If you are excited, nervous, or wondering if you will be successful as a certified high conflict divorce coach after years of either being out of the workforce, or never having had a career, you are not alone.
The good news is that this program is self paced. You do not have to rearrange your entire life around a class schedule.
You get to create a schedule that works for you.
Create a schedule
Start by looking at your actual week.
When do you have the most time and energy?
Maybe you can study for an hour every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Maybe weekends work better. Maybe you need shorter study sessions several times a week.
There is no perfect schedule.
Choose something realistic.
Put it on your calendar and treat that time as an appointment with yourself.
Set up a dedicated space
Find a place where you can focus and keep your course materials together. Keep a notebook nearby. Have your laptop charger ready. Make it easy to sit down and start.
The fewer barriers, the better.
Keep a running list of questions
You are going to have questions.
Write them down.
As you move through the course, keep a running document or notebook for things you want to revisit. You may find that later lessons answer questions you had earlier.
You may also discover new questions as your understanding grows.
That's part of learning.
Connect the material to your goals
Before you begin, think about what you want to do with this certification.
Do you want to coach survivors going through high conflict divorce?
Do you want to expand an existing practice?
Do you want to help people recognize post separation abuse?
Do you want to use this knowledge in your current profession?
Knowing your “why” can help you stay motivated when coursework gets challenging.
Take notes in your own words
Don't try to write down everything.
Focus on the ideas you want to remember.
Write down terms, patterns, resources, and concepts that you expect to use in your future work.
You may even want to start building your own reference guide as you go.
Give yourself time to process
Some of the material may hit close to home.
If you have personally experienced a high conflict divorce or post separation abuse, certain topics may bring up strong emotions.
You don't have to rush through those moments.
Take a break.
Go for a walk.
Talk to someone you trust.
Then come back when you're ready.
Your personal experience can give you valuable insight, but your role as a coach is to learn how to use that experience thoughtfully and professionally.
Most importantly, start
You do not need to have everything figured out before you begin.
You do not need to know every term.
You do not need to be an expert.
You were accepted because you are ready to learn.
So open the course.
Set your schedule.
Grab your notebook.
Take it one lesson at a time.
You've already taken the first step. Now it's time to begin.
If you are a survivor navigating this difficult journey, we encourage you to explore our online courses at therulebookacademy.com or connect with a graduate from our coach training program at hcdivorcecoach.com/category.
If you are a survivor looking to turn your pain into purpose, we invite you to explore our eight-week certification course at hcdivorcecoach.com
