Who Needs a Life Wellness Coach in South Africa?

Mar 2, 2009

Who Needs a Life Wellness Coach in South Africa?

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Who needs a life wellness coach in South africa?

Who needs one? A life coach helps you get from where you are to where you want to be.

How? By helping you define goals and devise a strategy to achieve them. Life wellness coaches don’t provide you with answers – instead they ask questions that help you find the answers yourself.

People often consult a life coach after a traumatic experience but anyone who wants guidance in making changes or going for a goal can benefit from this service.

How do you choose one? There are many different schools and styles but the profession is still self-regulated and it’s possible to offer life coaching without any qualification.

To be safe, ensure your coach is accredited by the International Coach Federation (ICF) or a member of the Coaching and Mentoring Association of South Africa (Comensa).

How much will it cost? From R2 500 to R5 000 a month (one session a week). The coaching period also varies but 12 weeks is typical.

The financial coach
Who needs one? A financial coach can help you implement a plan for escaping debt, mapping your financial future and avoiding behaviour that compromises your financial security.

If your financial circumstances change suddenly or if you’re not sure how to invest a sudden windfall, you may also benefit from this form of coaching.

Because it’s fee-based, financial coaching is generally more objective than the free advice you’d receive from someone connected to a financial institution who hopes you’ll buy one of its products.

How do you choose one? Ideally a financial coach should have a post-graduate degree or diploma in financial planning that qualifies him or her for accreditation as a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) – the highest internationally recognised qualification for financial planners

Also, make sure your coach is a Comensa member and isn’t linked to any financial institution.

How much will it cost? R400 to R500 an hour.

The health and wellness coach

Who needs one? A health and wellness coach aims to help you set both short-term and long-term health goals and implement a strategy to achieve them.

If you feel overwhelmed by all the conflicting information on fitness, health and nutrition or if you need motivation in meeting a health-related goal (such as losing weight, quitting smoking or managing a chronic condition), this service can be particularly useful.

How do you choose one? There are no set qualifications but many health and wellness coaches are qualified doctors or have training in complementary medicine or nutrition.

How much will it cost? Because this field is so wide and some coaches are highly qualified specialists, costs vary enormously. Expect to pay anything from R350 to R1 500 an hour and up to R8 000 a session for extremely specialised service.

The executive coach

Who needs one? Executive coaching clients are often leaders and managers who want to find inspiration, develop themselves and their performance or simply create a more balanced lifestyle.

But people at all levels of an organisation who want to work more effectively and build a better quality of life can benefit from executive coaching.

Tools such as personality profiles and emotional intelligence testing often provide the starting point for this form of coaching.

How do you choose one? Executive coaches are frequently appointed by large companies to work with senior managers.

They’re often trained in psychology, but some have business qualifications (such as an MBA) or are themselves successful former executives or entrepreneurs. Several business coaches are registered at Comensa.

How much will it cost? From R300 to R1 000 for a 45-minute session.

Check your coach
Comensa is a body formed by coaching professionals to set standards for the industry. When you select a Comensa member you can be assured that your coach’s qualifications have been scrutinised and that he or she is committed to a code of ethics.

Be aware that you don’t need a tertiary qualification to become a coach. Coaches are also not regulated by a health professionals’ council.

People without any training in nutrition, psychology or medicine could dispense unscientific advice without fear of being struck off a roll. Ask your coach about the specific training he or she has received.

For more info and a list of coaches visit www.comensa.org.za.

[This article by BY ANNELIZE VISSER is reprinted from Health24 - Itself an extract of an article that originally appeared in the Summer 2008/2009 edition of YOU Pulse / Huisgenoot-POLS. The current edition is on sale now.]

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