If you are interested in ICF-Accredited training, many of our coach training programs are accredited by the International Coaching Federation under our organization name, CreativeMind University. You can verify each program in ICF’s Education Search Service.
In this article, I’ll explain what you need to know if you want to pursue an ICF credential, and if you should pursue an ICF credential.
ICF is the gold standard and has the highest level of requirements for you to be assigned an ICF coach. This organization doesn’t train coaches but works with Accredited Educational Providers like CreativeMind to establish higher standards in the coaching industry.
To get an ICF-Credential as a coach, you have to take ICF accredited coach training.
CreativeMind’s Coach Training AccreditationCreativeMind’s programs such as Jungian Life Coach Training, Shadow Work Training and Archetypal Family Field Practitioner Training and Mind-Body Coach Training are all Accredited by ICF for CCEs, which is continuing coaching education. After you finish our training program and all the requirements for Certification, you get a letter from our team that says you completed the education requirement and the number of hours that relates to the program you selected.
Watch a quick video by Co-Founder of CreativeMind, Debra Maldonado explain the process.
After graduation, you’re free to pursue your ICF Certification as an addition to your Certification with CreativeMind. This is optional, it’s not required.
For some coaches, it’s necessary to have that extra credential if they want to work in a corporate environment or if they want to work for a coaching company. Some high-end clients familiar with coaching seek that credential when they’re looking for a coach.
Many of our coaches do not pursue the credential with ICF, they work very well with the credential that we provide and they have successful business. If you’re working with the general public, they probably don’t know what ICF is.
There are many coach trainings online but ICF-Accredited School meets their highest standard in education. CreativeMind is an ICF-Accredited Educational Provider for CCEs. We meet their standards of ethics in coaching and coaching competencies to really put on an effective training. You can be confident when you train in any of our programs that ICF gave us a little gold stamp, a little stamp of approval that we align with their very strict policies so that you really are comfortable that you’re getting quality training.
ICF has three levels of Certification (you can visit the official ICF Website to get more details here.)
After you complete your education with us, you can apply directly to ICF for their additional certification through their Portfolio Path with your CCE’s. We provide a letter with your exact hours earned, split by category in terms ICF uses so you don’t have to calculate this manually.
Other requirements for ICF are:
If you decide to pursue your credential with ICF, you will work with them directly as it is a separate path. They’re great and very responsive. You don’t have to pursue it right away, you can hold on to your educational requirements and pursue your ICF Credential anytime in the future.
I hope this answers your questions about ICF and let us know what you think. If you have questions, feel free to reach out. Our admissions team is ready to help take care.
Here is an overview of CreativeMind University’s programs and the CCE hours you can earn for each program. Please note CCE hours can be used toward the ICF Portfolio Path along with other requirements mentioned above.
| Program | Core Competency hours | Total CCE hours | Toward an ICF credential |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jungian Life Coach Training | 86 | 112.75 | Clears the ACC education requirement on its own |
| Shadow Work Coach Training | 46 | 75 | Contributes 46 of the 48 Core hours needed for ACC, combine with another program |
| Archetypal Family Field Practitioner | 19 | 26.5 | Contributes 19 Core hours toward the 48 needed |
| Mind-Body Coach Training | 13 | 24.75 | Contributes 13 Core hours toward the 48 needed |
Here is a chart for all Five ACC Requirements and who delivers them:
| Requirement | What ICF asks for | Who delivers |
|---|---|---|
| Education | 60+ coach-specific hours, at least 48 on Core Competencies, at least 30 synchronous | Most of CreativeMind’s training programs |
| Coaching experience | 100+ hours with at least 8 clients, at least 75 of them paid, all accrued after training begins | Student submits hours to ICF |
| Mentor coaching | 10 hours over at least three months, at least three one-on-one, from an ACC, PCC or MCC mentor | ICF-approved mentor |
| Performance evaluation | One recorded session with a real client, 20 to 60 minutes, with a transcript and signed consent | Student submits to ICF |
| Exam | The ICF credentialing exam | Student takes exam with ICF |
Note: A Portfolio application runs $475 for ICF members and $625 for non-members, with a review of roughly 14 weeks. Graduates of an accredited Level 1 or Level 2 program pay $175 or $325 and wait about four weeks.
We know you have many choices in your coach training, be sure you select the training that lights you up and gives you the type of tools you are looking for to help others.
Explore our coach trainings where Jungian Psychology meets transformational coaching—helping you create meaningful change in yourself and others.
