that they have come to you for.
4. Negotiation skills – the ability to help couples reach a compromise that works for everyone involved.
Being able to come to a compromise that benefits both parties when necessary is a key component to making any relationship work. You will be acting as a mediator between both parties so that you are able to find a compromise that works for them both for any given issue.
Not only that you will be there to show them how they will be able to use your guidance in the future so that they are able to come to happy compromises by themselves in the future.
5. Organizational skills – the ability to keep track of multiple appointments and case files.
This is a key skill to have in making sure that you are always at the top of your game. Not only is this incredibly important in making sure that your business runs smoothly. It is also really important that clients are getting the best support that you are able to give them.
You owe it to each and every client to properly manage and organize everyone’s appointments and case files efficiently as it can really make all the difference in you being able to effectively coach them in their relationship.
6. Emotional intelligence – the ability to stay calm and professional in difficult situations.
You cannot be successful in your role as a couples coach if you don’t have good emotional intelligence. Being able to understand that sometimes people aren’t always going to respond well to advice, especially if it is something they don’t want to hear.
Sometimes you are going to need to be really honest with clients about their relationship and that can be a deeply personal thing. You absolutely need to be able to remain calm and professional at all times and appreciate that they might be going through a hard time at the moment.
You need to be able to make sure that you don’t take things personally if a client responds poorly in a given situation; when you are able to stay calm and defuse a situation your clients should hopefully be all the more grateful for your help.
What are the Certifications to Become a Couples Coach?
Again, there are no mandatory certifications that you must have to be able to become a couples coach, but there are very useful courses that you can go on that will help you in your journey of becoming a coach.
For example: iPEC coaching offers a course on becoming a relationship coach that at the end you will receive certification that you went through with the wonderful learning experience. With the course you will be able to use their resources and get advice from people that have been in the couples coaching business for years.
Whatever you decide to do it will not be detrimental to always be striving to be the best you can be by trying to gain as much experience and knowledge as you possibly can.
How Much Does a Couples Coach Earn?
The sky is the limit for how much you stand to earn. As you and your coaching business grow and improve you will hopefully be in a position to help many people with their relationship needs then there really is boundless potential for how much your coaching business can make.
Most couple coaches are self-employed and run their own business, so, when you are fully operational as a couples coach you will be able to set your own rates. How much you will be able to make is entirely dependent on how much people are willing to pay for your service.
Of course, when you are first starting out you will most likely be a relative unknown when it comes to the coaching industry so you most likely will need to have lower rates than you might like.
Over time though as you build your name and your reputation, and as your client book fills up you should be able to set prices that better reflect how much you feel that your service and time is worth.
Tips for Couples Coaches for Enhancing their Coaching Experience
When you are a couples coach you will always be looking to expand upon your skills and work on yourself so that you can be the best in your career that you can be.
It is important to remember that no matter how good you are in your role there will always be new things to learn and that it will always be useful to gain as much experience as possible.
So, here are some useful tips that you can use when you take that step in becoming a couples coach, these will be helpful for the entire duration of your coaching career.
1. Establish trust and rapport with your couple.
Establishing trust is without a doubt the most important thing that you will need to do first when working with any couple. They will be coming to you and bearing their feelings so they absolutely need to feel like they can be vulnerable with you.
Being vulnerable is scary for many people and that is why having a rapport and connection with your clients is so crucial in being able to fully offer them the support and guidance that they require.
Without trust you just simply won’t be able to fully do your job to the best of your ability, this is even why a lot of the first sessions that you might have with clients will be all about building that trust.
2. Be curious and authentic.
You need to truly care about how each partner in the relationship is feeling. If you come off as inauthentic or that you don’t care then they will be able to tell. So, you will be doing them a disservice if you don’t present the true authentic version of yourself.
You need to be curious to learn more about every one of your clients; if you expect them to listen to you and take your advice to heart you need to show them that the advice is coming from someone who cares.
3. Offer feedback in a way that is supportive.
Sometimes you are going to have to offer guidance that the client(s) don’t want to hear, this is to be expected. That is why it is so important to be able to frame what you are saying in the most supportive way possible.
Hearing that some of your habits in a relationship might not be the healthiest would be hard for anyone to hear, you need to appreciate that and broach delicate subjects carefully.
