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Frequently Asked Questions
Key Acronyms
Q:
What is coaching? A:
Coaching is an ongoing relationship between the professional coach and
the client, which focuses on the client taking action toward the realization of
their vision, goals or desires. Coaching uses a process of inquiry and personal
discovery to build the client’s level of awareness and responsibility and
provides the client with structure, support and feedback.
Coaching is considered to be distinct
from psychotherapy. Most coaches
engage in coaching with generally well-functioning individuals.
Coaches are helping people succeed with their most important goals –
not treating mental disorders. Q:
How do I get started in your training program? A: Most
people begin by registering for one of our intensive (six to seven days) coach training programs. Q:
What are the advantages of being a certified coach? A:
The public is being educated about the importance of certification as a
result of the high level of international media coverage the coaching profession
is experiencing. Certification is increasingly becoming a factor when potential
clients scrutinize a potential coach’s qualifications.
Q:
Do I need to be certified or licensed to call myself a coach? A:
Not generally -- there is no specific “license” for coaching.
However, most professionals find it ethically important to obtain
training and experience as they move into a new field.
Becoming certified in coaching tends to increase the professionals
skills, confidence and often their credibility and marketability. Q:
What is unique about coach training through CEC?
A:
The College of Executive Coaching has a world-class faculty of
successful, experienced coaches. Your
training experience will be greatly affected by the knowledge, experience,
facilitation skills and values of the instructor.
We are extremely proud of the College of Executive Coaching Faculty.
In addition, to complete the certification process, you work one-on-one,
for twelve sessions, with one of our faculty in the Individual Learning Labs.
This is like having twelve “coaching sessions” and most students use
this training, mentoring and coaching experience to help them build their
practice. The peer group within CEC is made up of
professionals with graduate degrees. Our students who have taken courses in
other training programs before they enrolled in our program consistently report
that our students are at a higher level of sophistication than the mix of
students they have found elsewhere. When
you consider that the other students greatly influence your experience, as you
are exposed to the type of questions they ask and practice coaching with them on
a regular basis, most professionals factor “who will be the other students”
into their decision-making. We believe that the CEC program is the
most content rich of the coach training programs. You receive training in both personal coaching and executive
coaching. Most of our students
already have years of experience and training in communication and building
rapport – so our courses are not similar to paraprofessional counseling skills
courses -- which is a criticism of many coach-training programs. For students who do not have a background in psychology or a
mental health related field, we have a specially designed, Master Communication
Skills course. In addition, our Niche Marketing: How to
Create Your Ideal Practice course, provides systematic guidance to assist
students in discovering their unique brilliance, formulate a niche coaching
practice, and design and implement a strategic marketing plan. Participants also get practice coaching
in all of our courses. Our students
have the added benefit of networking with others from around the country that
have similar interests. Q:
Is the field of coaching overcrowded? A:
No. For example, there are
500,000 mental health professionals in the US, but only about 2,000
significantly trained graduate level professional coaches.
Moreover, more people potentially are interested in coaching services
than psychotherapy. Q: I have a MBA. I notice much of your marketing seems to be directed towards psychologists who are interested in transitioning into coaching. Do you think the program is appropriate for me? A: You clearly meet our admission requirement of having a
graduate level degree. We do market
our program to psychologists, as some psychologists are very interested in this
type of career transition. However, we actively seek and encourage
MBAs, Organizational Development and Human Relations specialists, attorneys,
medical professionals, and educators in our program. MBAs typically
have business experience that psychologists lack so MBAs enrich our student
population in an important manner. Similarly,
psychologists often have particular communication and assessment skills that
business people often benefit from being exposed to so it is a good peer-learning
environment. About twenty-five percent of our students
are professionals in a field other than psychology. Of most interest to you though, would be
the content of our programs - we have a much more content rich curriculum than
other training programs. You could
review some of our course topics online or print out our brochures from our
homepage. Also,
Linda Black, MBA, our Program Coordinator, would
be happy to assist you at 888-764-8844. Q:
How do I apply for the certification program? A:
We recommend that you take some of our in-person courses. You might
enroll in one of our three-day in-person programs first to determine if our
training program is the right match for you or you might prefer to begin with
one of our six day or seven day intensive programs (the Intensive program is the
path most students take). You will get to meet some of our faculty and we will be able
to meet you. Then you would
complete a brief two-page application. Our
certification is for mature, self-directed adults who hold a graduate degree or
are enrolled in a graduate degree program.
