Advanced Personal and Executive Coach 128-hour Professional Coaching Certification

Advanced Personal and Executive Coach 128-hour Professional Coaching Certification

Our ICF-accredited Coach Training Program

This outlines our traditional curriculum leading a student to meet all educational and mentoring requirements for application at the ICF Professional Certified Coach level. Most students complete the certification with our 128-hour curriculum although some students will choose to complete additional "elective courses." We have a total of 324 ICF-approved coach training courses so sometimes a student may go over the minimum required 128-hour curriculum by taking optional additional courses.

Registration for the traditional Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach 128-hour certification program includes:

  • Begin program immediately with 24-hours of curriculum offered through our video programs
  • Concurrently enter into our other content rich virtual courses (see calendar for dates). Also participate in the 26-hour Coaching Essentials Virtual Course.
  • Complete mentor coaching individual learning labs: one-on-one virtual meetings with a faculty member mentor coach of your choice
  • Language of Instruction: English
  • The most economical tuition for full certification

You can complete your curriculum in a flexible manner by completing your online training courses in a schedule that you choose. In addition to the other courses referenced below and on our calendar, the 100% Online Coach Certification program students must attend the following course: Coaching Essentials Online Course.

Benefits of the College of Executive Coaching 100% Distance Learning Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach ICF-accredited Coach Training Program:

  • Save up to $2,000 or more by avoiding airfare and hotel expenses
  • Save up to $1,000 additional when registering in a single payment with early registration
  • Complete training from anywhere in the world with no travel
  • An integrated, International Coach Federation Accredited Training Program that meets all educational requirements for the ICF Associate Coach Credential or Professional Certified Coach Credential
  • Priority placement in virtual courses
  • Designated curriculum advisor to coach you on completing the program expeditiously
  • The fastest method to complete our certification program
  • Learn from senior, experienced leaders and originators of the coaching field
  • Combination of streaming video and virtual courses—no special technology needed
  • Small group Coaching Essentials Virtual Course to get you started
  • Assessments provided as part of curriculum
  • Marketing training and business development included in curriculum
  • Extensive feedback on your coaching from senior faculty members

The prospective student is encouraged to read the ICF requirements directly at the ICF website. Specific questions about ICF credentialing should be directed to International Coach Federation staff.


Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach Certification 128-hour ICF-accredited Virtual Learning Fast-Track Program

Coaching Skills and Practice Development

(Provided on streaming video immediately)
Faculty: Jeffrey E. Auerbach, Ph.D., MCC
Personal and executive coaching provides an exciting career path for experienced professionals to learn to build on their strengths and help their clients achieve their most important goals. Designed for both novice and experienced coaches, this course is our pre-requisite to all our other programs. Please view prior to beginning the Coaching Essentials Virtual Course.
  • Personal, business and executive coaching
  • Five step coaching model
  • Difference between coaching and therapy
  • Coverage of ethical and legal issues
  • How to convert your clinical skills to coaching skills
  • Coaching philosophy
  • Contraindications for coaching
  • Introduction to the use of assessments
  • How to develop a coaching plan
  • Introduction to specialty niche marketing to attract ideal clients
  • How to create high-fee teleconference groups ($250-$500/hour or more)
  • How to develop a national or international practice

Executive Coaching: What You Need to Know

(Provided on streaming video immediately)
Faculty: Andrea Molberg, Ph.D.
Many professionals possess the interpersonal skills needed to coach executives, but lack formal, advanced training in the specific executive coaching skills that are needed to be an effective executive coach. This workshop details the process of executive coaching with its special concerns, ethical issues, and language plus discusses the specific theories of industrial and organizational psychology that underpin executive coaching. Please view prior to beginning the Coaching Essentials Virtual Course.
  • Boundaries, responsibilities, and ethical issues
  • Sample contract
  • Special concerns in executive coaching
  • Executive coaching model
  • Developing the executive coaching agenda
  • Using business language
  • Helpful coaching resources
  • How to give constructive feedback
  • Knowledge requirements for executive coaching
  • Leadership research
  • Future trends affecting organizations and executives
  • Coaching executives in leadership skills
  • Implementing organizational change
  • Preventing burnout

Field Techniques of Executive Coaching

(Provided on streaming video immediately)
Faculty: Relly Nadler, Psy.D, MCC
Field Techniques of Executive Coaching provides hands-on, field-tested tools and applications to utilize with your coaching clients. You will learn effective change and motivation processes, and how to introduce and integrate these techniques into the coaching process. Can be completed at any point during the curriculum.
  • Learn how people change in coaching
  • The key components of the change process
  • Learn the "Assumption Ladder Technique"
  • Practice the "Leadership Two-Step"

Peak Performance Skills for Your Coaching Clients

(Provided on streaming video immediately)
Faculty: Sandra Foster, Ph.D., PCC
Can be completed at any point during the curriculum.
  • Coaching clients for increased optimism
  • Coaching clients to enhance flow
  • Peak performance visioning
  • Coaching the skills of peak performance

Coaching Essentials Virtual Course

How to Use Assessments in Coaching

Faculty: Jeffrey E. Auerbach, Ph.D., MCC and Senior Level Faculty (faculty may vary)

