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Foundational Cohort - Level 1 / ACSTH Program Overview

International Coaching Federation (ICF) Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (Level 1)
Authorized International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) Certification Provider
Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) Continuing Education Unit (CEU)-Approved Program
Association of Coach Training Organizations (ACTO)

Foundational Cohort Program Overview

The Foundational Cohort, an ICF-accredited Level 1 program, is designed to provide the training and mentor coaching required to earn the ACC credential with ICF and prepare you for the assessment of your recording and for the CKA exam.

The Foundational Cohort will complete the Certified Professional Coach, the Certified Master Coach, and the Mentor Coaching Programs as scheduled on the journey to become a credentialed coach.

How long does it take to become a master coach?  Per the International Coaching Federation, ICF, becoming an ACC credentialed coach with involves the following:

  • 60 hours of coach training
  • 100 hours of coaching experience of which 75 or more hours must be paid
  • 10 hours of Mentor Coaching
  • Submitting one recorded coaching session that passes the ACC Assessor evaluation for competency
  • Taking and passing the Coach Knowledge Assessment, CKA, exam

This program is designed to provide the required training and mentor coaching hours, recording assessment, plus engage you in the learning opportunity that prepares you for the Coach Knowledge Assessment.  Following are full overviews of each program.

Select the boxes below for overviews of each segment.


This program is designed to develop the ICF's Core Competencies of a coach plus provide a model, coaching processes, and tools for you to start coaching.  There are five live, interactive, online classes and a group session:

  1. About Coaching: What a Coach Is Not, What a Coach Is, How to Excel as a Coach with the ICF's Core Competencies
  2. Ethics: What the specifics of the Code of Ethics means for you, scenarios and what to do, and ethical accountability
  3. Understanding Your Client: A tool for recognizing how your client is thinking and interacting combined with tips to adjust
  4. Communication:  Techniques for fully engaging through listening, clear, direct language, and asking powerful questions
  5. Focus and Motivation: Tools for recognizing language patterns and thought patterns to create a shift for a positive forward focus
  6. Group Session: Q&A, model and process overview, and explore resources

After each of the first five online classes, you will have an assignment to either research and reflect or to practice specific people and communication techniques, then write a two-page report.  Expect to invest at least 90 minutes in each of your reports.

For the Coaching Practicum you will Coach, Be Coached, and Observe Coaching during each of the following: Introductory Coaching Session, Opening Coaching Session, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Coaching Sessions.  After the opening session you will have a homework assignment in preparation for your second coaching session - expect 3 hours to complete it.

Because the coaching practicum involves you being matched with classmates to coach, be coached, and observe coaching full participation in all times scheduled is required.

Case Study: Fill in a table outlining the coaching process from the initial conversation through challenges.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Explain the parameters of coaching
  • List the ICF's Core Competencies
  • Discuss the Code of Ethics
  • Identify and coach different personal styles
  • Use listening, assertive communication, and questioning techniques
  • Recognize and adjust to V-A-K styles, Meta Models, and Meta Programs
  • Coach for proactive goal setting and action planning

One-on-One Coaching Session: Schedule your one-on-one coaching session individually to plan getting started with your coaching hours.  To support you engaging coaching clients and completing the required coaching hours, we also provide information and resources on business and marketing plus offer a free Q&A call each month. 

Designed to expand your knowledge and application of the ICF's Core Competencies of a coach, prepare for the Coach Knowledge Assessment, and add tools and techniques for your coaching.  There are six live, interactive online classes and a debrief class.  Before each class you will write a one-page report responding to three questions.

  1. Group or Team Coaching: Explore considerations for coaching groups or teams and prepare for your group coaching
  2. Ethics and Agreements: Review the don'ts and the do's for competencies 1 and 2, then explore application
  3. Coaching Process: Discuss the don'ts and do's for the competencies 3, 4, and 5, then expand with the how to tips for a coach
  4. People and Communication: Consider the don'ts and do's for competencies 6 and 7, then confer on how to effectively use the techniques when coaching
  5. Creating Change with Confidence: Go through the don'ts and do's of competency 8, then delve into application when coaching
  6. Time and Money: Review tools and basic concepts plus talk about coaching on sensitive topics with specific examples for time and money coaching
  7. Debrief: Chat about learning points and plan for your next steps as a coach

Before and After each class you will write a one-page report responding to three questions - expect to invest 45 minutes for each of these reports.

