Coach Certification

It could be! Many of our participants are looking to add coaching to their professional portfolio, but don’t necessarily intend to launch a coaching practice. Alumni of our certification program note that it improves their leadership abilities, communication skills, and team management.

Our holistic and culturally responsive coach training programs weave together our combined expertise in coaching, education, cross-cultural facilitation, somatics, and restorative justice. The training will equip you with skills in the ICF Core Competencies for coaching, offering a foundation for a wide range of coaching applications.

Key influences in our coaching methodology include social anthropology, trauma-informed psychotherapy, restorative justice, nature-connected inquiry, mindfulness, forum theater, gentle horse training, expressive arts therapy, Yoga, Ayurveda, birth work, dance, DEIB theories, and intercultural dialogue. Learn more about our course offerings on our course catalog.

Yes! Coaching is growing as a field, and certain sub-fields of coaching are rapidly expanding, including mental health coaching, wellness coaching, relationship coaching, and business coaching. In addition to the opportunities to have your own coaching practice, there is a growing demand for trained coaches to work with larger coaching providers. There is a broad range of what coaching careers can look like, and we make sure to expose you to different types of coaches in the field during your program. You may choose to run your own coaching business, integrate your coaching skills in your existing work, work as coach through a larger company that provides coaching services, or use coaching as a side hustle for additional income.

Yes, many of our participants fund all or part of their training using funding from their employer. Please reach out to us if you would like support on how to make the case for coach training as professional development.

We recommend doing your research on several different coach training programs before selecting one for you. There are many types of coach training programs out there, from short one-day training programs to fully accredited Masters programs. Check out our (somewhat outdated but still quite useful) webinar, Choosing Your Coaching Path, to learn about some of the considerations for choosing a training program.

Many of the participants in our program have thought about careers in therapy. Some people do both! We’re happy to set up a call with you to discuss some of the pros and cons as you consider the best route for you.

There are defined ethical delineations between coaching and counseling or therapy, and in some cases, such as mental health coaching relationships, there may be overlaps between the two. Both coaching and therapy can support a client’s mental health and wellbeing. Coaching tends to focus on the future and usually involves visioning, an emphasis on what’s working, and setting goals for the short and long term future. Therapy tends to focus on healing trauma, using the past to understand the present, and building skills for managing emotional issues. Coaches are not qualified to provide therapy and the ICF provides clear guidelines on when to refer a coaching client to therapy.

Our full-price program tuition is $9,650. We offer a sliding scale tuition plan for participants with various levels of financial circumstances, and also have a limited number of full and partial scholarships available. We require a non-refundable deposit (included in the program price) to secure your space in the program. Quarterly and monthly payment plans are available. Learn more about our Program Tuition.

The minimum cohort size is 8 participants, and the maximum cohort size is 20 participants. We limit group size to ensure that participants can form a cohesive community of co-learners and that everyone gets the opportunity to practice and get individual attention from faculty.

Coaching for Complexity consists of 125 contact hours. This includes both synchronous hours (intensive weekends, shorter weekend classes, coaching labs, small group pod meetings, and 1:1 mentor coaching) and asynchronous learning (pre-work for classes that includes videos, readings, and other assignments). Additionally, participants must complete 20 hours of practice coaching during the program. View class schedule >>

Most participants graduate on time, however, if you’re unable to complete the program by the program end date, you can have the option to roll your credits into a future cohort to complete your requirements.

The 2025-2026 cohort of Coaching for Complexity will be delivered 100% virtually. Live sessions will take place on Zoom.

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Yes, our program has Level 2 accreditation from the ICF (International Coaching Federation), the gold standard accrediting body for coach education programs. This means that when you graduate, you’re able to apply for an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential through the ICF after you log 100 hours of coaching experience, or a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential through the ICF after you log 500 hours of coaching experience.

Regardless of whether you choose to pursue an ICF credential, getting certified through an accredited program lends weight and credibility to your coaching education. Most employers who hire coaches on staff want to see evidence that you’ve been trained through an accredited program, even if they don’t require a credential.

At Global Focus Coaching, we believe in upholding ICF standards because it helps preserve the integrity of coaching as a profession. An accredited program will always include key elements like mentor coaching, feedback on your coaching, curriculum that meets professional standards, and a performance evaluation. Accreditation means that we have gone through a rigorous review process and had to meet certain benchmarks that ensure our graduates uphold the core competencies and ethical guidelines of being a professional coach.