Applicants need strong interpersonal relationship skills and
communication skills. Ideal applicants will have had
significant professional experience. The
ability to process complex information and “think on one’s feet” is
essential. As space can be limited
in our program early application is advised.
Most, but not all, applicants who meet our educational requirements, will
be accepted into our certification program. Occasionally, and only in unusual circumstances, a student
has attended our program, but has not demonstrated a typical level of
professionalism that characterizes our student body.
In a case such as that our education committee would meet to discuss the
student's observed performance in our program, and the student may receive a
recommendation that another program would be a better fit.
In that case, the student would not be able to continue in our program,
no tuition paid would be refunded for classes already completed, but the courses
completed would still count towards certification with the International Coach
Federation Portfolio Certification Application.
Once accepted into the program, a
transcript file will be opened in our office for you. A more in-depth description of the
72-hour certification program is available. Please call to request the “Certification Track
Worksheet.” We can mail, fax or e-mail that to you. Q: Can someone
without a graduate degree take your courses? A: Yes,
some of our
in-person courses are “open enrollment” which means you may be able to
enroll in them without a graduate degree (a B.A. or B.S. is required) if you have appropriate professional
experience. You
will need to contact us for individual permission, which usually is granted.
However, our certification program, our teleconference courses, our
Assessments course and our Coaching Competency and Feedback course are open only
to students who possess a graduate degree or are enrolled in a graduate degree
program. Q: I'm
interested in becoming certified in coaching – I have many years of experience
in my field and have used coaching in my professional role many times.
Do you provide certification in coaching to individuals who do not have a
graduate degree? A: The 72-hour
Certified Coach certificate and the 128-hour ICF Accredited Coach Training
Program Certificate Program (Certified Personal and Executive Coach) does
require a graduate degree. However,
all our in-person courses can be used for the International Coach Federation’s
(ICF's) certification portfolio application process.
Hence, sometimes a student may take some courses from our program, even if
they do not have a graduate degree, and use their course credit for seeking a
certification through ICF. Also, if you do not have a graduate degree but do have
outstanding executive level experience please contact us with your mailing
address. In about a year we will
launch our “Executive Track Certification” for exceptional senior executives who have
many years of experience but may not have a graduate degree. Q:
I am currently enrolled in a Master’s degree program.
Can I apply for your certification programs?
A:
Yes. You may be currently
enrolled in a graduate program and still apply for the certification.
However, you will not be issued your certificate until you have completed your
graduate program. Q: Do you anticipate coaching will
require a license? A:
There is no state legislation pending at this time.
Furthermore, there is an overwhelming movement to not create more
government regulation. We do not anticipate coaching will require a license any time
in the near future. The
International Coach Federation, with an office in Washington D.C., plans to
maintain a self-regulating profession, with certification and an ethics
committee. Q:
I live in London. Is there
an alternative to attending your in-person program? A:
First of all, many members of our student body are from outside the USA.
In addition, yes, we have several of our live workshops recorded on DVD.
The DVD programs come with the written materials, a short quiz, and can
earn six hours of CE credit each. We
recommend you attend the courses in-person to meet first hand with other
students and ask questions of the faculty.
However, if it is not possible to participate in-person, the DVD programs are a great way to go – plus you save on travel costs.
Completing the DVD programs will also prepare you for our
Teleconference courses, like Intermediate Coaching Skills or Niche Marketing: Creating Your Ideal Practice.
The DVD programs are copyrighted material and are for the sole
individual use of the individual purchaser. Q:
Can I start coaching after taking a three-day or six-day program? A: Most
attendees feel they can begin coaching after one of the in-person programs, however most
professionals who are serious about developing a coaching practice will take
additional courses through the program, and most will seek certification. Q: How long does
it take to build a coaching practice? A: You can begin
to develop a modest client base after taking the in-person program if you
utilize entrepreneurial qualities and are willing to communicate to others your
enthusiasm for coaching. Of course
you must operate in an ethical manner and provide professional services within
your area of expertise. You will be
most successful if you develop a coaching niche (we talk about that in the
course). Your success depends on
you as an individual. Your energy, continued training, confidence and your
commitment are four main factors that we observe as linked to success. Most
professionals who are already busy with their professional lives engage in a
transitional process, taking one to two years to build a relatively busy
coaching practice. Q: Is your program an International Coach Federation (ICF)
accredited program? A:
Yes, the 128-hour Certified Personal and Executive Coach Program is an
ICF Accredited Coach Training Program. All of our 128 hours of coach
specific training is congruent with the ICF definition of coaching.
