A comprehensive guide to answer all of your questions about becoming a spiritual life coach.

Are you curious about becoming a spiritual life coach?

Whether you’ve had a sense that it’s time to transition out of your current job, or you’re looking for a fulfilling side hustle that will give you more impact and an abundant income…

This guidepost will give you the big-picture view of spiritual life coaching. I’ll walk you through the best-steps you can take to become a successful spiritual life coach with all of the abundance and income you desire.

You’ll benefit from our Complete Guide to Spiritual Life Coaching if:

• You’re exploring the path to becoming a life coach
• You don’t feel fulfilled by your current job and want to do work that is truly meaningful
• You want to make a bigger impact on the world, but you aren’t sure how
• You’re already a life coach and want to refine your approach for more success
• You love to help people and want a career that lets you serve others
• You’re exploring retirement or a career change and you’re searching for a meaningful path forward

Why does this post matter to you?

If you identified with any of the types of people most likely to benefit from this guide, then I can safely assume two things are true:

1. You’re here for a reason. I believe your calling and higher purpose have brought you to this specific place on the internet, not just coincidences or accidents.
2. You are at a crossroads (one I relate to!). You have a unique opportunity to make a decision for your dreams, and there’s part of you that knows there must be more available to you than you’ve already experienced.

What your life looks like next, and how successful you can become depends on the decisions you’re making and the actions you’re taking now. 

We’ve packed this guide with insider tips, insight, and valuable resources to help you know whether becoming a spiritual life coach is your true purpose, and to help you take the steps to bring your dream of becoming a successful spiritual life coach a reality.

Keep reading to find the answers to these questions (or click any question below to jump straight to the answer you’re looking for!):

1. What is a spiritual life coach?
2. Is spiritual coaching really a good career choice?
3. Is spiritual life coaching my life purpose?
4. What do I need to become a spiritual life coach?
5. Do I need to be a certified spiritual life coach to work with people?
6. What if I’ve never coached before? If I have a full time job?
7. What are the steps to start a spiritual life coaching business?
8. Do you have examples of successful spiritual life coaches?
9. What steps do I take next?

PS– If we missed your question about spiritual life coaching, please leave it in the comments at the end of the post!  We’re always updating this guide to keep it fresh and relevant, and we’d love to answer your specific questions. 

1. What is Spiritual Life Coaching and How is it Different from Other Types of Life Coaching?

While there are many different types of life coaches and many coaching methods, spiritual life coaching is quickly becoming a significant part of the life coaching industry.

Most types of life coaching seek to address outward behaviors and results. They measure success in terms of what we can see, touch, and do in the world around us.

For example, a traditional life coach helps a person develop strategies and action steps to make their life more ideal, such as: 

• navigate a life transition such as a move, promotion, or divorce
• achieve a personal goal
• create new patterns
• stop harmful habits
• build new relationships

Spiritual life coaches, on the other hand, help people create deep, lasting change using a spiritual perspective. 

Spiritual life coaches help a person:

• Find clarity about their life purpose, core values, and deepest desires
• Create an action plan and goals in line with their unique spiritual path
• Discover unseen obstacles including unconscious limiting beliefs and paradigms
• Find new opportunities for growth aligned with their own spiritual journey
• Break free from constrictive paradigms and embody their best self
• Integrate spiritual practices and a spiritual understanding into their personal growth journey
• Connect with their own inner guidance and grow in their own spirituality

For a spiritual life coach, the coaching experience is grounded in the belief that each person is, at their core, a spiritual being having a human experience.

Want to know more? Click here to dive deeper and explore what a spiritual life coach is and the types of problems they help their clients solve.

2. What are the benefits of spiritual life coaching? Is it a good career path?

At Brave Thinking Institute, Mary Morrissey and our faculty have spent decades learning and applying personal development principles. We’ve also certified thousands of successful coaches!

We know that coaching with a spiritual approach is the best way to create real results and lasting transformation in people’s lives.

Spiritual coaching is not only a good career for coaches, it’s also great for the clients who experience each coaching session!

Benefits of spiritual life coaching

• The results. Spiritual coaching, by nature, seeks and achieves deeper levels of change and transformation than coaching that focuses only on outward behaviors.
  
