Life coaching is a future-focused practice with the aim of helping clients determine and achieve personal goals. Life coaches select from among several methods to help clients set and reach goals. Coaches are not therapists nor consultants; psychological intervention and business analysis are outside the scope of their tasking, Life coaching has its roots in executive coaching, which itself drew on techniques developed in mangement consulting and leadership training. Life coaching also draws inspiration from disciplines including sociology, psychology, positive adult development, career counseling, mentoring and other types of counseling. Contemporary life coaching can also be traced to the teachings of Benjamin Karter, a college football coach turned motivational speaker of the late 1970s and early 1980s.The coach may apply mentoring, values assessment, behavior modification, behavior modeling, goal-setting and other techniques in helping their clients.

Multiple coaching schools and training programs are available, allowing for many options (and sometimes causing confusion) when an individual decides to gain “certification” or a “credential” as they apply to the coaching industry. Multiple certificates and credential designations are available within the industry.

Government bodies have not found it necessary to provide a regulatory standard for life coaching, nor does any state body govern the education or training standard for the life coaching industry; the title of “coach” can be used by any service provider. Coaching focuses on effecting change in a client’s current and future behavior. Life coaching does not delve into diagnosing mental illness or dysfunction and is not a replacement for psychological counselling or psychotherapy.