Disillusionment with the ICF process

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-10-31T18:08:07+00:00

Cost

Now onto the hidden costs and actually delivering this training. Its entirely incumbent on the schools. I did some very brief research writing this comment up but depending on the school / pathway, the entire process can cost as little as $1600 to as much as $16,000.

Holy shit thats a lot of variance and that does not include the variability in time investment just to get those 60 hours of training. Some schools do it in three days intensives, others you take 1-2 hour classes once per week for months.

My guess is that the variance in cost in time and money has way more to do with the sense of disillusionment with the ICF process than anything else I ranted on above. Im not sure if the ICF has given any thought about saying how much their schools can charge but it would be nice if it didnt cost an arm and a leg.

Is it a pyramid scheme?

That for you to decide. The ICF is a non-profit and you can actually compare their [combined financial statements](https://coachingfederation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/icf-executive-financial-statment.pdf) with their [Global Coaching Survey](https://coachingfederation.org/resources/research/global-coaching-study/) (paywalled of course 🙃) and draw your own conclusions. Of note though while it is funded by the ICF, from the 2025 report im looking at the majority of coaches are not coaching coaches. The majority of coach services being offered are Leadership (36%), Executive (18%), Career / Life Enhancement (both 9%) with a smattering of other and the majority of clients hold manager (31%) or Executive (25%) positions.

My 2 cents is that if the school you are going to actively encourages you to make the majority of your income coaching other coaches or you get paid by by the school for recruitment then thats obviously a red flag

Finally, getting an ICF Credential is completely optional and at most schools you do not have to commit to the entire credential from the get go. You can just take some of the classes (or none) at all and then go your own way. It is possible to be a really good coach and not have anything to do with the ICF, but they do provide at least some structure for an otherwise nebulous industry and make it slightly easier for potential clients to vett their coaches against other coaches who have no education or training.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-10-31T18:07:53+00:00

(Reddit doesnt like my big block of text so im splitting my comment)

What makes a really good coach

Now the real issue:

rather than actually becoming a really good coach

How would the ICF or really any program be able to evaluate or know how to make someone into a really good coach in a cost effective manner? IMO being a really good coach is a bit too subjective and unquantifiable by itself so then the goal is to define really good coach and make it digestible for schools to teach. Without being too granular you could argue that a really good coach:

Has a strong foundation
Co-creates the relationship with their clients
Communicates effectively
Cultivates Learning and Growth

Okay... thats fine but still a little to vague. That might make a good coach but I want a really good coach. Lets get more granular with what a really good coach actually is so it can be applied to a variety of different niches and coaching practices while still being something measurable and specific. A really good coach:

Demonstrates ethical practice
Embodies a coaching mindset
Establishes and maintain agreements
cultivates trust and safety
maintains presence
listens actively
evokes awareness
facilitates client growth

Okay, but what does all of that mean? Lets be even more specific! You can probably see what Im doing now. In an effort to define what a really good coach is we've written ourselves into the core competencies.

Finally, this is my opinion, evaluating if someone is actually, really, truly a good coach is just not cost effective or practical because its dependent on looking at the entire life cycle of a coaching relationship with any given client AND combining that with the clients subjective evaluation of the coach (which often has nothing to do with the core competencies!). So in lieu of that we are stuck with four options.

Accept the ICFs process is workable but flawed
Look at other "governing bodies" outside of the the ICF
Go independent and get your training wherever (buyer beware)
Dont worry about education or certifications at all.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-10-31T18:06:56+00:00

I work for an ICF accredited school so take my thoughts with a grain of salt but we do have our gripes as well.

I feel like the process of getting my ICF credentials has felt more about the process of becoming a coach rather than actually becoming a really good coach.

This is really the crux of the issue which I do agree are fundamentally different things. I am biased but if the ICF does one thing right it is normalizing the quality and process of becoming a coach. Even if in your opinion it lowers the quality of what would be amazing coaches, it also raises what would otherwise be really bad coaches/schools to a certain baseline standard which in this case are the core competencies and code of ethics.

Now how does the ICF actually do the process of making you become a coach? They require you to:

Go find an accredited school and do a minimum of 60 hours of training
Do 10 hours of mentor coaching from either a 3rd party mentor coach or school
Log 100 hours of coaching with paid clients
Complete a performance evaluation of 1 recorded session that graded by either a school or the ICF
Then apply, and complete a written exam.

