Art & Alchemy of Coaching (PCC Level Pathway)
Equipping You For the Future
Coaching is one of the fastest growing professions and is enabling positive change in people’s communication skills, performance, confidence and many other aspects of their behaviour and mindset.
In an environment that is increasingly complex and constantly changing, coaching is a powerful tool to help people navigate situations, tasks, challenges, goals and aspirations for greater success, fulfillment and wellbeing.
Organisations too, more than ever before, need the skills and principles of coaching in order to develop a culture that is inclusive, accountable, innovative and agile. Organisations with these qualities are better able to handle the complexity and speed of change of today’s business environment. Research clearly indicates that organisations with coaching capability and culture are more likely to be high performing, more equipped to handle change and experience better financial performance and growth than other organisations within their industry sector.
If you would like to become an ICF certified coach and achieve an Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Credential, there are 5 steps to follow:
Coaching Education:
Our combined coaching education package of the Science & Art of Coaching (S&A) and the Art & Alchemy of Coaching (A&A) provides a total of 165.50 hours of coach-specific training and meets the coaching education requirement for those wishing to apply for their PCC Credential.
Mentor Coaching:
The purpose of Mentor Coaching is primarily to deepen your understanding and demonstration of the ICF Core Competencies and therefore your skills and confidence as a practicing coach. It is also part of the ICF’s credentialing pathway, which supports and prepares coaches for their performance assessment in pursuit of the ICF credential.
Our Mentor Coaching programme (MCG) has four simple steps:
- Individual programme preparation (1.5 hours)
- Four x two-hour online Group Mentor Coaching sessions (8 hours)
- Three hours of 1-1 Mentor Coaching sessions (3 hours)
- Peer coaching sessions in-between each online session focussing on specific ICF Core Competencies as the programme progresses (6 hours)
This programme fulfils the 10 hours of coach mentoring required for your ICF credential application or PCC credential renewal.
The programme takes approximately 4-months to complete and is accredited with 18.5 Core Competency CCEs or 10 hours of Mentor Coaching plus 8.5 Core Competency CCEs (which is an additional benefit of further CCEs for those credentialed coaches when renewing their credential).
Coaching Experience:
To be eligible for an ICF PCC credential you need to have at least 500 hours of coaching experience following the start of your coach-specific coaching education.
Performance Evaluation:
The performance evaluation process involves you submitting two recordings of you coaching regular clients who have hired you as a coach, and must last between 20- to 60-minutes, along with the corresponding transcript. This will be reviewed by Performance Evaluators.
ICF Credentialing Exam:
This is a computer-based written exam (administered by ICF Credentials and Standards) that is designed to measure your knowledge of and ability to apply the ICF definition of coaching, ICF Core Competencies and ICF Code of Ethics.
Our programmes are offered in English.
Recommended for:
Coaches Who Have Completed Our Science & Art Programme
Art & Alchemy has been created as a follow-up training to our Science & Art of Coaching (ACC Level Pathway) programme.
This programme is offered in English.
The time between starting your coach training and achieving your ICF credential can vary greatly depending upon many factors, such as: how much coaching you are doing, your budgeting preferences and your pace of development or scheduling preferences. The table below offers an approximate/minimum timeline as a guideline; however, you may want or need more flexibility. For example, you may feel ready to complete the Art and Alchemy of Coaching part of the programme soon after you have completed the Science and Art of Coaching part of the programme, or you may prefer to take more time to practice, gain experience, plan, and budget etc. and complete the remainder of your coach education and your mentor coaching element later on. We are very happy to assist you in finding a timeline that suits you!
| Step | Component | Approximate Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coaching Education (S&A) | 6 months |
| 2 | Coaching Education (A&A) | 6 months |
| 3 | Mentor Coaching (MCG) | 4 months |
| 4 | Coaching Experience | 12 months + |
| 5 | Performance Evaluation (ACC) | 2 months + |
| 6 | ICF Credentialing Exam | 0-1 month |
| TOTAL | ~24-36 months |
Learn more about the ICF PCC Credential pathway.
If you would like to embark upon an initial development pathway and work towards an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential first, refer to our Stage 1 (ACC Level) Pathway information.
If you already hold an ICF ACC credential and would now like to complete the requirements for an ICF PCC credential application, we refer you to our From ACC to PCC Pathway information.
If you’re not sure about which pathway or programme to choose we invite you to attend our next Think with a Drink webinar or fill out this form and we will be delighted to help find the right pathway for you!
NOTE: Our programmes are currently in the process of transitioning to the ICF’s new Level 1 and Level 2 programme accreditation system. This will take effect in 2023 and will not impact the curriculum, dates, timings, or pricing of our 2023 cohort offering.
