Credentialing organizations like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC) set the standards for the coaching industry. An approved training program must submit to a rigorous process to prove their training meets or exceeds the industry standards.

The choice to be credentialed is a statement to your clients that you take your profession seriously. Clients take comfort knowing they are investing in a qualified coach. Coaching is not regulated by state licensure. Anyone can call themselves a coach. However, credentialing organizations set the standards for and enforce ethical behavior.

Consumers today are savvy. If they are going to invest in coaching, they are going to want assurances that their coach has completed competent and credible training.

Professional coaches pursue training that prepares them to work with their chosen clientele. For example, coaches who want to work in the workplace or with leadership should choose an ICF accredited program. Health and wellness coaching is trending. Any coach interested in applying their skills to this arena may want to select a NBHWC accredited training program. 

Not all coaching falls neatly into either of these paradigms. For example, coaching may be applied to specialty areas like trauma, corporate wellness, financial well-being, financial coaching, community coaching, and creativity. In these cases, a dual-certified program like Mentor Agility’s Trauma-Informed Coaching Certification may be the best path for you.

To receive a credential, each organization has its own criteria. The criteria include completing: 

1. Accredited Coach Training Program 
2. Set number of coaching hours or sessions
3. Practical Skills Assessment by a qualified mentor coach
4. Written exam

This may seem intimidating at first but a good coaching school will offer coaches more than training. They will help you navigate the credentialing process. Even if you don’t choose to be credentialed, your certification from a credible school will speak volumes to your clients and your readiness to coach.

Some schools offer an ongoing relationship with opportunities to navigate these requirements successfully. For example, Mentor Agility offers coaching labs that facilitate coaching experience and supervision groups that bring together peers with a more experienced supervisor who acts as a guide and resource for the group. These two opportunities facilitate personal and professional development of the coach’s skills, capacities, and capabilities. Supervision also provides a restorative function for the emotional labors of coaching. Mentor Agility specializes in trauma-informed practices. A highly experienced and credentialed coach, who is also a trauma-informed therapist, is on hand to address sensitive issues a trauma-informed coach may encounter.

Update Q4 2024: Medicare/Medicaid will cover coaching in 2024 IF the coach holds a credential from NB-HWC. In addition, states are beginning to look at regulating coaching in the near future. To present yourself as a coach will require a credential from ICF, NBC-HWC or other recognized credentialing organization.