Coachee Content Considerations

Life coaching is a forum where clients discuss real-life experiences to enhance awareness and set and pursue goals that matter to enhancing their lives in some way. This may include welcome and unwelcome experiences. While coaching is not therapy, nor a substitute for therapy, life coaches do and will encounter supporting clients through difficult conversations and emotions at times. You will be trained to recognize indications that clients may need a referral to therapy, as not everyone is ready, willing, or able to engage in the coaching experience. Embarking in the coach training journey is committing to holding space for clients in a safe and supportive way. A core factor of coach training is also being coached – experiencing sitting in the client seat. Since coaching clients are ready, willing, and able to engage in the coaching process, it’s also important for coach trainees to meet this criteria.

Virtual Practicum-Based Experience Considerations

Energy and Capacity Demand

Learning to coach well is often a process of habit formation and change related to the way we interact with others. Coaches behave, engage, and communicate with coachees in very specific ways. That means, trainee coaches must have the capacity and space to attend to that habit change as they develop their skills. If you are already overstretched, overworked, and/or overwhelmed, it may not be feasible to engage in this training experience until you’re able to lighten your load enough to manage the additional challenges inherent in this training process.

Participation Expectations

Practice coaching sessions in class are designed to give the coach a chance to practice their skills while under supervision in the training environment. A number of those sessions are observed and evaluated for feedback and scoring. Trainees must pass a particular number of those evaluations based on their training path.

When serving as a practice coach,

• remaining on track with the self-study content is vital to ensure you’re well-equipped to coach your coachee well and do no harm,

• Joining the session from a private location is imperative to 1) protect the practice client’s privacy and confidentiality; and 2) remove all distractions to focus on mindfully attending to your coachee.

When serving as a practice client,  

• Trainees need to be able to attend the session from a private location where they are free from distractions.

• Being focused and settled while sitting in the coachee seat are imperative to a meaningful coaching session.

We’d love to have you join us in this deep, beautiful work, if this sounds like a fit for you! 

Live Training Schedules Designed to be Accessible for the Working Professional  from Anywhere in the World

Most of our trainees are pursuing their professional development around full-time careers and/or full-time family responsibilities. We believe lifelong learning and professional development should be accessible for all. As such, our programs are designed for the working adult to be able to complete weekly requirements in five hours or less. Our trainees also attend from all over the world; thus, our programs are delivered virtually, via online meetings and transition between morning, evening, and weekend courses to accommodate diverse groups.

What to Expect from our Live Training Programs

We apply a combination of self-directed, active, observational, and experiential learning techniques in an environment where we foster positive interdependence among trainees.

Our live course options include self-study lectures, quiz questions, discussion prompts, and assigned reading that trainees can complete on their own time, when its most convenient for them, prior to the weekly live class. (Self-directed and active learning)

Live classes are led by ICF-credentialed Faculty who facilitate an opening debrief on the assigned self-study content where trainees get the chance to engage in rich dialogue around real-world applications. (Active learning and positive interdependence)

Trainees observe a real-life coaching session to witness skills in action. Faculty then leads the group in a debrief of the observed session to discuss observed competencies and/or opportunities. (Observational and active learning, positive interdependence)

Trainees are paired with peers to practice coaching skills in private meeting rooms where they take turns serving as the coach or client. (Experiential learning and positive interdependence)

Live classes close with a return to the group meeting forum to debrief on the practice experience. (Active learning and positive interdependence)

Trainees experience observations of coaching practice and receive supervision feedback and mentorship for ongoing skill development.