One of the most powerful tools in the coach's toolbox is the ability to use scientifically validated assessments to add value to the coaching process. Sophisticated coaching often involves incorporating assessments to help individuals identify areas for potential growth and focus of the coaching relationship. (Some of the assessments discussed in the course have educational purchase requirements established by the assessment publisher.)
  • Learn how to use four assessment tools:
    • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Step II Form Q
    • Spectrum CPI-260 Coaching Report
    • Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI)
    • Auerbach Coaching Questionnaire
  • Learn how to integrate assessment results into your feedback coaching preparation process
  • Your results for four complete interpretive reports
  • Learn how to communicate assessment results
  • Observe a demonstration of how to incorporate assessments into coaching sessions
  • Practice giving assessment feedback
  • Learn the value of combining assessments and coaching
  • Learn how to identify "blindspots," and recognize strengths
  • Learn personal and professional assessment-based coaching development strategies
  • Understand the ethical use of assessment tools

Emotional Intelligence and Coaching

Faculty: Jeffrey E. Auerbach, Ph.D., MCC and Senior Level Faculty (faculty may vary)

  • Key concepts of emotional intelligence
  • How emotional intelligence affects leadership
  • How emotion affects interpersonal relations and workplace performance
  • The key blocks to emotional intelligence
  • The emotional intelligence competency model
  • Assessment of emotional intelligence
  • Coaching the key skills of emotional intelligence
  • Model emotional intelligence programs
  • Best practices in coaching emotional intelligence

Appreciative Inquiry and Coaching

Faculty: Patricia Rachel Schwartz, MA, MCC or Lynn Jones, DSW, PCC

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a transformational change process that relies on helping individuals and organizations to appreciate and value what they do especially well. Appreciative Inquiry was developed at Case Western Reserve University and is growing rapidly in popularity. It has been used to fuel innovation in organizations as diverse as GTE and Habitat for Humanity. AI is often cited as an emerging "cutting edge" approach in the coaching field.
  • How to develop appreciative inquiries focusing on client's strengths
  • Appreciative interviewing strategies
  • Research and principles of appreciative inquiry
  • Creating provocative propositions from interview data
  • How to assist clients to design steps to achieve dreams
  • Fostering commitment in clients

Coaching Competency and Feedback Mini-Seminars

Faculty: Jeffrey E. Auerbach, Ph.D., MCC; Relly Nadler, Psy.D., MCC; Ana Montes, Ph.D., PCC; Patricia Schwartz, MA, MCC; and Lynn Jones, DSW, PCC (faculty varies)

This small group seminar with intensive faculty involvement provides the student with an opportunity to practice coaching and receive real-time feedback from a College of Executive Coaching Faculty.

Advanced ICF Core Competency Intensive Case Studies

  • Coaching practice sessions focused on core coaching competencies
  • Case studies demonstrating core coaching competencies
  • Student case discussion of actual coaching cases

Additional Included Virtual Courses and Activities

  • Intermediate Coaching Skills
  • Advanced Coaching Skills
  • Consultation and Support Course
  • Laws and Ethics of Coaching
  • Positive Psychology
  • Niche Marketing: Creating Your Ideal Coaching Practice
  • Mentor Coaching on ICF Competency Development
  • Faculty Review of Six Coaching Sessions
  • ICF Performance Evaluation of Your Coaching Competency

Additional Potential Elective Courses Beyond the 128-hour Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach Curriculum include courses in (additional tuition required for these optional courses, we have a total of 324 ICF-approved courses):

  • Emotional Intelligence Assessment (EQI2.0)
  • Well-Being Coaching
  • Team Coaching
  • Strengths-Based Coaching

Note: Faculty subject to change.

International Coach Federation Accreditation (ICF): College of Executive Coaching's 128-Hour Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach Certification is an International Coach Federation Accredited Coach Training Program. Accreditation is awarded to programs that meet the rigorous professional standards for coach training programs established by the ICF. ICF requires all Accredited programs to state the following: "Accreditation does not warrant or guarantee the effectiveness of the training or the student's ability to build a successful coaching practice."

Continuing Education: 128 CE Hours for the entire distance learning fast track intensive program. Psychologists: CEC is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. CEC maintains responsibility for the program. MFTs and Social Worker Continuing Education: These courses meet the qualifications for continuing education credit for MFTs and LCSWs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (Provider # PCE1780), as well as many other states. CEC is a NASW Approved Provider of continuing education (#886383501). Check with your licensing board, if applicable, for specific policies.

Cancellation/Refund Policy: In general, up to two weeks before the beginning of a program there is a $100 processing fee, for change or refund requests, prior to receiving any products or services, if the change or refund request is received by CEC more than 14 days in advance of the start of the teleconference program. Please note that once you take an assessment, or receive any streaming video programs, the refund policy changes and refunds or changes are only allowed if it is more than 14 days in advance of the start of the in-person program, and a $400 change fee applies. Beginning two weeks prior to the beginning of the telecourse program to within two days of the start of the teleconference program a full refund can be made less a $500 fee. Within two days of the start of the teleconference program, and later, there are generally no refunds or changes for any reason, although extenuating circumstances would be considered. If a course must be cancelled due to a natural disaster, crisis or instructor illness, the seminar will be rescheduled.

The 100% Distance Learning ICF Accredited Coach Training Program is a complete 128-hour curriculum. Tuition is made in either one or two installments. Members of the 100% Distance Learning Program receive priority placement in our virtual courses. This 100% Distance Learning ICF Accredited Coach Training Program may be completed in as little as eight months and must be completed within 24 months. Students who take longer than 24 months to complete the program will be assessed a $400 late fee and course registration will be based on availability.

A Member of

  • ACTP: Accredited Coach Training Program
  • APA-approved sponsor
  • BCC: Board Certified Coach
  • PHR, SPHR, GPHR Approved Provider
  • IOC: Institute of Coaching