While there are people who call themselves “coaches” without any formal, credentialed training, people and businesses are increasingly screening for qualifications of the coaches they hire. Being a “certified coach” sends a message to potential clients that you meet professional standards of conduct and training, including but not limited to: core competencies, best practices, and ethical conduct.
How much does the entire certification program cost and what do these costs cover? The total cost of the HabitChange Coach Certification Program is between $6500 and $7000 depending on who you use as your Mentor Coach. This includes $5480 tuition for four classes; $125 materials per class; $150-200 per session for 3 hours of supervision; and the $425 application fee, which includes the final written and oral exam. These fees do not include the application fee with the ICF to obtain your ACC or PCC credential.
The classes are designed to be fun, highly engaging, experiential, and informative. They consist of mini-lectures, discussion, demonstrations, practice coaching sessions, and other didactic and group exercises. The model of teaching is: learn, observe, practice, receive feedback, then re-enter the loop. Students report that they gain as much personally as professionally from this approach to learning coaching.
The International Coach Federation (ICF), is a nonprofit global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high professional standards, providing independent certification, and building a network of credentialed coaches. Formed in 1995, they are the largest world-wide resource for professional coaches.