However, in the interest of objective
background information, only a relatively small number of the most financially successful coaches that hold
graduate degrees have completed an ICF accredited program.
In other words, ICF accreditation is frankly not required for success.
For example, only a few of the senior level executive coaches in
Division 13 of the American Psychological Association’s Society of Consulting
Psychology are ICF accredited, although they are among the most highly
compensated psychologists in the world. There are advantages to ICF certification, and completing the full 128-hour ICF accredited track leads to most graduates reporting a greater sense of competence and confidence. However, it is your choice as to whether to complete the 72-hour program or the 128-hour program. A completely viable, practical approach is to complete our 72-hour Certified Professional Coach Certificate Program and then decide if you want to continue on with the ICF Accreditation Track. Our program is a post-graduate institute with admission requirements and we believe provides more advanced training than any of the other ICF accredited programs. We have been told repeatedly by professionals with graduate degrees that after a careful examination of the admission requirements (or lack thereof), course content and the faculty in other training programs, that the College of Executive Coaching Certification program is their first choice. A
new development in the coaching industry is that to be a full member of the
International Coach Federation one must be a credentialed coach through
ICF. Hence, most coaches now enrolled in coach training are planning on
becoming ICF credentialed. Q: I am a
licensed psychologist, so I feel that I already have extensive education,
training and experience. Is it
sufficient to earn your 72-hour certification, or do you think it is a much
better idea to complete your 128-hour certification program and then earn ICF
certification? A:
Certainly, the more training you have, the more you are generally
enriched, competent and confident. Historically,
many of our students have not had an interest in seeking ICF accreditation, as
our certification students must have a graduate degree, which is beyond what the
vast majority of ICF certified coaches have. In
the past, many of our Masters level and Doctoral
level certificate holders have found that a 72 hour certification program like
ours is about right for them and they were not that interested in a 125 plus
hour program -- which is what ICF certification requires. However, because ICF is becoming better known many professionals are interested in ICF credentialing and we are finding that there is tremendous interest in our 128-hour ICF track -- The Certified Personal and Executive Coach Program. In fact, most of our students now tell us that they are seeking the 128-hour level certification. Q:
Can I get certified by ICF by taking coach-training courses at different
coach training programs? A:
Yes. ICF has a certification
application called the portfolio application, which allows you to take coach
training from one or more various settings and apply those hours toward ICF
certification. However, it is a
significantly streamlined process to just graduate from a single ICF Accredited
Program like the College of Executive Coaching, as opposed to the more complex
and time consuming portfolio application. Q: How
much time is time spent by students in supervised coaching during your program? A: There is
coaching practice in our in-person workshops and in our Intermediate Coaching
Skills course. Also, we utilize a
peer-feedback system where you and your peers are taught a three-step feedback
model on your coaching techniques.
In the in-person courses, we would not say there is a lot of direct
supervision, though, as in a structured supervisor/supervisee relationship.
Many of our students (although not all) come from a psychologist,
or mental health professional, type of background so they are generally very
experienced and have considerable strengths in communication skills.
In our Coaching Competency and Feedback Seminar, students are
audio taped and videotaped and provided specific feedback with the STAR feedback
model. We also offer our eight-hour
Coaching Support/Supervision course specifically designed to provide support and
feedback on your coaching situations. In that course you are required to be actively engaged in
coaching at least one client, and bring, on a confidential basis, real life
client situations to discuss with the faculty and your peers.
If you are completing our 128-hour ICF Accredited Track you will also receive
written feedback on six of your coaching sessions. Q:
I am interested in taking your telecourses. Do I have to be a certification student to enroll in the
telecourses? A:
Yes. The telecourses are
open to certification students who have completed Coaching Skills and
Practice Development. Q: When would it be appropriate to
take the Coaching Competency and Feedback seminar (CCF Seminar)? A:
The CCF Seminar may be taken after Coaching Skills and Practice
Development. You need to come to the CCF program well prepared to
speak to the group for five minutes about your coaching niche or some
specialized aspect of coaching. Q: Do you have to be a mental health
professional to take these courses? What types of people take your courses? A: Although many
people in our program have advanced training in psychology-related fields, other
fields include: MBAs, Human Resource Management, Organizational Development, Consulting
Attorneys, Physicians, Sociologists, Executives, Educators, Medical Doctors and
other fields. Our students tend to
be mostly mid-life individuals who have advanced education, are already
successful in their careers, and who want to help others.
