MENTOR COACHING for ICF Credential
If you are a coach seeking to achieve initial credentialing or renewal with the ICF, I offer one-to-one and group mentor coaching programmes to support you in your journey.
What is Mentor Coaching
Mentor coaching, distinct from supervision, focuses on the coaching competencies or behavioral standards as outlined by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). These core competencies are used to determine that a practitioner is engaging in coaching, as opposed to other modalities, and to measure one’s proficiency as a coach.
My Approach to Mentor Coaching
I view mentor coaching not as a tick-the-box formality, nor as training coaches to pass an assessment. My approach to mentor coaching goes beyond simply learning and demonstrating competencies.
I believe that working holistically with the competencies, their philosophies and with the coach as person, yields deeper learning, sustained change, and insightful practice. When working with coaches on the ICF core competencies, we focus on a wider scope than just cognitive understanding of the competencies and behaviors. My work brings a shift in being, as well as intuitive and intimate knowledge of the core competencies, resulting in increased confidence, understanding, and mastery.
THE VALUE of Regular Mentor Coaching
To maintain a healthy practice, I recommend regular mentor coaching sessions throughout one’s credential validity period, akin to a regular personal hygiene practice. My passion is to support coaches who make use of continuous mentor coaching to support their skills development.
Outcomes from
MENTOR COACHING
Understand
your coaching style in relation to the competencies
how to demonstrate the competencies for ACC and PCC
Learn
a wider scope of approaches and techniques
in community with others
Map Out
your credentialing path
your developmental areas
Build
confidence in your skills
a more diverse coaching toolkit
Support Guide Available
If you find yourself in a bind and need help planning out your mentor coaching experience, feel free to download my mentor coaching support guide. The download is obligation-free and requires no sign-up.
About Me
I have a PCC credential with the International Coach Federation, EIA Senior Practitioner and ESIA with EMCC. I have over a decade of experience mentoring on ICF-accredited programs, and I am a certified coach supervisor. I support coaches to use the coaching competencies naturally, while being responsive to their clients.
I believe the value of coaching comes from high quality relationship, trust, deep insight, and personal transformation. The most appropriate action for the client emerges from their experience of this. While mentor coaching is primarily focused on coaches’ use of the core competencies, I may offer insightful considerations from transactional analysis theory and Gestalt into the work where appropriate.
I work with coaches pursuing or holding an ACC or PCC credential with ICF.
My Clients’ Experiences with Me
what is on offer?
I offer an intensive complete mentor coaching package, from which you can claim the full 10 hour mentor coaching requirement.
For coaches who have completed some mentor coaching already, I also offer group-only work and individual-only work. Contact me for pricing.
The mentor coaching intensive works like this:
- Group sessions involve an observed coaching circle followed by feedback on each coach’s use of the ICF competencies at the level they are looking to certify.
- 3 group sessions afford the maximum 7 group hour allowance.
- Individual sessions are 60 minutes long. The feedback can be on a client recording or work with a colleague from the group.
- You schedule the individual sessions as suits your needs. Ensure the mentor coaching spans at least 3 months as per ICF requirement.
- The mentor coaching complete programmes include an additional 3 hours of preparation and support contact. This includes
- an initial one-on-one meeting with you to determine your needs, paths to credentialing, requirements, and mutual fit. 1 hour. My experience is that a conversation clarifying what each person’s situation is and exact needs are, is crucial. We resolve any questions, areas of confusion on the process/requirements. This brings confidence in the path forward.
- contracting with the group to cover Q&A on credentialing, service scope, group working agreement, process requirements. I will share tips, resources and best practices with you, on choosing your clients and contracting with them, creating recordings and transcripts. 1 hour. These questions always emerge in the work, and setting aside specific time for these ensure the focused mentor coaching time is not compromised, while abiding by ICF requirements for logging mentor coaching hours.
- personal support- managing self, process concerns (confidence and competence), further Q&A, managing challenges, email support. 1 hour.
I offer a discount on full mentor coaching packages (7 group + 3 individual hours) for coaches in regular supervision with me. For information on this visit Pricing
Overview
In alignment with ICF requirements, my mentor coaching is a reflection on and learning from recorded or observed sessions.
The basic requirement for an initial credential or renewal is 10 hours of mentor coaching (max 7 group, min 3 individual).
The mentor coaching must take place over a minimum period of three months.
Take the Next Step with Me
If you would like to know more about how I work as a mentor coach and how my process supports authentic learning, I invite you to book a cost-free discovery session with me below.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why are the sessions and hours structured in this way?
From experience, the need always arises for additional time on 1-1 and group conversations specifically on the credentialling process requirements, mentor coaching vs supervision themes, and expectations from mentor coaching. Time spent on these topics is not counted by ICF as mentor coaching, but is very necessary to credential confidently.
Do I have to complete all 10 hours with you?
No. If you need individual mentor coaching we can still work together. The terms of this service will be co-created.
Groups take considerable effort to create and arrange, and as it is likely most group members will need the full complement of group hours, these cannot be scheduled ad hoc. If you know of colleagues who need the same amount of group hours as you (if you need less than 7), it may be possible to do this work together. It is however likely that completing your required hours as individual mentor coaching will be most feasible.
Will the mentor coaching hours I do with you count for my ICF credential?
Yes. I have a current PCC credential with ICF. I can provide mentor coaching for coaches seeking ACC and PCC credentials with ICF. I will confirm the hours of mentor coaching we have done together when ICF asks for this after your submission.
When should I start with mentor coaching?
I encourage coaches to spread their mentor coaching out over time, as part of a continuous professional development practice. The philosophy behind this is the same one would apply to one’s health, where last minute quick-fixes are seldom effective, wise, or in a coaching context- ethical. If you are rushing to fit in your required mentor coaching hours in the minimum 3 months before a due date, I encourage you to first seek supervision on your practice before embarking on a credentialling journey.
What should I expect in the mentor coaching feedback?
While mentor coaching is a feedback process, we engage in dialogue and sharing of ideas throughout. As a reference we both use the ICF Minimum Skills Requirement, core competencies or PCC markers, depending on the level of credential you are working towards.
- I offer you my observations of how you used the core competencies in your coaching session.
- I offer you my observations of where you demonstrated something not aligned with the core competencies in your coaching session.
- We dialogue in a creative process about further opportunities to include or deepen your use of the core competencies in your coaching session.
- We dialogue about your understanding of specific core competencies of interest.