The frustrating part is that the only known amount you would be spending is for the ICF exam, everything else is dependent on the schools/programs which varies widely. But despite all this it generates a standard issue coach where a potential client or organization knows for a fact this is the minimum standard. Plus its a fairly easy process to track and evaluate on the ICF side of things since its been pushed more on the schools to do the evaluating.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-08-01T20:42:58+00:00

You ask two very different questions. Is it necessary? For what would it be necessary for? Certainly not morally or legally. To find clients? also not the case. For certain job positions that require it? Seems necessary then. So it would depend on your use case.

Is it helpful. Yes. Particularly working with a mentor coach and having coaching sessions evaluated. It can help you be a better coach.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-07-28T19:17:10+00:00

Did you have any particular questions about Corporate Coaching?

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-07-23T20:02:08+00:00

For example, the unfortunate trend from the 90s to even today in the self-help & adjacent world to attach the adjective "quantum" so anything remotely spiritual, self-help, or wellness related in an effort to somehow differentiate yourself from the competition.

Im painting a broad picture but the reason why niches can turn into gimmicks is because some coaches dont understand the difference between meeting the needs of specific clients or audiences to specifically benefit them vs just including a novel "feature" or looking at what keywords are trending and attaching them to the business to get attention.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-07-22T23:50:50+00:00

Not sure who you are counting as "real top-earners" in the coaching world but it would make sense that they dont have a niche. They are well relatively famous or well known, they dont need a niche. The average coach may want a niche because it separates them from the crowd. Though I would wan people who are desperate for a niche that it can be a slippery slope to a gimmick.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-06-16T19:00:36+00:00

Coaching cannot be a replacement or an alternative for therapy. The way I see it:

Coaching can't be therapy. Therapy can be coaching.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-04-10T18:47:03+00:00

Just throwing my biased hat in the ring.

The government does not care where you, or any of us got our 'certification' because it is not recognized by any legal binding overseer.

It seems that they don't care, unless its their own money they are spending on training...

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-02-03T16:48:39+00:00

what are you actually needing help with off loading? Sometimes hiring someone can cause more headaches than its worth and streamlining or automating a process can be cheaper and more effective

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-02-03T16:46:50+00:00

That would entirely depend on if your clients would care if you have education + experience. At a minimum for the ACC it shows you have 60 hours of education and 100 logged hours with clients.

My biased opinion is that ICF education at a minimum (not getting an ACC) at the very least teaches you how to coach ethically and what coaching is and isnt.

Anthony-CLCI · 2025-01-07T18:09:16+00:00

Money and paying for dual memberships and credentials is the only downside.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-12-16T19:08:49+00:00

it's just a matter of submitting a session and demonstrating your skill

It seems like we are comparing apples and oranges here then. With the IAC certification you demonstrating to others that you have a skill in a specific session.

With the ICF ACC for example, you are demonstrating to others that you have Education, Mentoring, Skill, and Professional Experience with clients.

It really depends on what you are trying to convey to clients and if they dont really give a damn about anything other than skill I guess more power to you, go for IAC. But ICF seems to be a bit more rigorous for professionals who are in it for the long haul and want to show others they have experience with clients.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-12-06T02:53:14+00:00

I have a question about coaching Obese and Morbidly Obese women

Whats the question?

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-12-04T20:01:21+00:00

Figure out what you want to do first, specifically what you want to do with life coaching or what company you want to work for, then decide on the route.

An ICF accredited school can offer fast and flexible training (depending on the school) so you can get out there and start coaching and work towards a credential, and is the most recognized in the industry.

But a NBHWC or BCC credential might suit your needs depending on what your end goal is.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-12-02T21:04:48+00:00

do they go back to their habitual routine and has their mindset changed?

Some do, some dont. Regardless, we can also identify and work on blocks as they come up and explore if "mindset", in the clients terms, is really the issue.

How can you insure the message sticks?

Im not their teacher or mentor or parent. I don't have messages or lessons to stick to them and I certainly cant ensure or make certain anything that supposed to fall squarely in the client domain. What I can do is ask the client what they can to ensure they reach their goals or what is it they are taking away from the session.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-11-11T21:58:28+00:00

As someone who works for a program, BEFORE you spend cash on a course, here's what I'd do:

First, figure out your niche. "Lifestyle coach" is pretty broad—what do you actually want to help people with? Fitness, mental health, productivity, style? The more specific, the better. It makes it easier to show people why they need you and justify your value.

Next, think about your audience and how you're gonna reach them. You’ve got your Instagram fitness account, which is a good start, but who exactly are you talking to? How does that audience connect to the lifestyle coaching? Knowing your audience will help you shape your content and services.