For the Coaching Practicum you will interview and be interviewed for coaching - these are scheduled outside of class time, Coach, Be Coached, Observe Coaching for three individual sessions each - again scheduled outside class time, and Coach the group plus be in the coaching group for six group coaching sessions.

Final Report: Write a two-page report about your coaching with a client over viewing your approach, results, and what you learned - expect to invest 90 minutes for completing this report.

One-on-One Coaching Session: Schedule your one-on-one coaching session individually to review your progress with your coaching experience and strategize your efforts.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Differentiate between Group Coaching, Team Coaching, Facilitation, and Training.
  • Plan for and coach a group session.
  • Fully describe a coaching agreement and the Code of Ethics.
  • Identify the do’s and the don’ts for meeting ethical guidelines and establishing the coaching agreement.
  • Illustrate and describe coaching process.
  • Recognize and apply the do’s and don’ts for establishing trust and coaching presence.
  • Practice and demonstrate active listening, powerful questioning, and direct communication.
  • Practice and demonstrate creating awareness, designing actions, planning and goal setting, and managing progress and accountability.
  • Explore sensitive topics and demonstrate openness to discuss in coaching sessions.
  • Identify areas for additional research to enhance coaching services.
  • Plan for and coach in keeping with the Code of Ethics and ICF's Core Competencies.

Designed to create a laser-focus on your demonstration of coaching competencies, the Mentor Coaching includes a 360 Assessment on the ICF's Core Competencies with a self-assessment plus evaluations from 3 to 6 clients.  Plan also to submit a recording of 20 to 60 minutes of you coaching a client along with the client’s permission to share with ICF and your Mentor Coach. The 10 hours of Mentor Coaching includes:

  • Three individual sessions totaling 3 hours.
  • One following completion of the 360 assessment with yourself and 3 to 4 clients
  • One or two following submitting a recording of you coaching a client for 20 to 60 minutes
  • The topic of the third session is open - it must focus on your coaching.
  • Five 90-minute group sessions focused on discussing the coaching competencies and their application in your coaching work.
  • Mentor Coaching Group 1: Introductions, Review the Group Coaching Format, Explore Ethics and Agreements in Coaching then Define Your Action Plan
  • Mentor Coaching Group 2: Explore Co-Creating the Coaching Relationship then Define Your Action Plan
  • Mentor Coaching Group 3: Explore Communication – Listening, Clear and Direct Language, and Powerful Questions then Define Your Action Plan
  • Mentor Coaching Group 4: Explore Creating Awareness then Define Your Action Plan
  • Mentor Coaching Group 5: Explore Challenges, Tools, and Techniques then Define Your Action Plan

Outcomes:

  • Earn 10 hours of mentor coaching for ICF's ACC, PCC, or MCC credential.
  • Strengthen your ICF's Core Competencies
  • Build confidence
  • Deepen active listening, rephrasing, and reflecting
  • Enhance clear, direct communication
  • Polish powerful questioning

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The full Level 1 Foundational Cohort, from Level 1 to Level 2 Growth Cohort, and Level 2 Advanced Cohort programs include the training hours, recording assessments, and Mentor Coaching required by ICF for the associated credential

By paying in full at one time, you will save! Programs include all class materials, classes, group sessions, and coaching sessions required for each certification.

  • The full program fee for the Foundational Cohort - Level 1 is $5890.
  • The full program fee for the Growth Cohort - from Level 1 to Level 2 is $5890.
  • The full program fee for the Advanced Cohort - Level 2 is $9780.

Prior to earning certification, applicant understands and agrees to complete the course work, attend all hours of training and fully participate, complete research, practice, and report assignments, fully participate in all segments of the coaching practicum, submit all evaluations, and complete the case study or final report assigned. Certification is possible within offered schedules; applicant has up to three months after the last pre-scheduled date of the program to complete the deliverables or transfer to a different class with the associated transfer fee. A certificate is issued upon completion showing the program approvals and accreditations for hours. Applicant agrees and understands that any opportunity for make-up work is at the discretion of the trainer. Transferring to a different class before starting is based on space available. If you attend part of the program with one class and part with another class, there will be an additional fee of $350.

