Confidence coaching is in its infancy. Whilst we have had various kinds of coaches working in society for many years, specialists in self confidence are still comparatively rare. Which is odd, when you think about it, because most people would say that confidence is the single quality they most want to develop (okay, most people talk about their abs before they mention their psyche - confidence is maybe 3rd of 4th on the list)

So how do you set about finding a competent, qualified and effective confidence coach? It's a little more difficult than it should be, because there isn't any single professional body to oversee the field. In part this is because confidence coaches practice a wide range of difficult therapeutic approaches : hypnotherapy, CBT, NLP, role play . . . the list seems endless.

The rules which apply to selecting a confidence coach are much the same as the rules which apply to finding any kind of therapist. References are all important, as is professional accreditation. Check your coach's insurance - if he doesn't have insurance, that's a definite signal to walk away. Once these, rather basic, considerations have been satisfied, however, you are in the realm of personal choice. What do you want to achieve from confidence coaching? Help with your career? Help with your social life / romantic life? What style of coach are you looking for? With such a broad range of styles to choose from, it's important to find out a little about the different therapeutic interventions which are possible.

And now the hardest question - can the cost be justified? A typical confidence coach may charge $80 - $100 per hour (with some 'stars' charging far more, of course). The good news is that this isn't like psychoanalysis, where you may expect to spend years in therapy. Confidence coaching is about making tangible gains quickly, and then building on these incrementally for the long term. In your first year of coaching, expect to pay for around 10 sessions, with 4-6 sessions per year thereafter.

So it might cost you $1,000 in year one, plus $600 pa thereafter, to achieve lasting and profound improvements in your career prospects, your romantic life and your general sense of wellbeing. Is this worth the price? I think so. Indeed, we pay larger sums to insure our cars without a second thought. Strange to consider that an automobile is a depreciating asset, while self belief is part of the fabric of who we are, and can be thought of as an appreciating asset, as it can boost our career prospects significantly.