Programme Content:
Module 1: The Doing of Professional Coaching
The first module is an advanced exploration and practice of the ICF Core Competencies that enables you to be confident of your coaching skills at the ICF Gold Standard Professional Certified Coach level. You will enriching your coaching practice through deeper exploration of the work the client needs to do in order to enable them to enhance their own learning, self-awareness and development.
Curriculum includes:
- Deep Dive on ICF Core Competencies 3, 6, and 7
- Listening for the person through language (minimising, metaprograms, language and preferences, language and biases/filters, the 4th Level of Listening)
- Exploration of the fullness and richness of contracting, levels of contracting, partnering in contracting
- Partnering for psychological equality and a client-centred relationship
- Styles of Intervention
- Use of Challenge
- Reframing perspectives and perceptual positions
- Daily coaching practice with PCC+ level feedback
- Daily demonstrations of coaching at PCC+ level
- Daily exercises to explore the ICF Core Competencies at PCC+ level
- Daily exercise to explore the use of models and theories taught in coaching practice
Module 2: The Being of Professional Coaching
This module highlights the importance of the being of the coach in terms of your mindset, ongoing personal and professional development and coaching presence to underpin the professionalism and quality of your coaching practice. It focusses on coaching the person when working with clients and establishing the conditions for effective coaching practice through the deep trust and safety that is enabled through partnering.
Curriculum includes:
- Deep Dive on ICF Core Competencies 1, 2, 4 and 5
- Cultivating Trust and Safety
- Time to Think
- The relevance of Client Context
- Openness and Transparency (navigating boundaries)
- Working with strong emotions and managing our own emotions
- Embodying a Coaching Mindset
- Being into Doing
- Silence is truly golden
- Ethical matters
- Deepening the “Being”
- Daily coaching practice with PCC+ level feedback
- Daily demonstrations of coaching at PCC+ level
- Daily exercises to explore the ICF Core Competencies at PCC+ level
- Daily exercise to explore the use of models and theories taught in coaching practice
Module 3: Art & Alchemy
The final module integrates the doing and the being of coaching into a natural, creative and transformative conversation that leads to client growth. You will transition from being a competent technical practitioner to an Alchemist—displaying artistry as you work with your clients in the dance of coaching.
Curriculum includes:
- Deep Dive on ICF Core Competency 8
- Transactional vs. Transformational coaching
- Topic vs. Person
- Working with whole person
- From steps and actions to growth and potential
- How am I an artist when I coach?
- What does alchemy now mean for me in my coaching practice?
- Integration exercises
- Daily coaching practice with PCC+ level feedback
- Daily demonstrations of coaching at PCC+ level
- Daily exercises to explore the ICF Core Competencies at PCC+ level
- Daily exercise to explore the use of models and theories taught in coaching practice
- And more!
Programme Dates
Autumn 2023 Live Online
Kick-off Webinar: September 22, 2023, 10am – 11am (London time)
Module 1:
- Virtual workshops: September 28, 29, & October 2, 2023, 9am – 5pm (London time)
- Triad observed coaching practice session: October 20, 2023, 9am – 12.30pm (London time)
Module 2:
- Virtual Workshops: November 23, 24 & 27, 2023, 9am – 5pm (London time)
- Triad observed coaching practice session: December 11, 2023, 9am – 12.30pm (London time)
Module 3:
- Virtual Workshops: January 25, 26 & 29, 2024, 9am – 5pm (London time)
- Triad observed coaching practice and webinar: February 16, 2024, 9am – 12.30pm (London time)
If you are an organisation wanting to run this programme internally for a group, please contact us directly to discuss further.
Your Investment
The Stage 2 package includes:
- Science & Art of Coaching(Coaching Education)
- Art & Alchemy of Coaching (Coaching Education)
- Mentor Coaching Programme
£9,050 (plus VAT if applicable)
We are happy to offer instalment payment plans for self-funded students.
NOTE: There is an additional fee payable to ICF for the Performance Evaluation process and the ICF Credentialing exam.
We value our alumni community. Once you’ve completed a coach training programme with Coach Advancement by Tracy Sinclair, you will unlock a number of exclusive benefits including discounts, coaching clinics, peer coaching, social impact project opportunities and more! Learn more about the ways we continue to support coaches who have trained with us here.
Frequently Asked Questions
If a coach already holds an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential, they have the option to renew that credential when it expires after three years, as long as they have met the ICF’s renewal requirements. However, if the coach is working actively with clients and is progressing towards the 500+ hours of client work required by ICF for a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Credential application, there is a great opportunity to take that next step in development! All ICF Credentials are considered to be Gold Standard and best in class, however the PCC Credential is often viewed in the marketplace as a strong marker for coaches of their commitment, experience, depth and breadth of training, and their active role in their profession. As such, more and more organisations place an expectation on coaches to have an ICF Credential and quite often for it to be at least at PCC level.
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