• A universal framework for success. Spiritual life coaches help their clients understand unchanging spiritual truths and access the answers that already exist within them, allowing spiritual coaches to work with a broader audience of potential clients.
  
• The perks of inner resources. When people are empowered with tools and understanding they can access and apply outside of a 60 minute coaching session, they can continue to expand and grow even outside of the coaching relationship.
  
• The flexibility to work with any niche. The universal principles of spiritual life coaching allow spiritual coaches to work with any niche they feel most called to serve. 
  
• The ease of attracting aligned clients. The spiritual framework this type of coach uses makes identifying their ideal client easier than in some other coaching niches. The right clients will naturally gravitate toward the unique approach they offer. 
  
• More fulfillment & happiness. Spiritual coaches are called to the profound work of coaching others to fulfill their highest purpose- fulfilling a deeper sense of purpose leads to a greater sense of happiness and fulfillment than other helping-field careers.

In addition to the opportunity to do truly meaningful work in the world, spiritual life coaches have the distinct benefit of designing a career that honors their belief system and spiritual traditions.

As a career, spiritual life coaching offers real perks, including:

• Complete time freedom – make your own hours based on your most ideal lifestyle
  
• Location freedom – work from anywhere by conducting online sessions, host workshops and retreats in your favorite locations around the world, and network in any place you feel called!
  
• Unlimited income potential – as a spiritual life coach, there is no cap on the amount of money you can earn. In fact, many of our certified spiritual coaches have 6 and 7-figure businesses they love.
  
• A fulfilling career at any age – you can experience the good things a spiritual life coaching practice can bring into your life no matter how old you are or what stage you are in your career
  
• The deep satisfaction of doing work you truly believe in

Want to know more? Click here to explore the career benefits of spiritual life coaching.

3. How do I know if spiritual life coaching is my true purpose in life?

Now that you know what spiritual life coaching is and the unique benefits it offers, you might be wondering how to know if you’re meant to be a spiritual life coach yourself.

Here are some of the indicators we consider when helping someone determine if spiritual life coaching is the next step to fulfilling their purpose in life:

• Your sense of purpose is rooted in helping others
• You feel that you are meant to do greater work in the world
• You believe that there is a vital spiritual component to life
• You understand that deep, lasting transformation requires a spiritual perspective
• You believe that there is more to life than the physical world
• You believe that potential is not limited by the past
• You love to learn and are committed to your own, ongoing growth and transformation
• You would love to help others connect with their own intuition and divine wisdom

Does that sound like you? Ask yourself: 

• Do you find it fulfilling to help others step into their highest potential? 
• Would you love the people you help to create peace, happiness, and success in their lives both internally and externally? 
• Are you committed to connecting to your own intuition and inner voice in order to help others do the same?
• Do you believe that people experience the greatest breakthroughs when they work with the Laws of the Universe, their connection to the divine, and address their subconscious beliefs and mindset?
• Do you believe you’re called to help people in a deeper capacity than behaviors and goals alone?

Want to know more? Click here for a full description of the signs you’re called to be a spiritual life coach!

If you already have a sense spiritual coaching may be your calling, take the next step on your journey with our Spiritual Design Series. In this free, 4-part video series, we’ll help you decode your own spiritual design and determine the next best steps aligned with your unique makeup.

4. What background, beliefs, and characteristics do I need to become a successful spiritual life coach?

Question: Do I need a certain belief system to be a spiritual life coach?

It’s important to mention that neither a specific religious belief system or particular type of spirituality are required to become a spiritual life coach.

One of the beautiful things about a spiritual life coaching career is that you have the freedom to design your coaching practice. You will be influenced by your formal training, your past experiences, your understanding of a higher power, and your personal life experience- and that’s okay!

Different people have different needs and require different approaches. Your specific brand of coaching is needed by the people you are meant to help!

For example, you might want to become a Christian life coach to better serve people in your church congregation as they learn to apply the teachings of Jesus to their lives.

You may want to help small business owners use the Law of Attraction to grow their businesses and experience abundance in their lives.

You might feel called to use energy work and reiki healing to help mothers reclaim their identities after having children.