You also need to be able to offer advice that truly has the client’s best interest at heart, make sure that the guidance you are offering a couple is in fact best suited for their individual needs. Try not to use platitudes and cliches too often as some clients might see this as being disingenuous and not useful for their needs.
4. Respect each partner’s individual process.
Everyone has their own feelings, and emotions when it comes to any and all situations, and it’s important that when you are a coach that you are able to appreciate that.
Both individuals in a relationship deserve the opportunity to express themselves freely; everyone has their own process when it comes to dealing with something, so you need to make sure and respect each partner and their respective process equally.
5. Hold the space for growth and change.
Growth and change are pretty much what coaching is. You will be helping individuals grow and better themselves in their relationships. You need to be able to emphasize just how important positive change is in all relationships.
We are all growing as human beings over the course of our lives and throughout all relationships and that’s why it is so important to show that growing and changing as a person is something that should be embraced not feared.
6. Encourage couples to explore their own solutions.
It is important that you convey to your clients that you will be providing them with the tools that they can then later use to come up with solutions to any situation that they might have in the future.
You need to make sure that they know you are not here to fix their issues for them but to provide them with help and support so that they can then approach their relationship in the future with your guidance in mind.
Who is a Good Candidate for Couples Coaching?
All couples have the potential to take something away from spending time with a couples coach. As previously stated, you are here to help couples in the good times just as much as you are in the bad.
Obviously, there are going to be relationships that maybe need more urgent support; couples that are going through rough times will be the ones that will be able to gain the most from your help and support.
We all go through tough times in our relationships and speaking to someone that sincerely listens and then takes how we are feeling into consideration when offering advice could be helpful in improving things.
Make sure not to be under the impression that couples need to be on the brink of separating for them to benefit from coaching; couples coaching is a useful asset for couples regardless of their specific situation.
What are the Differences Between Couples Coaching and Couples’ Therapy?
There are important distinctions and differences between couples coaching and couples’ therapy.
Couples coaching is more about offering people support and advice for how a couple can work on and improve their relationship together.
Whereas, couples therapy requires formal education as it is more likely to focus on providing people with help with mental afflictions and is much more serious than offering people guidance.
Coaching is not a replacement for therapy, and those that require therapy need to see a licensed therapist to help them with whatever they are going through.
Conclusion
The best thing that you should take away from reading this is that couples coaching can be one of the most satisfying and rewarding careers that a person can have. There will always be room for you to grow and improve upon yourself while also being able to help couples with their relationship.
Another important takeaway is that if you feel like you are suited to becoming the next best couples coach then the world is your oyster.
Couples coaching is something that is never going to go away as well, people in relationships will always be able to benefit from useful advice geared towards them and their specific relationship.
Frequently asked questions
What is a couples coach and what do they do?
A couple’s coach is someone that works closely with couples to provide them with useful tools that they can use in their relationship to be able to deal with any issues that might come up.
What resources are available to help you become a successful couples coach?
There are useful resources online where you will be able to gain as much knowledge as possible, as well as there being almost countless books written on the subject. You will never run out of information that might provide fruitful in your couples coaching career.
What is the future of the couple’s coaching industry, and how can coaches stay ahead of the curve?
The future of couples coaching is like the future in most industries these days; online. If you are looking to stay ahead of the curve then you need to make sure that you are using things like social media effectively when marketing yourself. As well as being tech-savvy enough to be able to do coaching sessions online, as that is where most things are headed.
Is it necessary to gain certifications and experience to become a couples coach?
It isn’t a necessity that you gain a couple’s coaching certificate or experience before becoming a couples coach, but it is certainly a good idea if you are able to do so.
What are some of the challenges faced by new couple’s coaches, and how can they overcome them?
One of the most common challenges that new couples coaches face is taking things personally if a couple/ individual partner doesn’t implement their advice. Sometimes it can take a little time for people to change old habits, if they don’t immediately jump on board with what you are saying try and come up with a new approach if possible.
ABOUT SAI BLACKBYRN
I’m Sai Blackbyrn, better known as “The Coach’s Mentor.” I help Coaches like you establish their business online. My system is simple: close more clients at higher fees. You can take advantage of technology, and use it as a catalyst to grow your coaching business in a matter of weeks; not months, not years. It’s easier than you think.
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