Becoming a Master Coach
Find out how what is needed to become one of the very few ICF Master Certified Coaches in the world!
After years of practice and experience as a PCC Coach (ICF Professional Certified Coach) you might feel inspired to upgrade your coaching skills to offer a better service to your clients. So you probably think to walk the path towards the MCC ICF Credential.
1. Who is an MCC Coach according to the ICF Standards?
First, you must have 2,500 hours of direct coaching experience and 2,250 of those hours must be paid. Second, you must attend 200 hours of coach-specific training. Third, you must engage in 10 hours of mentor coaching. Fourth, your performance in taped coaching conversations must be evaluated. Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential-holders are highly trained (200+ hours of coaching education) and experienced coaches. They have demonstrated knowledge and highly proficient application of the ICF Core Competencies, Code of Ethics, and definition of coaching. If you are a coach and you’d like to master your coaching practice, read on to learn how to achieve this prestigious credential.
2. Why choosing the ICF MCC Credential?
When you decide to become a Master Coach and you are ready to enroll in a Coach Training Certification Program, make sure you choose a program that is aligned with and accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Our program received the highest ICF accreditation (ACTP) and is now equipped and ready to shift to the new ICF Accreditations Level 3 in order to offer to our clients the best coaching education worldwide to become a Master Coach. Learn more here and read about Level 3 Coaching Education.
International Coaching Federation is the largest leading global organization dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.
ICF developed the coaching Core Competencies as the gold standard of coaching, plus a strong Code of Ethics that protects both coaches and clients. It offers the most globally recognized, independent credentialing program for coach practitioners. It is essential that you choose a coaching education that ensure you that your investment is well valued, globally recognized and appealing to your future clients.
Our Coaching Education is what you need
If you are serious about becoming a Master Coach, make sure that you get the following from a training program, which is exactly what SunLight Academy offers you:
. regular live (in-person or virtual) access to a qualified trainer, mentor and supervisor
. personalized individual feedback and support
. education that is fully and intensively aligned with the ICF Standard and its practical application
. full MCC Trainers, Mentors and ICF Assessors
. a supportive Community of like-minded coaches
. easy online access to materials, resources and tool that are essential for your preparation to apply for the MCC Credential
3. How can you choose an MCC training program that is 'right' for you?
All training programs are different, especially the programs that support you to successfully achieve the MCC credential. What do you need to consider to choose wisely and to accordingly to your needs and expectations?
Remember that length of the program, teaching mode, configuration of the classes, can all be different in the programs.
However, ICF has recently develop only one Path to the MCC level of coaching to apply for the MCC Credential: this is called Level 3 Education. This is exactly what SunLight Academy offers to its clients!
Be aware of what is important to you in your training, and prioritize those factors to help you decide which program might best fit into your schedule and learning mode. Besides, take some time to consider what type of Mentor you are looking for, and remember that is always a good thing to work with different Mentors in your coaching journey, so that you can learn from different approaches and styles and you can be inspired by them in different challenging ways.
About the Training Program, you can ask yourself: does the program offer one to one training? Or training in groups?
About the Class Configuration: consider how the classes will be held:
– number of students in each class
– how many trainers/mentors per student
– how the class is presented: lecture? experiential?
– what technology you will need to access classes and eventually recordings
– what materials and books are needed
About Timing and Length: look into timing factors to see how it fits in your schedule. Does the length of the program support the needed evolution towards the highest level of coaching and does it support you enough to respect your pace?
How are the Classes given:
– several full days in a row, once a month, once a week, whenever the student wants?
– how long is each class: a full day, 1 hour, etc.?
– how long does it take to complete the program?
About the Training Mode, you can have:
– online training via web meetings
– the trainer and student are both present during the training, with frequent give and take
– or training can be partially recorded.
You might have
– in person and real time training
– or you can have a blend of virtual and in-person training.
And again about Exposure/Diversity: find out how the program addresses diversity, culture, different approaches to life and learning… if the program is a global one, active in different countries around the world.
Last but not least, consider the Cost:
Make sure you choose the best program that fits into your budget:
– explore what financing options are available
– does the program offer tuition assistance.
