Many life coaches help clients work on things like mindfulness, goal setting, boosting confidence and offer career and relationship advice.
Life coaches are not therapists and there is no organization regulating the industry. Anyone can call themselves a life coach even with no training.
Marketplace wanted to know if they’d cross the line and offer unqualified advice about mental illness. To investigate Marketplace producers created cover stories with the help of several experts and met with a number of life coaches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FygdK--wT8
Additional advice
Be wary of how much a coach is charging. If they’re offering you a time-sensitive sales pitch, or pressuring you to sign up, take a step back.
Go elsewhere if you want mental health support. If you deal with mental health issues like anxiety and depression, you may want to go to someone who has been specifically trained in treating those issues. If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to get help:
● Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text).
https://www.crisisservicescanada.ca/
● Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling:
● Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention:
https://suicideprevention.ca/resources/
● For adults in crisis, try the Crisis Text Line (Text:686868)
This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about:
https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/when-a-family-member-is-suicidal