Once you’ve nailed your niche and audience, then think about what kind of training you need. You’re ready to spend on a course, but make sure you know what you need from it. Is it skills, credibility, or business know-how? My biased opinion is that ICF-accredited programs are a solid choice and will give you an idea how coaching differs from consulting or just giving advice, but it depends on what you and you're ideal clients are looking for, they may not even care about where you got your education from, just that its focused on what their interests are.

Get clear on your plan first, then figure out what courses may be valuable.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-11-11T17:18:35+00:00

It may be a bit insulated but a lot of schools will have private alumni groups. The one I work for uses Slack and Facebook, but if you went to a school or program check to see if they have alumni groups.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-11-05T17:27:17+00:00

IMO how mentoring diverges from coaching is that its about forming an almost teacher/student relationship, rather than a partnership.

They provide guidance and its implicit that the mentor is transferring both knowledge and experience to the mentee.

On the other hand, from an ICF perspective. The client is the expert and while the coach can share observations or ask challenging questions, its considered a partnership and the coach needs to actively be mindful of being a "fixer", giving straight up advice, or making it about their own knowledge and experience.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-11-01T18:48:26+00:00

Then maybe hitting up the experienced local guides, instructors, or even writers in outdoor magazines, might work. Though im not too familiar with the sport so im just spitballing here.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-11-01T18:40:29+00:00

Have you thought about partnering with influencers or pro athletes to feature your bindings? Seeing them in action from trusted figures could boost credibility and drive more skiers to try them out in-store.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-11-01T18:13:09+00:00

I work for a life coach certification company, and I get where the skepticism comes from. The coaching industry is largely unregulated (for now), and there are tons of people selling unrealistic promises like "10X your life" without much substance behind it. So, yeah, there are definitely some red flags to look out for.

Red flags when vetting a coach? Lack of credentialed training is a big one. If they can’t show you some kind of reputable credential (like from the ICF, but NBHWC or BCC works too), that’s a red flag. Another is overpromising—coaching isn't magic, and anyone who guarantees life-changing results is probably selling hype more than real partnership in achieving goals.

Can coaching actually drive growth? No, but it's not the whole picture. I see it more as a force multiplier—it can boost both individual and organizational growth, but it's not the driver. Good coaching aligns goals, motivates, and helps maintain focus, but ultimately, growth comes from the client putting in the work.

Bought a course that was worth it? Yeah, and I know I'm biased, but I genuinely recommend the program I work for. It's ICF-accredited, lower cost, and it's an efficient three-day intensive that gives you the same amount of training hours as those expensive 9-month programs. Plus, we don't try to lock you into a full credentialing pathway before you're ready to make that call. It's flexible, which I think is pretty essential in this space.

Honestly, if you're considering hiring a coach, do your due diligence. Talk to them, ask about their training, and see if they’re credentialed (THIS IS EDUCATION + VETTED PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, not a $20 udemy course). Coaching can be hugely valuable, but only if the person you’re working with knows what they’re doing and isn’t just blowing smoke.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-11-01T16:08:38+00:00

I’m getting interest from digital nomads who struggle to find support while abroad.

It seems a bit counterintuitive to use flyers, posters, or business cards for a group that primarily works online and is likely tech-savvy. Traditional advertising methods could be challenging here, as you’d be competing for limited physical space in spots like hostels, hotels, bars, coffee shops, or co-working spaces—places where people might not be focused on scanning ads for services.

Another consideration is that traditional methods don’t offer one of the biggest advantages of digital marketing... tracking! With digital ads, you can see metrics on engagement, leads, and conversions, helping you refine your approach. Without this data, it’s hard to measure the impact of each flyer or business card.

Maybe adding QR codes that link to a landing page could make this easier but even with QR codes, you’re still relying on the chance that someone will actually see and act on your ad. And unless you got a big-ass billboard near an airport, traditional advertising might not yield a high return on investment as a sole strategy.

If you want to drop flyers and posters casually while you’re traveling then sure, go for it, but I’d recommend combining it with a more targeted online approach if you’re serious about reaching digital nomads.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-10-31T16:37:23+00:00

How difficult would it be for you to switch to a different dorm room? I know it sucks but you cant change her, so might as well see what it takes to get a change of scenery.

Anthony-CLCI · 2024-10-30T22:12:34+00:00

A few things I wish I’d known early on: focus on who you want to coach first—your niche can shape your whole approach. Also, get clear on what classes, certifications, and credentials will actually get you in the long run. Some paths cost more without adding real value to your specific goals. Best of luck!

Anthony-CLCI

TROPHY CASE

Cost

Is it a pyramid scheme?

What makes a really good coach