Our students are seeking to transition into the coaching field, add
coaching to their existing practice or expand an already existing coaching or
consulting practice. Q: What is
the number of Continuing Education hours that I will earn for an in-person
workshop? A: Each workshop
day is 6 CE hours (usually 9am – 4pm). The
three-day training is 18 CE hours. Our
two-day assessment course is 12 CE hours. Our
seven-day Santa Barbara Intensives are 50 CE hours.
We also have six-day programs that give 44 CE hours. Please view our
schedule for various dates and locations. You are given a certificate of completion for each course
after you sign out at the end of each day.
Only our two Marketing Courses, being marketing programs, do not carry CE
hours, but do count for coach certification. Q: What are
the workshop hours? A:
The hours for the in-person workshops are generally 9am to 4pm.
Occasionally, the last day of a series of workshops may be 8:30am to
3:30pm. Your confirmation of
enrollment will clearly indicate the course hours. The CCF Seminar is 8:15 AM to
5:00 PM. Occasionally we have CE
dinner programs that run 6pm – 9pm. Q:
I have had some coach training already.
Can I skip the workshop Coaching Skills and Practice Development
and just take other courses? A:
The Coaching Skills workshop is the prerequisite to all other
courses. A significant percentage
of our students have considerable coaching experience, whereas others are
newcomers to coaching so we have designed the initial coaching skills course to
provide something of value to everyone. The
initial Coaching Skills workshop is designed to orient our
students to our style and philosophy of coaching, provide an overview of our
recommended marketing strategy, as well as serve as a foundation for the entire
training program. We strive to make
it a powerful, useful course for all experience levels.
In addition, if you decide later that you want to pursue certification, Coaching
Skills is required. Q:
I read that you can complete the 72-Hour Certification Program in as little as
five months but
that it should be completed within twenty-four months.
Is there some flexibility with that time limit? A: You can
stretch your training out a little longer than 24 months. However, we do encourage you to take classes as often as
possible as the tuition is gradually moving higher and the program may shift
slightly over time. Q: What is
the estimated tuition of the entire 72-hour certification program? A: About $3,960 - $4260 depending on when
you register and which courses you take. Tuition
can be lower -- see below - or slightly higher if you take additional courses. Q: What
is the estimated tuition of the entire 128-hour ICF Accredited track, leading to
the Certified Personal and Executive Coach Certification? A: About $7,850 - $7,990 depending on when
you register and which courses you take. Tuition
can be lower or slightly higher if you take additional courses. The earlier that you register, the lower the tuition.
There are elective courses you can choose from that differ slightly in
tuition. A significant portion of the tuition ($1,620) is for the
twelve Individual Learning Labs, which are done over the phone, one on one, with
a CEC faculty member of your choice.
Many
of our students do not sign up for the whole certification program at once, but
rather choose to register in modules for the training. They usually begin with a six-day or a seven-day Intensive
(although some may begin with a three-day program).
Some students choose to only take the six-day program, whereas most
continue soon with other courses. Usually
the next courses that students take are Intermediate Coaching Skills and Niche
Marketing: How to Create Your Ideal Coaching Practice.
It is your choice as to which courses you will take and at what pace you
will go. Q:
Do these fees include individual coaching or study with one of your faculty
members? A:
Yes, we call the process the Individual Learning Labs, which are a combination
of coaching, mentoring and consultation with a CEC faculty member. Most students
use this process to help them build their coaching practices and/or get
consultation on coaching specific client issues. If you have additional questions,
contact our office and we would be happy to answer them or assist you with your
registration at 888-764-8844. Also, you may email other questions about our coach-training program by using this form:
You
may also register online now for courses by clicking here. College
of Executive Coaching 897
Oak Park Boulevard #271 Pismo Beach,
CA 93449 (805)
474-4124 (805) 474-5628 FAX www.executivecoachcollege.com |
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