ICF Accreditation is granted to only the top coach education providers in the world, and IECL is proud to be a provider of ICF’s Level 1 and Level 2 accredited coach education programs. ICF’s goal is to ensure high standards for the coaching profession worldwide and those standards are upheld by IECL, through our coach education program, as well as the ICF accredited coaches we provide.
ICF accredits coach education programs, and credentials coaches. By attending an ICF Accredited Coach Education program at IECL, you can be approved by us for ICF’s ACC or PCC credential, with the added benefit of becoming a highly competent and confident organisational coach.
ICF credentials can open doors for you as a coach; they are not easy to acquire and are therefore highly regarded by purchasers of coaching, worldwide.
IECL offers structured and supportive pathways to both ACC and PCC credentials with ICF. Learn more
Anyone can call themselves a coach, but increasingly purchasers of coaching are looking for coaches with internationally recognised qualifications and credentials. IECL can help you to reach your goals around coaching qualifications, and the International Coaching Federation (ICF) can provide the credentials that show you have met their stringent education and experience requirement.
What is an ICF Credential?
To quote the ICF, “an ICF Credential is a professional certification indicating that you have met specific standards and requirements designed to develop and refine your coaching skills. It is an indication that you are dedicated to upholding strong principles of ethical behaviour in coaching. An ICF Credential shows your clients and peers that you are committed to the coaching industry and to developing yourself as a coaching professional.”
What is the value of holding a credential?
A coaching credential - including an ICF Credential – is extremely important to today’s coaching clients. Again, to quote ICF: “The 2022 Global Consumer Awareness Study found that 85% of coaching clients say it’s important or very important that their coach holds a certification or credential. Earning an ICF Credential provides you with instant credibility and increased visibility to prospective clients."
How can you gain an ICF Credential?
Earning an ICF Credential involves a rigorous process of education, coaching experience, mentor coaching, performance evaluation and an exam. IECL is here to support you throughout the entire process of gaining ICF credentials. IECL Level 1 and 2 Accredited Coach Training Programs are designed to provide the education you need, as well as the mentor coaching and performance evaluation; you bring the coaching practice and complete the final exam. Discover more information on ICF’s credentialing process here.
What is ICF accreditation?
Level 1 ICF accreditation is intended for coach education providers who are interested in having their education organisation accredited by ICF Coaching Education.
Level 1 ICF accreditation programs must contain at least 60 and up to 124 coach specific contact learning hours, and are designated as ACC Accredited Education.
Graduates from ICF Accreditation Level 1 education programs (like IECL's) may apply for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) Credential using the Level 1 application path if they meet the credentialing requirements.
What is an ICF certified coach?
ICF does not certify coaches (but IECL does, via our ICF accredited coach education programs). IECL certifies coaches that have completed our ICF accredited coach education program. Once your coach education is under way, you can look to ICF for coaching credentials, which recognise your IECL training, at ACC or PCC level.
How do I get an ICF accreditation?
The real question to ask here is, “how do I get an ICF recognised accreditation?” as ICF doesn’t accredit coaches, but we do, with ICF’s stamp of approval as an accredited coach education provider! With the right coach education, you can gain an ICF credential as a coach (ICF accreditation is for coach education providers only). To become ICF credentialed, you get accredited by IECL and then we can sign you off as competent at ACC or PCC level, and then you are ready to apply to ICF for the relevant credential.
The IECL Organisational Coaching Level 1 Certification course teaches you the essential foundational skills of organisational coaching including the tools, techniques and understanding of how to conduct high performance coaching sessions that get results. This course builds functional capability and is the starting point for all coach education at IECL.
IECL is a proud provider of International Coaching Federation (ICF) Coach Education, Level 1 (ACC), Level 2 (PCC) and AATC (Advanced Accreditation in Team Coaching). Our primary goal as coach educators is to create and support confident and competent, ethical organisational coaches. See the Coach Education tab above for more information or contact us to set up a one-to-one chat in your time zone.
Chat with usWe have a dedicated team of Relationship Partners across the globe to help you explore your options and answer any questions that you may have.
Become an ICF recognised coach
To become an ICF recognised coach, you need to participate in an ICF accredited coach education program, like IECL’s. And at IECL, everything starts with the IECL Organisational Coaching Level 1 Certification course, which teaches you the essential foundational skills of organisational coaching including the tools, techniques and understanding of how to conduct high performance coaching sessions that get results. This course builds functional capability as well as competence and confidence in your coaching.
Level 1 Certification Completed
Once you complete Level 1 Certification, you are well on your way toward’s ICF’s ACC credential, and can start logging your coaching hours (you’ll need 100 hours of coaching logged to gain ICF’s ACC credential).
Level 1 Accreditation
After Level 1 Certification, your next step is IECL’s Level 1 Accreditation, which builds on IECL Level 1 Certification for a deeper understanding of coaching competencies and principles. This Accreditation provides valuable opportunities for additional learning, reflection, practice, feedback and mentoring. Through the Accreditation you will apply Level 1 Certification skills in practice, building greater confidence and capability in coaching.
Final Step
The final step in the IECL Level 1 Organisational Coach Education Pathway (ICF Level 1: ACC Journey) consists of one-on-one mentoring sessions and a final performance evaluation, to prepare you to apply to the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for your Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential. As an accredited provider of ICF Level 1, IECL has been approved to ‘sign off’ new coaches against the minimum skills requirements based on ICF’s core competencies for ACC.
IECL has been training organisational coaches since 1999 and has over 8,000 coach education alumni, worldwide. Even our competitors send their coaches to be trained by us! We have been an ICF Accredited provider of coach education since 2006. Our faculty are highly experienced, practicing organisational coaches themselves, and most of them are ICF PCC credentialed. They teach our highly refined curriculum from their own direct coaching experience, rather than from theory and textbooks alone.
