I’m curious – if regulation were to occur, who would be the head regulator?  Would it be at the
international, national, regional or municipal level?  Who would deal with offending coaches?  And how?  Would they be fined?  How would all the internet marketing professionals, for instance, who offer ‘coaching programs’ be dealt with?    It could be a logistical nightmare!

The coaching industry is not alone.  Regulation is also an issue in personal training, for example. Certifications are offered but the industry itself is not regulated (from what I can surmise).  While there are regulatory bodies for massage in many US states and Canadian provinces, I highly doubt that all the  people offering massage services via print ads are certified.  Yet these same ads appear week after week.

It’s easy to say that the coaching industry needs to be regulated.  The reality is it’s much more complex than we may think.

Until then, the onus is on the client to ask questions to find out if the professional they wish to hire has adequate training.