There are so many ways you can integrate a spiritual perspective into a life coaching career!

Question: Do I need a certain background to be a spiritual life coach?

At Brave Thinking Institute, we believe that your past does not limit your future.

In the same way, your background does not dictate what is possible for you now.

No matter what your background is, know this– your most powerful tool for success is your message.

Your journey, your experiences, and your story are exactly what your potential clients need, and your background is just a small part of that equation.

I remember speaking at one of my first big events. I was on the speaker list with big names, and I knew that no one at that event would have even heard of me before.

After I gave my talk, several people came up to me to ask about the services I offered. Without thinking, I responded by reminding them about the other, more-qualified, expert teachers who had taken the stage before me.

Those people kindly reminded me that they had resonated with the way I had presented the information. Parts of my story had touched their hearts in ways that others had not.

Was it because I was better, more qualified than, or had a more impactful back-story than the expert speakers I shared the stage with that day? Definitely not!

It was because those people were in need of what I was offering, in the way I was offering it. 

They were meant to work with me, just like your potential clients are meant to work with you.

Your unique message will resonate like no other with your ideal clients.

Question: Are there specific characteristics that are required to be a spiritual life coach?

There are no specific characteristics, outside of a desire to help others, required to become a spiritual life coach. However, having certified thousands of spiritual life coaches, we have identified the characteristics we know help spiritual coaches create success.

1. Successful spiritual life coaches demonstrate a true passion for helping others. 

Successful spiritual life coaches build success by tapping into their genuine caring. It’s because of this that the results they achieve with their clients are so profound!

2. Spiritual life coaches with the most success are those committed to lifelong learning.

The most successful spiritual life coaches are committed to their own, ongoing personal and professional development. These coaches know that the best way to continue to make more of an impact in the world and in their clients’ lives is to continue to learn, bettering themselves by embodying the principles they teach

3. The most successful spiritual life coaches seek out mentors and support.

I’ve learned that there is real truth to the adage “you are only as successful as the people you surround yourself with.”

Highly successful people actively seek out, learn from and apply the experience and wisdom of others who have gone before them.

Re-inventing the wheel every time your coaching business grows, changes, or experiences challenges only keeps you from making the impact and the abundant income you desire.

Want to Know More? Click here for our Top 3 Steps to become a successful spiritual life coach.

5. Do I need to be a certified spiritual life coach to work in the coaching industry? How do I choose a certification program?

The short answer is, no. There are currently no certification requirements for life coaches of any kind.

However, your success as a life coach will hinge on your ability to deliver tangible, transformational results to your clients. 

Having personal experience in spiritual healing principles, inner work, universal laws, and positive energy is a great place to start, but many people fail to realize that it isn’t enough to actually ensure the real-life results people are looking for.

Becoming a certified spiritual coach gives you:

• The benefit of years of experience as you learn from spiritual teachers who have already achieved the results you desire 
  
• The confidence to reach new coaching clients, organize coaching sessions, and know you can guide the people you work with to real-life results
  
• Practical exercises and meaningful work that will help your clients experience true transformation
  
• The support a community of successful coaches. You don’t have to figure it all out alone!

Plus, new clients will feel more at ease making the decision to work with you– your qualifications can help build rapport with your potential clients long before you ever have a first session!

At the Brave Thinking Institute, we’ve created a comprehensive coaching certification program designed to empower life coaches with proven, spiritual tools for transformation, the business and marketing tools needed for success, and ongoing support and mentorship after completing certification.

Want to Know More? Click here to explore 7 KEY CRITERIA for finding the best spriritual life coach certification program for you.

6. Can I be a spiritual life coach if I’ve never coached before? What if I have a full time job?

It’s never too late to learn to help other people change their lives.

And, if you’re anything like the thousands of coaches we’ve certified at Brave Thinking Institute, you might just change your own life in the process!

Many of the successful, 6, 7, and even 8-figure spiritual life coaches we’ve certified at Brave Thinking Institute started with no previous coaching experience.

