Coaching moves to certification

Coaching certifications are holding more water in the business world these days. That’s why many coaches are attending one of the few schools that offer such a designation: The Adler school of professional coaching in Toronto.

“The certification certainly opens doors for people. (Employers) have become a little bit cynical about the coaching bandwagon, so when they ask about coaching they really want to know what you as a coach can bring to them,” says Melinda Sinclair, program director at Adler and one of six faculty members.

The school, established in 1999, has certified 28 people since its inception and there are currently about 22 students nearing completion of the program. The certificate in professional coaching includes classroom training, workshops and a practicum. The practicum takes a minimum of six months to complete and it provides students with 40 hours of practice coaching, mentoring from faculty members and frequent peer discussions.

Once students have successfully completed the module-based curriculum and passed the final examination, they receive the Adler Certified Professional Coach (ACPC) designation.

The International Coach Federation (ICF), one of the largest coaching associations worldwide, developed four core competencies a coach must have. Adler uses those competencies as a guideline for its own courseware. The principles involve setting the foundation with a coachee, co-creating the relationship, communicating effectively, and facilitating learning and results.

Coaching is on its way to becoming a very solid profession, and the school is looking into offering specialty courses in the future, she says.

The school now offers workshops that address specialized topics such as leadership coaching, coaching and the emotional intelligence connection and using metaphor as a coaching tool.

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