
Consistency, precision, and efficiency for ICF coaching competency assessment. Built by the team at Youth Coaching Institute. Designed for coaches, training programs, and mentor coaches who take quality seriously.
Explore Critara at Critara.proCompetency evaluation is at the heart of everything we do in the coaching profession. It determines who earns credentials, whether training programs meet accreditation standards, and whether coaches are truly equipped to serve their clients well.
The problem is that the current process is time-consuming, inconsistent, and difficult to scale.
Critara was built to change that. Developed by Leah Mazzola, PhD, PCC, NBC-HWC, BCC, Founder and CEO of Youth Coaching Institute, Critara translates the ICF Core Competency framework into an AI-assisted evaluation workflow that supports consistent, evidence-based, and scalable assessment.
Critara was not built by a tech company that learned coaching from the outside. It was built by a credentialed coach, behavioral scientist, and ICF program accreditation expert who has lived the evaluation problem firsthand.
The result is a platform grounded in the actual language, standards, and nuance of ICF competency assessment, not a generic AI tool repurposed for coaching. Every feature reflects the way evaluation actually works inside an accredited program.
Whether you are preparing for your ACC, PCC, or MCC credential or working to develop your skills between supervision sessions, Critara gives you objective, competency-level feedback on your coaching sessions before it counts.
Mentoring and supervision require your full presence and professional judgment. Critara handles the administrative weight of session evaluation so you walk into every mentoring conversation with structured, competency-level feedback already in hand. The paperwork is done. The developmental work is yours.
Critara gives ICF-accredited programs a consistent, defensible evaluation framework that works across evaluators and cohorts. Your team evaluates with greater confidence. Your graduates credential at higher rates.
Assessments are mapped directly to the ICF Core Competency framework so feedback is always grounded in the actual credentialing standard.
Critara applies the same evaluation criteria across every session so results are defensible and comparable across evaluators and cohorts.
Every evaluation produces a structured, competency-level report that mentor coaches and supervisors can review, refine, and deliver. The documentation is ready before the conversation begins.
Coaches preparing for ACC, PCC, or MCC can use Critara to get objective, evidence-based feedback on their sessions before submission.
Training organizations can track evaluation trends across cohorts to identify where coaches excel and where targeted development is needed.
Every plan includes access to an AI assistant grounded in ICF competencies, ethical standards, behavioral science, and youth coaching best practices.
Every Critara plan includes access to an AI coaching assistant built specifically for the work you do, not a general-purpose chatbot with a coaching prompt layered on top.
Ask about any coaching challenge and get strategies grounded in the ICF Core Competencies, ethical standards, psychology, neuroscience, adolescent well-being science, and lifestyle medicine. Never advice that crosses into therapy, consulting, or mentoring.
The assistant asks targeted follow-up questions and offers focused insight, not walls of text. It works the way a thoughtful colleague would.
Working with clients ages 10 to 30? The assistant draws on the YCI Youth Coaching Competencies to provide age-appropriate, developmentally informed strategies.
Built with ICF referral-to-therapy guidelines. If a situation falls outside the scope of coaching, the assistant helps you navigate the conversation responsibly.
Critara was developed by Leah Mazzola, PhD, PCC, NBC-HWC, BCC, Founder and CEO of Youth Coaching Institute, and built on a foundation of 13+ years running an ICF-accredited coach training program. It reflects the evaluation problems that credentialed coaches, mentor coaches, and accreditation reviewers encounter every day, and it was designed to solve them.
Critara is actively being developed for coach training programs, individual coaches, and evaluators. Visit the Critara website to learn more, explore features, and get on the early access list.
Explore Critara at Critara.proEXCELLENT Based on 63 reviews Posted on Sara Rossi Raccagni I decided to train with YCI because it was the only one with a solid scientific basis, which I believe is crucial from an ethical perspective. I completed both the Youth Resilience Coach and Youth Health Coach programs. It was the best investment I could have made: the instructors are highly trained and do know how to create the ideal environment for continuous growth.Posted on Fabio Friscia I highly recommend the services of YCI to anyone interested in improving their skills to coach young people. Between the material and the classes, their offer is absolutely stellar! I am giving just 5 stars because giving a hundred is not possible!Posted on Shahnaz Bonadurer I am very glad that I had the chance to take the Youth Well-being course at the Youth Coaching Institute. Being part of this community, meeting like-minded people, engaging in peer coaching experiences, and having access to many great resources, tools, videos, and meaningful conversations made a real difference in my coaching journey.Posted on Leslie C. Newbold Dr. Leah Mazzoula’s course at the Youth Coaching Institute is truly exceptional. It’s clear how much care and expertise went into creating a program that’s science-based, evidence-backed, and incredibly supportive. I highly recommend it to anyone working with teens, parents, or anyone looking to grow as a coach and human being.Posted on Heather Mooney Incredibly grateful that I was strongly recommended to attend this program by another YCI alum (the amazing Cyndy Etler "the teen life coach"). After completing my coaching certificate I *totally* get why Cyndy insisted I attend YCI when I shared the intentions of becoming a coach! It's been instrumentally helpful in a multitude of ways and much more of a mindset shift than anticipated. All of the instruction, coaching practice and mentoring has been integral to my success as a coach. Appreciate the ongoing positive regard, growth mindset, and perpetual support for our continued coaching development as we navigate the various pathways for our careers.Posted on Robert McClellan I entered this program hopeful, but unsure of what to expect. It exceeded my expectations in so many ways. The training was thorough, supportive, and engaging. I feel equipped and eager to continue this important work! Highly recommend.Posted on Claire Gatonby I work extensively with the youth and found the YCI Youth Coaching course very insightful and valuable. The combination of theory and practical with tips on how to use this in meaningful interactions was highly beneficial. I would recommend this course.Posted on Kody Hersh I appreciated YCI's model of independent self-study combined with live classes for coaching practice and discussion. The content of the self-study materials has been really helpful for me as a youth professional in refreshing my knowledge of adolescent development, and learning how to use that knowledge to provide effective support as a coach. Program leaders are gifted and knowledgeable, and admin staff provided prompt and skilled support.Posted on Huaru Kang Participating in the YCI courses and becoming a certified Youth Well-being Coach through the YCI training has been truly an inspiring and rewarding journey. The program has not only deepened my understanding of youth development through self-study courses but also equipped me with practical coaching skills through online live sessions. I particularly appreciate its research-based and evidence-driven approach, which makes the course content both convincing and impactful. This clearly reflects Dr. Leah’s hard work and dedication. I am also very grateful for the support of our online meeting facilitator, Bonnie. She is a wonderful person, very kind and supportive, and demonstrating outstanding professionalism in coaching.Posted on Heidi Huelster This incredible program is the real stuff that you need as a Youth Coach. Not only are the Coaches who are facilitating actually IN the world coaching and professional, but are beyond gifted. I am grateful for what I have gained as a Coach and beyond happy that I dove in for the whole experience. You won't regret doing the same.
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