Feel free to put questions to the Trainers/Mentors! Ask for a free introductory chat so that you can get to know who will be your Trainer/Mentor and so that you can put them all your questions to get the needed clarity. Always take your time to explore because you are investing in your Self, in your profession and in your business, in your future and especially your are creating the premises to expand your own profession to a high level.
4. What do you need to know about being an MCC business entrepreneur?
Beyond the life coaching skill set that you’ll learn during the coaching education program you will choose, you have to keep in mind that there are a number of areas related to professional and entrepreneurial development in which you will need to become competent at a higher level of mastery. Being aware of the ethical impact that our practice can have on our clients is paramount for a Master Coach. If you are a PCC Coach and you want to upgrade your level of presence in the market as an MCC, you probably need to upgrade and enhance also your way of presenting yourself on the market, the way you offer your services and program and they way you want to be perceived by your target clients.
Make sure that the training program that you choose offers you the training and tools on around this topic, so that you can acquire the needed awareness and you can make purposeful choices to focus on the right vision and actions.
Getting an MCC Credential does not mean to automatically thrive as a coach and as a business entrepreneur. When you shift from PCC to MCC, there are a lot of different aspects to consider round your business presence in the market. The following are a few:
- how to create a website with the useful and appropriate content to meet your clients’ needs and to be known as a Master Coach
- what are the best ways to shape and describe the coaching unique services that you offer as a Master Coach
- what do you need to consider to uplifting your business social media pages to the Master level
- how to make clarity on how much and how long do you want to work (in a week, in a month, in a year)
- what does it mean to ‘be comfortable in the unknow’ and be ready to deal with the unexpected by finding new solutions.
Your Trainer with SunLight Academy is a Master Coach, Mentor Coach & ICF Assessor!
Cristina Campofreddo is one of the few Master Certified Coaches in the world (only 4% of all the coaches in world!), she is the Founder and CEO of SunLight Academy – Coaching Education and the Director of Training at SunLight Academy.
Cristina delivers high quality coaching at master levels and accredited coaching education for clients who are ready to shape their life and let their talents to thrive.
5. What does it take to get the needed coaching education to be a Master Coach?
According to the ICF (International Coaching Federation, the largest coaching organization in the world), only 4% of credentialed coaches in the world received an MCC (Master Certified Coach) credential! And there is only one ICF application path for the Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential.
Level 3 ICF education offered by SunLight Academy is for 80 contact learning hours and is designated as MCC Accredited Education. Graduates from a Level 3 education and training programs may apply for the Master Certified Coach (MCC) Credential using the Level 3 application path if they meet the credentialing application
However, learning and mastering the core coaching competencies at the MCC it is not enough to launch your new business and the next phase of your career. While you are in a training program to become a Master Coach, it is helpful to start planning how to shape your next cycle of your career in coaching. That is why we suggest that you choose a school – like SunLight Academy – that gives you the training and shares with you the expertise needed to allow your coaching practice and business to thrive. Our Academy also offers effective training on how to use Social Media to expand your presence in the market as one of the very few MCC in the world, how to set up your webpage and how to manage the needed SEO activities.
When you’re a certified coach with an ICF program, you’re bound by the ICF ethical guidelines. Our training is fully focused on that and on how to create your ethical approach to marketing that is fully aligned with the ICF requirements and Code of Ethic.
Before you enroll in a training program, make sure that the course you choose is aligned and accredited by an association like the International Coach Federation, which sets industry standards for ethical coaching.
Preparing to become a Master Certified Coach can be an intense challenging process, a deep transformational journey that allows you to access your best talents and let them shine in your life and in your profession.
It is a rewarding journey, that is really worth all the commitment!
You need to fulfill a minimum of 200 hours of training before you can apply for the MCC credential. Therefore, you’ll want to make sure your intentions and motivation are crystal clear and grounded before you start your journey.
6. Consider branding, marketing, selling and administration
What kind of Master Coach do you want to be? Who are your ideal clients? How do you want to be seen and found by your ideal clients? Effective marketing of your coaching business is a vital, on-going task. You may be a wonderful and skilled Master Coach, but if no one knows about you and about your services… all those coaching talents and resources will be wasted!
