The Ultimate Client Intake Process for Life Coaches

A structured intake process ensures that your coaching relationship begins with clarity and trust. Without it, the first session can devolve into a one‑sided interrogation, leaving clients feeling underwhelmed. This article explores the purpose of intake forms, what questions to include, and how to integrate personality assessments to add value to your onboarding process.

Why an intake form matters

A coaching intake form is a questionnaire completed before the first session to gather insight into who your client is, what they need and where they hope to be by the end of your engagement. It collects basic details like name, contact information and goals, but a well‑designed form goes deeper—asking about motivations, obstacles and preferences. According to business coach Luisa Zhou, such forms allow coaches to map out weekly and monthly milestones and standardize the onboarding experience, ensuring a consistent process that scales as your business grows.

Key elements of an intake form

Personal details

Gather contact information, but also ask about age, profession, family structure and any relevant background context. These details help you tailor sessions and understand support systems.

Goals and motivations

Ask clients to describe their long‑term goals, their vision for the next five years and what motivates them. Understanding the "why" behind a goal clarifies what success looks like and sets expectations.

Obstacles and challenges

Inquire about what they believe is holding them back. This reveals limiting beliefs and practical roadblocks that you can explore together.

Expectations and coaching preferences

Questions like "How can I support you?" or "What qualities do you look for in a coach?" help align your coaching style with their expectations.

Previous coaching or therapy

If clients have worked with a coach or therapist before, ask what worked well and what didn't. This information prevents repeating unhelpful approaches and sets a precedent for boundaries and communication.

Sharing and using the form

Send the intake form along with the contract or welcome materials, asking clients to complete it before the first session. Some coaches use digital platforms or secure cloud services to collect responses; others integrate forms directly into scheduling software.

Review the form in advance so you can craft a purposeful first session rather than spending time gathering basic details. The information enables you to prepare relevant exercises and questions, demonstrating professionalism and respect for your client's time.

Enhancing your intake process with assessments

Integrating science‑based assessments can enrich your onboarding. The Strengths Test from Personality‑Quizzes.com identifies 38 unique strengths across five domains, providing a detailed profile that reveals how a client operates and what motivates them. Coaches who use psychometrically validated tools are perceived as more professional and can charge premium rates. Sharing assessment results during the intake or early sessions helps clients gain self‑awareness and sets the stage for more personalized coaching.

Conclusion

A comprehensive intake process is the first step toward transformational coaching. By gathering detailed personal information, clarifying goals and expectations, and integrating validated assessments, you create a strong foundation for your coaching relationship. Explore more sample questions, templates and personality assessments at our upcoming LifeCoachLibrary.com to refine your intake process.