Our now-successful spiritual life coaches were once:

• Teachers and guidance counselors who wanted to help others grow and reach their potential on a deeper level
  
• Social workers who knew they were meant to work in a helping field but were overworked and underpaid by a broken system
  
• Mental health professionals who wanted to add another meaningful layer of support and transformation to their work
  
• Educators who wanted to make a difference in people’s lives but felt burned out by the increasing demands of the education system
  
• Counselors who longed for more time and location freedom while still helping people experience transformation
  
• Corporate employees tired of hustling to support someone else’s big vision and who were long overdue to invest in their own dreams
  
• Influencers and marketing professionals who wanted to leverage their skills to make a difference in the world
  
• Retail and sales professionals tired of the grind for success and longing for work aligned with their higher purpose
  
• And even doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who knew that a more holistic approach to change could help their patients experience even greater health

No matter the reason you want to become a spiritual life coach, know that this meaningful career is designed to fit into the vision you have for a life you’d love. 

You might decide that you’re ready to jump into growing your new coaching business right away.

Or, you could pursue certification first, keeping your existing full-time job while you prepare to transition at a later date.

You could also pursue spiritual coaching as a fulfilling, lucrative side hustle, keeping your existing full-time career.

One of the greatest benefits of becoming a spiritual life coach is the ability to mold your life coaching business to fit your lifestyle, while still making the income and impact you desire.

Want to Know More? Click here to read some of our certified coaches’ remarkable success stories, and find out what’s possible for you!

7. What steps do I need to take to start a spiritual life coaching business?

In order to become a successful life coach, the meaningful work you want to do in the world will need to take the shape of an actual business.

If you aren’t sure how to start, run, or grow a successful business, I highly recommend that you seek out training and mentorship that includes the practical skills and know-how you need to do so.

But, if you’re wondering how to get started, here are several important steps you can take now to start your spiritual life coaching business:

1. Identify Your Vision for a Successful Life Coaching Business

Start by imagining what your ideal business would look like if you were able to pursue your dream of becoming a spiritual life coach.

How do you want to work with clients? Where will you work? What other services will your business offer? Would you love to write a book, create an online course, speak at events, or host retreats?

Casting a clear vision for your spiritual life coaching business will save you time and energy experimenting with things that may not be aligned with the business you want. Your vision will help inspire and motivate you as you take the more practical, tangible steps required  to create the coaching business of your dreams.

And, a clear vision will give you something to look back on when you’re celebrating your wins and accomplishments in the (near) future!

2. Create a Business Plan for Your Spiritual Coaching Business

Your life coaching business plan should act as the step-by-step guide to clarify the who, why, how, and what of your life coaching business.

1. Clarify who you will serve. Imagine and describe your client avatar; go as far as to give them a name and a background story to help you connect with this imaginary client as a real person.
2. Connect with your “why”. Your why will help guide the decisions you make about your business, the work you do, and motivate you to overcome challenges along the way.
3. Clarify the “how” of your business. Explore how you will fulfill your mission with the individuals or groups you work with. What programs and systems will you draw from to fulfill your unique vision?
4. Structure the “what” of your business. What specific, tangible elements and tools will you use to ensure your business’ sustainable success?

For a list of in-depth questions you can use to answer the who, why, how, and what of your life coaching business and create a more complete plan, click here.

3. Commit to Your Own Personal Development & Spiritual Connection

While casting a vision and crafting a plan for your successful coaching business are important steps on your journey to becoming a spiritual life coach, perhaps the most important step is committing to your own personal and spiritual development.

Your spiritual connection is essential to impactful intuitive coaching.

As you step into your highest purpose and embody your true self, you will be that much more capable of helping others do the same.

Want to Know More? Click here to dive deeper into the key steps to starting your business and becoming a spiritual life coach.

8. Do you have examples of spiritual life coaches who are already successful?

Here are just a few of our favorites! I hope they truly inspire you to see what’s possible when you say “yes” to your calling and your dreams!

Lauren Brollier

A teacher struggling to make ends meet, Lauren was heartbroken after an unexpected end to her marriage and afraid she missed her chance to follow her dreams. She remembers saying to herself, “Lauren, you suck at love and money. There’s no way you’re going to be able to create this relationship you’re dreaming of and own your own business.” 