The ICF has approved these programs as Level 1 or Level 2.

The International Coaching Federation, ICF, has accredited all Center for Coaching Certification programs as (formerly ACSTH, ACTP), Level 1, Level 2, or CCE. Partial hours of Level 1 or Level 2 programs are available as well as the complete cohorts.

The International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training, IACET, and Association of Image Consultants International, AICI, have accredited offering CEUs as follows:

  • The Certified Professional Coach program: 30 hours = 3 CEUs, is $1995.00.
  • The Certified Master Coach program: 35 hours = 3.5 CEUs, is $2195.00.
  • The Certified Advanced Coach program: 35 hours = 3.5 CEUs, is $2195.00.
  • The Coaching Experience class: 30 hours = 3 CEUs, is $1995.00.
  • The Mentor Coaching meets the ICF requirements for the ACC, PCC, or MCC credentialing = 1 CEU, is $2195.00.
  • Foundational Cohort: = 7.5 CEUs, Level 1 is $5890.
  • Growth Cohort: = 7.5 CEUs, from Level 1 to Level 2, is $5890.
  • Advanced Cohort: = 14 CEUs, Level 2, is $9780.

AICI CEUs may be earned. Please note that while these courses are accredited by the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) certification earned through the trainer upon completion of this course is entirely independent from AICI’s certification programs. If you wish to pursue AICI certification, please refer to AICI's website. http://www.aici.org.

The International Coaching Federation, ICF, and International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training, IACET, have accredited offering CCEs or CEUs as follows:

  • 10 CCEs or 1 CEU for the Coaching Supervision group, is $2095.
  • Coaching Skills for Professionals: 12 hours of Core Competency = 12 CCEs or 1.2 CEUs, is $895.
  • Diversity and Equity in Coaching: 8 of Core Competency and 2 of Resource Development = 10 CCEs or 1 CEU, is $595.
  • Science of Positivity: 12 hours: 8 of Core Competency and 4 of Resource Development = 12 CCEs or 1.2 CEUs, is $595.

The program is owned by the Center for Coaching Certification LLC, parent company Effect Services LLC, and its founder Cathy Liska. Other trainers are independent contractors with no proprietary interest.

The program and materials are the intellectual property of the Center for Coaching Certification LLC. Participant hereby agrees that there shall be no sharing, replicating, duplicating, or otherwise reproducing the materials for the use of anyone other than the course participant, and no using the content for training programs.

Classes are recorded for the participants. Recordings are also used for internal training of trainers, periodic audits by accrediting organizations, and occasionally for students in other classes when their recordings are defective. Registering for a class means agreeing to these uses of recordings.

Information from each form on this website is used by the Center for Coaching Certification to respond and follow-up. The information is maintained on our internal database. Trainers maintain student records during classes and after a class is over the Center for Coaching Certification maintains the records internally. Completing a form means agreeing to your information being held in our records.

Cancellation Policy: In the event you must cancel participation, up to seven days prior to the start of the first program webinar you may request a refund of the amount less a twenty percent processing fee; six days or less prior to the start of the first program webinar you may request a refund of fifty percent of the registration. You may transfer your full registration to someone else up to three days prior to the start of the first webinar. Transferring to a different class before starting is based on space available.

Transfer Policy: If you attend part of the program with one class and part with another class, there will be an additional fee of $350.

The Center for Coaching Certification is focused on the integrity of all coach training programs. To ensure the student experience is honored and certification standards held true, payment or the registration fee must be paid to hold a space in the program and the full amount is due in before the start of the program. Payment in full is the best rate and payment plans of two or three payments are available at an additional cost.

Any Certification earned through the Center for Coaching Certification upon completion of a course is entirely independent from other certifications or credentials. (If you wish to pursue an ICF credential, this program will provide required training hours and mentor coaching - for the application please refer to ICFs website at coachingfederation.org; for AICI Certification, please refer to AICI’s website at aici.org/certification)

You can hold your place in class and complete registration by submitting payment. Payment in full is due before class starts.

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