For the past several decades the profession of coaching has grown from a small group of individuals typically affiliated with the human resources departments of various businesses to a recognized industry supporting thousands of individuals in reaching their stated professional and personal goals. As this growth occurred, a number of coaches came together to create specific criteria for the expanding profession. These individuals recognized the need for consistency in skill training, identified standards and ethics, and self-regulating methods for the industry as a whole. Eventually, the International Coach Federation was established. Although there are other credentialing organizations, the International Coach Federation is recognized as the largest international resource for business and personal coaches. Currently, ICF has more than 13,000 members in 80-plus countries and 162 chapters in 45 countries.

There are a number of programs currently offering training to be certified as a coach. Some of these programs have met specific International Coach Federation requirements as an accredited school. These requirements include following an adherence to specific skill development, a commitment to certain standards and ethics, and approval from the ICF for specific course content and methodology. Thus, the organization doing the training has established criteria for their students to meet in order for them to be recognized as a certified coach. The ICF credential is awarded to professional coaches and coach training agencies that show they meet or exceed the minimum standards.

The International Coach Federation offers levels of credentials based on specific requirements involving hours of training, supervision of coaching calls, documented coaching hours, letters of recommendation and completion of their application process. There are currently three levels of credentialing available; Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC). In additional to full certification, the ICF recognizes certain schools and programs as providers of ICF Approved Coach Specific Training hours. These hours may be applied against the requirements for full ICF certification and are specific to a particular area of coaching. The NEXT STEP FOR SUCCESS® coach training, “Coaching Parents, Struggling Teens and Young Adults”, is such an ICF approved program.

When asking the question as a prospective client or coach “why bother with coach certification?” be advised that in the recent ICF Global Coaching Study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, 52 percent of coaches report that their coaching clients expect the coach they hire to be credentialed. Within the last five years, public exposure to the profession of coaching has grown tremendously and it follows that those seeking services of a coach will question their training and professional commitment.

A certified coach:

• Demonstrates a commitment to professionalism


• Shows a commitment to following a code of ethics


• Offers a knowledge base and specific skills training


• Provides client with confidence that they are a credible professional

As the coaching professional continues to grow and meet new challenges of public scrutiny, the issues of certification will be an on-going question. For additional information check with the International Coach Federation and other training programs to assist you in making the right choice for you, your staff and families.