But then another part of her — the part that wanted to move forward — nudged her again. Lauren chose to listen, telling herself, “Not listening hasn’t worked for you. It’s time to start listening.”

After completing her training with Brave Thinking Institute, Lauren is now a full-time speaker and coach. She owns her own business, employs 3 people, and went from making $45,000 a year as an overworked teacher to $400,000 — and has a plan to multiply her revenue even further this coming year!

“I went from being a broke, divorced school teacher, totally down on myself, living at my parents’ house to being a lit-up-in-love, highly successful business owner, employer and coach, making a tremendous impact on the lives that I’m able to reach,” she says. “I am so grateful to Mary and the team. I could have never done this without you.”

You can read Lauren’s full story here.

Tamara Wolfe

Before becoming a spiritually driven life coach, Tamara was a leader in direct sales and had a sense that her passion was gone. Her income had plateaued and, in Tamara’s words, she “just didn’t feel alive.” 

After attending a Dream Builder event with the Brave Thinking Institute, Tamara had a vision that she was meant to do something more. At the time, she didn’t even know what that “something more” was called… but by the end of that very same weekend, she decided to say “yes” and take the step to become a certified life coach. 

Now, Tamara is running her own coaching and speaking business full time. This is what she has to say about her experience:

“I used to tell people that I didn’t feel like I was fully alive, but now I completely feel in alignment. My energy is fabulous. My health continues to be vibrant and energized in doing all that I do, in following all the principles of living your best life and stepping into all that you can do for your health. My income has been awesome. I tripled my income than what I was doing before in my other business…And the biggest piece is just the impact that I see for clients and that I am really living my purpose, that I am in alignment to help people live their best lives every day, and [I get to] to see them come alive in reaching into their goals and their passion and their energy… I love my life!”

Mimi Whitaker

She said, “I was in this bone crushingly boring job. I had tried to [get a promotion]. I tried to get other jobs, even other duties to do, but I was really stuck…” She described struggles in her marriage, struggles with health, and the feeling she was at war with herself. 

“I developed this feeling [that] there were two gladiators battling it out inside of me. One was called complacency, and the other was called courage. Complacency said “Your life isn’t really that bad. You’re kind of old. Don’t waste your energy and really no money spending should be happening here.” 

But, courage said “You can have a life you love living.”

To Mimi, becoming a life coach felt like she was risking a life that was “good enough” – but part of her knew it could be great. After completing her certification with Brave Thinking Institute, she now describes her life as “100% lighter and 100% more joyful and 100% mine.”

She has integrated her new skills into working with underserved populations in her community, and a job that she not only loves, but at which she feels respected and valued.

Want to Know More? Click here to read more of our certified life coach success stories!

9. Where can I find more information about spiritual life coaching?

If you want to dive even deeper and explore spiritual life coaching more, here are a few of our best resources to guide you:

1. What is Spiritual Life Coaching and is it Your True Purpose? – In this insightful post, Mary Morrissey shares the story of how she knew spiritual life coaching was her life’s purpose. You’ll discover how you can know it’s your true calling and the specifics behind why spiritual coaching is distinctly different from other types of life coaching.
   
2. 7 Signs You’re Meant to be a Spiritual Life Coach – Discover seven specific signs that spiritual life coaching is right for your unique makeup and your unique goals.
   
3. 11 Benefits of a Spiritual Life Coaching Career – Explore eleven benefits of a spiritual life coaching career. Discover why spiritual coaching might be the best career option for you, whether you’re looking for a full time business, a fulfilling side hustle, or a post-retirement project.
   
4. How to Become a Spiritual Life Coach: Your Guide for Success – Deep dive into the practical steps you can take to become a spiritual life coach with success at front of mind. 

Finally, I’d like to extend a special invitation for you to access our Spiritual Design Series — I created this 4-part video resource to help those individuals who knew they were created for something more… but weren’t sure what their next steps should be. 

Get access to the Spiritual Design Series here!

Do you have questions about spiritual life coaching or becoming a spiritual life coach that we didn’t answer?

If so, please leave your questions in the comments!

We are committed to creating in-depth, straightforward, comprehensive resources for anyone exploring life coaching. We’re happy to answer your specific questions!