As a member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF), I am dedicated to coaching excellence and ethical practices as defined by the ICF, which is one of the largest professional coaching organizations in the world.
As a member of the ICF, I am committed to following the values of the ICF. As quoted from the International Coaching Federation website, the values are:
Professionalism: “We commit to a coaching mindset and professional quality that encompasses responsibility, respect, integrity, competence and excellence.”
Collaboration: “We commit to develop social connection and community building.”
Humanity: “We commit to being humane, kind, compassionate and respectful toward others.”
Equity: “We commit to use a coaching mindset to explore and understand the needs of others so we can practice equitable processes at all times that create equality for all.”
What is the difference between an ICF member and an ICF credentialed coach?
To become a member, I had to validate that I completed an accredited coach training program (Erickson International – Solution-Focused Coach Diploma Program) and pay an annual fee.
To become a credentialed coach with the ICF, one must complete a certain number of training hours, plus complete a certain number of hours of coaching, as well as have a certain number of sessions observed by a coach at a higher credential. More information is available on their website here: https://coachingfederation.org/credentials-and-standards
While I have been coaching for over 10 years, by embarking on the ICF approved training and credential in 2021, only those hours from the start of my training could be counted towards my credential. Once I have completed my training, my validated hours and been successful at the required review of my sessions, I will apply for an ICF credential.
Must one have a credential to be a coach?
No, in Canada where I live, and many countries around the world, one does not have to have a credential, or even special training, to call oneself a coach. By committing to the training and credential process, people like me are taking a path of pursuing excellence and ethics in the services they provide. There are obviously exceptional people who are currently coaches who do not have a credential. There are also other credentialing organizations however, I chose the ICF for their long history of excellence and their separation of credentialing from accreditation.
I have made the choice to pursue training and a credential to build on my over 30 years of business experiences. I understand that following a high level, industry recognized standard will reassure my clients are getting the very best support, while it meets my own personal high standards.
If you have any questions, please do reach out! I’d love the opportunity to chat with you. You an send an email to support@personalchange.ca or call: 1-778-358-9153 . You can also send an SMS/text to that number.