Become Certified to Build Youth Resilience and Mental Fitness
Gain more than just a certification. Learn to create empowering, growth-promoting spaces that help youth build inner strength, adaptability, and a sense of belonging—even in the face of change.
We’ve had the pleasure of training coaches for:









Championing Youth Empowerment: Unveiling Strengths, Bridging Gaps
We believe deeply in human potential and the ability to shape our own futures through intentional action. Teens are naturally resourceful and capable. With the right support, these qualities can help them overcome challenges and lay foundations for a successful future.
At Youth Coaching Institute, we recognize that young people are learning to balance a growing need for independence with the guidance they receive from adults. This transition can be both exciting and challenging for parents and caregivers.
Youth coaches play an important role here. Our vision is to ensure every tween, teen, and emerging adult has access to a qualified youth coach who can support them in building a positive identity and essential life skills to be their own hero.

Our Science-Backed Youth Life Coaching Training Services
Benefit from our accredited curriculum blending psychology, health, and wellness sciences with proven coaching strategies. Every lesson is designed to strengthen your ability to help young people fuel their brains, bodies, and minds to meet challenges and thrive.
We provide live certification programs, self-paced courses, and resources for adults and organizations worldwide. Our offerings are designed for anyone seeking professional growth and impact in positive youth development—including educators, social workers, youth advocates, supervisors, and other caring adults. Our experienced instructors support you with practical, proven coaching skills, helping you build confidence, credibility, and tools to empower the next generation.

Coaching Certifications
Become an ICF-accredited Youth Resilience Coach through our live, virtual coach training programs, ideal for aspiring adolescent life coaches.

Coach Continuing Education
Deepen your knowledge base, refine your skillset, and access ongoing supervision with non-certification coaching courses and advanced skills.

Program Advising
Coaching Certifications
Become an ICF-accredited Youth Resilience Coach through our live, virtual coach training programs, ideal for aspiring adolescent life coaches.
Coach Continuing Education
Deepen your knowledge base, refine your skillset, and access ongoing supervision with non-certification coaching courses and advanced skills.
Program Advising
Deepen the impact of your organization on young lives with our Advising services, designed to improve the skills and approach of businesses .
Basic Coaching Skills and Adolescent Well-being Science
The purpose of this program is to introduce youth-serving professionals, parents, and/or other caring adults to core coaching competencies and adolescent well-being science to support and empower tweens, teens, and emerging adults.
- 12 hours of self-study training, including 6 hours of lectures, associated discussion prompts, coaching demonstration observations, and assigned reading
- May be taken as a standalone course, or as the first of a series of courses on the path to our certifications.
Have Questions? Schedule a Q&A With Us.
Whether you have some coaching experience under your belt, want to better serve youth in your profession, or are exploring a fulfilling career pivot, we’re here to guide you on the best path forward. Fill out our contact form or schedule a live 20-minute Q&A to learn more.
How To Get Started: Choosing Your Teen Life Coaching Pathway
We offer several tiers of certification to fit the various needs and goals of our trainees. Browse through our offerings and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about which path is right for you.
Once you’ve identified the right course or certification program for your needs, easily sign up and pay online. We list all of our prices and use a simple cart checkout system, so you can begin the registration process today! All of our programs include self-study courses delivered online. That means, you can begin your course work immediately, even if you’re registered for a program that includes a live group option.
If you sign up for one of our live certification programs, make sure check out your course’s upcoming training schedule. If you opt for one of our self-paced elective courses, you can access the curriculum material at any time.
Why Choose the Youth Life Coaching Institute for Certification & Training?

Behavioral Science-Based Coaching Approach
Our curriculum is built on a strong foundation of proven behavioral health principles. Studies show adolescent interventions, including personal and social skill-building practices, developed from a strong research base significantly enhance self-perceptions, school engagement, positive social behaviors, grades, and reduced problem behaviors.

International Coaching Federation Accreditation
The ICF is one of the highest-regarded coaching certification organizations globally, recognized for its stringent education requirements and rigorous credentialing process. We are proud to offer full professional coaching and certification paths accredited by both the ICF and the Center for Credentialing and Education.

Community of Social Change Agents
We’re a community of social change agents who experienced our share of struggles as adolescents. We managed to overcome, learn to thrive, and establish lives we can be proud of. Now, we’re committed to reaching back and supporting the next generation of young people who’ve yet to see the light on the other side of their struggle.
Why Choose Youth Coaching Institute for Certification & Training?

Behavioral Science-Backed Coaching Approach
Our curriculum is built on a strong foundation of proven behavioral and health science principles. Studies show adolescent interventions, including personal and social skill-building practices, developed from a strong research base significantly enhance self-perceptions, school engagement, positive social behaviors, performance, and reduced problem behaviors.

International Coaching Federation Accreditation
The ICF is one of the highest-regarded coaching certification organizations globally, recognized for its stringent education requirements and rigorous credentialing process. We are proud to offer full professional coaching and certification paths accredited by both the ICF and the Center for Credentialing and Education.

Community of Social Change Agents
We’re a community of social change agents who experienced our share of struggles as adolescents. We managed to overcome, learn to thrive, and establish lives we can be proud of. Now, we’re committed to reaching back and supporting the next generation of young people who’ve yet to see the light on the other side of their struggle.

