Monday, March 27, 2006

Life coaching goes mainstream

Life coaches are in the style section of this Sunday's New York Times:

"But behind the scenes life coaches are also finding plenty of work in the entertainment business. As their ranks swell nationwide — the International Coach Federation says its membership has doubled to 9,500 personal and business coaches since 2001, 56 percent of them in the United States — a growing roster is specializing in celebrities and Hollywood. "

"Although the federation does not keep track of coach specialties, coaches who devote themselves to the entertainment business — many of them former actors, television network executives, film producers or scriptwriters who sell their services as insiders — say they have seen more acceptance and a doubling and even tripling of demand for their services in the last three or four years."

1 comment:

Laura said...

This is a good profession, but not without its flaws. I transitioned to this career 6 years ago (formerly a therapist). Right now it's a bit like the wild west out here. Coaching is primarily a second career for people (at least), so our backgrounds vary a great deal. Makes for an interesting cross section of talents but can certainly be confusing for the consumer.
Another challenge is the variance in quality. Since this is a low entry profession and so many people find the thought of self-employment to be appealing, there are currently many people in the field who will likely not have the staying power to last as the profession matures.
I humbly offer my own blog as a resource as I believe an educated public will help the profession, and be a support to those who are considering this as a career. My name will link you to my personal journal on blogger, but if you want substantive coaching information and resources, including my perspective on the Daily Show's recent lampoon of the profession, click the link to The Dragon Slayer's Guide to Life in the sidebar.