The Roadmap to Our Program

Our Faculty

The quality of any education or training depends importantly on those who teach. Our faculty have earned masters and/or doctoral degrees and are seasoned coaches with the great majority holding either PCC (ICF Professional Certified Coach) or MCC (ICF Master Certified Coach) certifications. They are distinguished not only by their expertise but also by their devotion to student learning and success.

We are also proud to have luminaries in various fields relevant to coaching—especially Positive Psychology—teach courses as invited guest faculty at MentorCoach. These have included Roy Baumeister, an internationally renowned expert on willpower; Barbara Frederickson, lauded for her work on positive emotions; and the late Chris Peterson, whose pioneering influence on positive psychology is major and lasting. Click here to see the learning opportunities available to you in the form of classic courses now available by recording.

MentorCoach also brings eminent scholars and thought leaders to our community through interviews with our founder, Ben Dean, Ph.D.; learn more about this in Why Choose MentorCoach? And to learn about our faculty in greater detail, see the Faculty section on our website’s main menu or click here. In addition to the caliber of the faculty, the caliber of your fellow students matters a great deal to the quality of your coach education. Learn more about the kinds of students you’ll encounter here in Why Choose MentorCoach?

The MentorCoach Program

Our program is straightforward. It starts with our required 31-week Foundations course, followed by a series of Master Classes. You can begin your Master Classes while still in Foundations if you choose. Only three of the Master Classes are required, with the rest being electives. To complete the program, you will need 125 hours of coach-specific training, including the required courses, which add up to 83 hours.

The MentorCoach Foundations Course

Our flagship offering, the 31-week Foundations course, is your first major step toward becoming a masterful coach. Incorporating a blend of research, theory, and coaching interventions that we have been refining since 1981, this class teaches sound principles of theory and practice as well as the nuts and bolts of getting your coaching practice up and running. Foundations is uniquely designed to empower you as you move into the richly rewarding field of coaching. Through our outstanding faculty and through collaboration with your fellow students, you will:

• Learn to coach using the ICF core competencies
• Develop a rich understanding of the nature and process of coaching
• Increase your awareness of how clients benefit from coaching
• Come to see how valuable coaching can be in many different situations
• Learn to effectively coach both individuals and groups
• Build a base of coaching skills based on research and practice
• Learn marketing skills congruent with your personality and values
• Enjoy a warm supportive community both during and after training
• Build your confidence through guided practice with our rich resources
• Begin the process of certification on a sure footing
• Enhance your appreciation of professional ethics
• Learn effective ways to manage risk
• Connect with others who have similar interests, passions and goals
• Experience personal growth as you develop your expertise

You can find more on Foundations and enroll in an upcoming class by checking the main menu or by clicking here.

MentorCoach Master Classes

At MentorCoach, all courses other than Foundations are designated Master Classes. Our students hone their skills and develop expertise in various areas through our exceptional catalog of such classes. All are taught by dedicated and experienced faculty, whether they belong to our regular faculty or are distinguished invited faculty. We hope you will explore the exciting options you will have for master classes in our program. Just check the main menu or click here.    

Our program requires that you complete three key master classes—one on ethics and risk management, one on coaching skills, and one involving expert supervision of your coaching. (For more information, see the Certification section below.) Other than those three, you can take any combination of elective Master Classes to add the remaining hours so that your total class time meets the required 125 hours. You can reach this total with as few as six classes. Students can take master classes simultaneously and many choose to do so.

If you choose to work toward a specialist coaching certification—Executive Coaching, ADHD Coaching, or Health and Wellness Coaching—you will have three or four specific required classes in that area which will count toward your total required hours. These master classes are open to all our students. See the Certification section of our website for more details on each certification program.

Coaching Certification

MentorCoach and ICF Certification

MentorCoach® is an ICF Accredited Level 2 Coach Training Program. In practice, this means that when we certify you as a Certified MentorCoach®, it is fairly straightforward to become ICF Certified as well. Our training provides complete preparation to become an ICF (Professional Certified Coach) PCC-level certified coach. You need only complete the program, pass your ICF exam, and finish the required number of coaching hours to qualify (at present 500). Until you have acquired the coaching hours, you will qualify for certification at ICF’s (Associate Certified Coach) ACC level.

For Certification at MentorCoach, students need to successfully complete the following:

1. 125 hours of coach-specific training, including electives plus 83 hours from our required classes
2. 100 hours of coaching experience (must be accrued after the start of formal coach training
3. Final Exam that includes both written and oral coaching components

How long does it take to be certified? You can go at your own pace. Most students take more than one class at a time. Doing this, students are able to finish in between 12 and 15 months. Others may take 24 months or longer, as suits their needs and preferences. Please note that almost all classes at MentorCoach are recorded and provided to enrolled students for download.

For full information on MentorCoach and ICF Coach Certification, click here.

Health & Wellness Coaching Certification

In addition to our regular coach training programs, our students have the option of becoming Certified Health & Wellness Coaches. We provide nationally recognized training in health and wellness coaching taught by leaders in the field. We are fully participating members in the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching (NBHWC).

For full information on our Health & Wellness Coaching Certification click here.

ADHD Coaching Certification

The MentorCoach® ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Coaching Master Classes allow students to become credentialed as ADHD Coaches. Our faculty is nationally known in the field of ADHD Coaching. We are acknowledged by the Professional Association of ADHD Coaches (PAAC) as a PAAC Accredited Coach Training Program.

For full information on ADHD Coaching Certification click here.

Executive Coaching Certification

Our students also have the option of becoming Certified Executive Coaches. We provide nationally recognized training in executive coaching taught by extraordinary executive coaches.

For full information on Executive Coaching Certification click here.