Which Path Fits You Best: Executive Coach Certification or Wellness Coach Certification?

September 23, 2025
By Jeffrey E. Auerbach, Ph.D., MCC, NBC-HWC

Executive Coach vs Wellness Coach Certification: Which Fits You?

If you're considering coach training, you may be wondering: "Which coach training program should I attend?" At College of Executive Coaching, you can pursue an executive coaching path that begins with our Intensive Coach Training Program and continues to the 72-hour Certified Professional Coach (CPC) Certification, or choose our Positive Psychology-Based Health & Wellness Coaching program leading to a Wellness Coach Certification. Both are rigorous, ICF-aligned options with clear outcomes and mentoring built in; the decision comes down to your intended clients and the change you want to facilitate.

Option One

Executive Coaching Path: Intensive Training (44 hours) → Full Certified Professional Coach Certification (72 hours total)

How it Works:

Download the Free Report

Six Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Coach Training

Privacy: we do not release contact information.

Most students begin with College of Executive Coaching's Intensive Coach Training Program — a fast-track, 44-hour experience covering six core courses in just five days: Coaching Skills and Practice Development, Emotional Intelligence in Coaching, Assessments in Coaching, Appreciative Inquiry, Executive Coaching Foundations, and the Coaching Competency & Feedback seminar. This intensive is the first phase toward executive coach certification and ICF credentialing.

After the Intensive training, you can begin coaching, although most of our students continue on to complete designated virtual courses and mentor coaching to reach 72 hours total and earn your Certified Professional Coach (CPC) Certification — College of Executive Coaching's ICF-accredited Level 1 pathway that fulfills the education and mentoring needed to obtain the ICF ACC credential.

Who it Fits:

Professionals wanting to coach leaders, managers, founders, or technical experts
Consultants, internal coaches, HR leaders, psychologists, therapists, and senior practitioners who want to expand into organizational and leadership coaching
Those who want to earn an International Coach Federation credential

Outcomes and Benefits:

Skills and practice to coach a wide variety of clients
Earn a recognized certification and the coach-specific education and mentoring required for an ICF credential — viewed by clients and employers as a sign of professionalism and quality
Option to continue on past our 72-hour curriculum to complete the Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach Certification (ACPEC (128 hours, ICF Level 2) for a complete ICF Level 2 accredited curriculum providing all the education and mentoring needed for the higher level ICF PCC credential

Option Two

Wellness Coaching Path: Positive Psychology-based Wellness Coaching (75 hours)

How it Works:

College of Executive Coaching's Positive Psychology-based Wellness Coaching Certification is a 75-hour program focused on evidence-based well-being practices and coaching methods. The curriculum prepares you to earn the National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach Credential (NBC-HWC) from the National Board for Health & Wellness Coaching (NBHWC). (There is also an optional add-on to include an ICF Level One Accredited Certificate.)

Who it Fits:

Professionals drawn to healthy lifestyle behavior change, and preventive health
Clinicians, therapists, RNs, wellness leaders, and coaches who want structured training in positive psychology and wellness interventions
Those serving individuals and organizations to help make improvements in stress-management, resilience, energy, engagement, workplace satisfaction and overall health
Graduates of other coach training and ICF credentialed coaches who want to focus on health and wellness

Outcomes and Benefits:

Gain applied positive psychology tools (strengths, meaning, resilience, engagement, gratitude, motivational interviewing, appreciative inquiry) within a well-being coaching framework
Earn a Wellness Coach Certification that provides the educational background for NBHWC certification
Prepare for the national exam for the National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach Credential (NBC-HWC)

Coaching Demand

Coaching demand continues to rise. ICF's 2023 Global Coaching Study reported 109,200 coach practitioners worldwide, a 54% increase from 2019 — evidence of robust growth and expanding opportunities across specialties, including leadership and wellness.

Side-by-Side: How to Decide

Your Client Focus

Choose the Executive Coaching Certification (Intensive → Certified Professional Coach Certification, 72 hours total) if you want to work with executives, managers, and teams on performance, emotional intelligence, strategy, influence, and leadership capacity. The curriculum builds organization-relevant coaching competencies and assessment literacy leaders expect.
Choose the Wellness Coaching Certification (75 hours) if you want to help clients optimize well-being—health, engagement, stress management, physical activity, nutrition, resilience—through healthy lifestyle behavior change and positive psychology.

Your Credential Plan

Executive Path: Begin with the 44-hour Intensive, then complete required courses to achieve your Certified Professional Coach (CPC) at 72 hours (ICF Level 1 Accreditation) and meet the educational and mentoring requirements for the ICF ACC Credential. Later, many graduates continue to complete the remaining virtual requirements for the Advanced Certified Personal and Executive Coach Certification (ACPEC) at 128 hours (ICF Level 2 Accreditation) to meet educational and mentoring requirements for the higher level ICF PCC credential.
Wellness Path: Complete the 75-hour positive-psychology-based wellness coaching certification that provides the educational background for NBHWC and the Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach credential.

Your Professional Home Base

If your world is organizations — OD, HR, management, consulting, leadership development — the executive track is usually the most direct fit.
If your desired work centers on wellness, well-being and health outcomes — in your work, organizations, or private practice — the wellness track aligns naturally.

Your Long-term Pathway

Start with 72-hour certification and keep the door open to more thorough (128-hour certification) for advanced competencies and broader opportunities.
Start with Wellness Coaching (75 hours) if you want the National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach Credential; you can still take additional electives later as your practice evolves if you want to focus more on executive coaching, or obtain an ICF credential.

What You Gain Either Way

Structured, ICF-aligned Training and Mentoring
Both paths are taught by senior faculty and include extensive tools, models, competencies, performance feedback, practice coaching, and a clear roadmap to recognized credentials.

Credibility with Clients and Employers
Certifications and ICF or NBHWC aligned training reassures buyers that you adhere to professional standards and ethics.

Practical Tools You Can Use Immediately
From models, techniques, assessments and EI frameworks to strengths-based well-being protocols, you'll obtain skills that translate into client results.

Personal and Career Satisfaction
Coaches have career satisfaction ratings in the top 18% for career happiness which corresponds with reports of high autonomy, meaningful impact, and flexible schedules.