About YCI: Our Mission to Support & Empower Youth Through Life Coaching
We equip caring adults and youth-serving professionals to build stress resilience and mental fitness in young people through skillful coaching. By fostering insight, strength, and self-discovery, we support tweens, teens, and emerging adults as they navigate life’s challenges and define their own path to success.
Our trained coaches walk away with the tools and understanding needed to help youth thrive—not by removing obstacles, but by nurturing the skills to overcome them.
Together, we champion clarity, compassion, and growth, supporting the next generation as they become who they are meant to be.
EXCELLENT Based on 49 reviews Tyshonna Delaney2025-05-13 My experience with The Youth Coaching Institute has been nothing short of life-changing. The training was thoughtfully designed, truly aligned with the development of coaches, and provides resources and community for coaches. The instructors were not only experts in the field, but also incredibly supportive and engaging throughout the process. I successfully and confidently completed YCI feeling fully equipped to support youth in meaningful, strengths-based ways. The community of fellow trainees was also inspiring—diverse, passionate, and deeply committed to making a difference. Whether you're new to coaching or looking to specialize in youth development, YCI is a great organization to support your goals. I highly recommend it to anyone serious about empowering the next generation. Shyla Mathews2025-04-08 I have just completed CYWC with Dr Leah and Team! Highly recommend this training if you are looking at starting your coaching journey. The pacing of the programme is well planned with all the materials prepared well and very informative. Learnt so much and Dr Leah is very responsive to all my questions. Анна Крбашян2025-03-09 I recently completed the coaching certification course, and I couldn’t be happier with my experience! Dr. Leah is an amazing instructor—professional, supportive, and incredibly knowledgeable. From the very first session, I could tell I was in good hands. The course was engaging, and I loved every minute of it, even though I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. The material was well-structured, and Dr. Leah’s teaching style made it easy to understand even complex concepts. I also appreciated the supportive learning environment, where all my questions were answered thoughtfully and thoroughly. I’m so glad I found this course and feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from Dr. Leah. I’m excited to start my coaching journey and would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to become a certified coach! Valerie Shaw-Gavel2025-01-23 I wasn't exactly sure what to expect from my experience with YCI. It took one class and I was completely invested. Dr. Leah is knowledgeable (due to academia and life experiences) and has a tremendous passion for coaching that trickles down through her students. I learned more about myself throughout this course than I did in 4 years of college. The way the classes are taught, through peer conversations, video coaching sessions, reflections and coaching practice the takeaways come very easy. She works hard to meet people where they are directly and kindly. I will continue my connection with YCI and Dr. Leah in the future because I truly feel I am part of a "coaching family" now. Darrin Olmscheid2024-11-28 Dr. Mazzola and team were wonderful. Approachable, communicative and provided instruction that was research based yet provided practical strategies and resources one could use the very next day! Grateful for this experience Mehroo Turel2024-10-09 Thank you, Dr. Leah B. Mazzola for creating this exceptional program. Your shared experiences, deep insight and understanding of young minds, backed by research and tools, made this program easy to learn and highly practical to use. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in this field. Angela Giles Klocke2024-09-04 I’ve had my eye on this training for a long time, so when the opportunity came up, I jumped in. Working with the team at the Youth Coaching Institute (YCI) was invaluable. While I am not new to coaching, there are so many ways to be an effective and impactful coach, and the training with YCI highlighted other techniques that I was able to start putting into action right away. The education and content, as well as the buddy coaching and coaching demos, offered a well-rounded experience in a comfortable learning environment. When it’s time to add to my knowledge and experience again, I will definitely return to YCI to continue. Jordan Tsuruta2024-08-29 YCI has greatly exceeded my expectations in terms of content, peer support, technical instruction, and overall personal value. This program has genuinely been life-changing for me. As a professional tennis coach with over a decade of experience and an active competitive athlete, I’ve gained invaluable insights into helping others—and myself—manage stress, identify unhelpful patterns, and create actionable plans for significant goals. While the education provided is both comprehensive and straightforward, applying the principles can be challenging. Fortunately, YCI offers an incredible mentorship system with ICF-certified coaches and guidance from Dr. Leah, providing essential feedback and support along the way. If you think you may be interested in learning what this program has to offer, I strongly recommend taking the leap of faith like I have and signing up! Becca Golden2024-08-28 There aren't enough words to fully express how incredible Dr. Leah's coaching programs are. My expectations were exceeded from the very first week of class and remained high throughout the entire course. I enrolled in the Youth Well-being Coach certification program to better support young people in discovering their strengths, potential, and goals. What I didn't expect was how much I would discover about my own. The experience was life-changing, empowering, and so much more. I am forever a grateful student and lifelong learner with Dr. Leah and YCI. Kathryn Armstrong2024-08-27 I highly recommend the Youth Resiliency Coaching Certification offered by the Youth Coaching Institute. As a Pediatric Cardiologist in Canada, I enrolled in this program to better support the youth and adolescents in my practice, many of whom have underlying heart disease. Through this certification, I gained valuable insights on how to support and facilitate young people to navigate the challenges of puberty, education, sports, and maintaining social connections. This experience was truly transformative for me, as I learned the importance of creating a safe and non-judgmental space for teenagers to express themselves and make their own choices. I am excited to integrate these learnings into my daily practice and empower teenagers and young adults to build resilience and strive towards their best selves, regardless of any underlying medical conditions they may have. I highly recommend this resource for any adult who works with young people. It will provide valuable support to help them succeed in life. Dr Kathryn (Katey) Armstrong Pediatric Cardiologist
Youth Coaching Expert Insights
Discover a library of free expert resources exploring the youth coaching landscape, the experiences of adolescents today, and opportunities to strengthen your approach.
Elevate Your Impact and Start Coaching Today
Make a positive and measurable impact with the Youth Coaching Institute. Develop your coaching skillset and begin the journey to becoming a certified youth life coach today.