The seedy underbelly of the life coaching industry

“A life coach may or may not have a psychology degree, they may or may not have done any official training and they may not have expertise in the thing they’re claiming to,” says Jane Marie, a journalist whose podcast The Dream explores the reasons why people get caught up in multi-level marketing scams, pyramid schemes and cults of personality. She’s also covered the dark side of life coaching. Marie says lack of regulation in the industry means many people seeking life coaches end up falling victim to scams.

Angela Lauria, 50, discovered life coaching when she was struggling with postnatal depression and had been recently fired from her job. Initially interested in a coaching programme focusing primarily on weight loss, Lauria signed up for a $2,000 (£1,595) retreat. “In the first year alone, I spent $14,000 working with my life coach, and in the years that followed I probably spent $100,000,” she says. She also spent thousands of dollars on additional courses and mentorships with other life coaches that her primary coach recommended. “I got sucked into it.”

Alamy

Marie says Lauria’s story is common among people who are scammed by unqualified coaches, adding that the nature of the industry can lead to people being preyed on. Lauria also believes that her life coach exploited the fact that many of her clients were women going through big transitions.

“I think any time a business is specifically targeting a customer base that is desperate, a scam can be perpetrated,” says Marie. “Nine times out of 10, it isn’t, and that’s great. But if you’re a bad actor, you could easily become a life coach or relationship coach, and convince people to spend thousands of dollars to achieve an unattainable goal.”