Once you’ve completed your Master Level education program and you have successfully applied for the MCC credential, you’re not finished yet. You need to re-shape your professional identity and we aware of the impact that being an MCC can have on your clients and on your business.
You need to be fully prepared to take care of a set of tasks (by developing some required skills or outsource them) that might generally include:
- creating and maintaining a professional and ethical website, that meets the needs of your customers and that allows you to be seen as an impactful professional
- managing the administrative and billing tasks in a way that is sustainable for you and for your agenda
- keeping your calendar up-to-date, managing your days and weeks in a way that allows you to deliver a high quality service
- managing communications with clients about coaching and around the administrative side
- dedicating enough time to communicate with prospect MCC clients (this is a very important part of your activity!)
- dedicating time to webinars, workshops, speeches and any other activity that will surely increase as you are an MCC.
What is Effective Training?
If you are serious about becoming a Master Coach and apply for the ICF MCC credential, make sure that you get the following from a training program:
. regular live (in-person or virtual) access to a qualified trainer and mentor (MCC Coaches and Trainers are 4% of all the coaches in the world! Make sure you work with one of them)
. personalized feedback and support
. training that is aligned with the ICF Standard and its practical application
. notions on how to upgrade your coaching business at the MCC level
7. Choose how you want to work and how much
While you shift to become a Master Coach, you will also start your process to recalibrate and refine your approach to working with clients. You can choose! You are crafting your new cycle of your business and your own career, so as a Master Coach you will be trained to decide what types of services you are willing to offer, what makes you feel satisfied in your business and what type of entrepreneur do you want to become while embracing a Master Level of coaching.
When you see yourself working with your clients on their personal life, on their career, or business, or on a specific goal, make sure you are clear on what are your priorities. Coaching is about awareness, it is about acting to promote change and transform what you are doing. You know coaching needs time to be effective and to create consistent lasting behavioral changes, and coaching at a master level implies a different approach and new strategies for your profession.
8. Commit to an ongoing learning process and develop a coaching mindset
With any new level of business and a higher level of competence, it takes some time to manifest what you want and succeed. Your coaching business will be no different.
You need to consider how to transition into your new masterful level of being a Coach in a sustainable way, in a way that allows you to be in charge of your life, to support and nurture yourself.
We encourage you to keep in mind that:
- it takes time to master the art of marketing and selling your master coaching services
- during the training period and the transition, you need to manage your energy wisely and the journey might slow down
- most worthwhile and lasting results might be harder and they might take longer than you expect.
From your PCC Level, it is wise to consider a time frame from 1 to 3 years before you complete the needed training, apply and receive your MCC credential.
Coaching is nowadays a self-regulated profession. It is easy to believe false claims, or deliberately misleading messages and ads that create dangerous expectations. Be wise, select a good training program, with ICF credentialed Trainers and Mentors (like the programs we offer at SunLight Academy), and take one step at a time.
You can thrive and become the impactful Master Coach that your clients are already waiting to meet!
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Our coaching, training and mentoring programs are for individuals and organizations who are determined to thrive in the new emerging world, who are willing to sustain their evolution, who want to evoke the best out of their talents and create their success according to their values. Choose your level of education to become a Certified Life Coach, Business Coach, Executive or Leadership Coach, Team or Group Coach.
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An introductory ICF accredited certification program where you learn the basics of the ICF coaching competencies and ethics together with the main coaching theories and models (former ACSTH Program).
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A comprehensive ICF accredited certification program that trains you at ful PCC level. You master the techniques to facilitate sustainable transformation and to set up your coaching business (former ACTP Program).
Mentor Coaching
Our program has the purpose to increase the coach’s capability in coaching, in alignment with the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics.
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If you want to become a Life Coach, a Business, Corporate or Executive Coach, or a Team Coach enroll now in our accredited training and mentoring programs. We partner with individuals, with professionals, with managers in organizations and with their teams, with HR personnel, trainers and mentors around the world who want to be the creators of a new paradigm. We deliver professional coaching, training and mentoring to allow You to develop the key skills to thrive in the new emerging world full of possibilities.
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