The International Coach Federation is a resource and a tool for coaches.
As a resource, the International Coaching Federation, ICF, offers continuing education opportunities, research, and networking opportunities. The ICF publishes the Code of Ethics and the Core Competencies. Even more significantly, the ICF is a leader in the profession and industry. The ICF is an advocate for self-regulation and provides the means to make it both possible and realistic.
The ICF provides an opportunity for coaches to network, collaborate, and learn. It supports coaches with continuing education opportunities, information, and coaching tools.
The ICF is a resource for coaching clients because with it they know the standards of their coach and they have a resource to go to if they have concerns.
The ICF is a non-profit, professional membership organization. To become a member, a coach must have 60 hours of approved coach training. If a coach is interested in additional credentialing, training plus experience may be combined in the process to earn one of three credentials, the ACC, PCC, or MCC. Each of these credentials requires an increasing number of training and paid coaching hours. Membership in the ICF is incredibly important for professional coaches and the additional credentials are an option.
