[UPDATE: On Friday, October 6, 2017, we received confirmation that the new, expanded Certified Positive Psychology Coach® Program, has been approved for a total of 210 ICF credit hours, or ACSTH. ICF requires 200 hours coach-specific training for their Master Certified Coach, or MCC, credential.]
We got the news, Wednesday, that the Certified Positive Psychology Coach® Program has been approved for ICF ACSTH. They actually approved us for 125 hours, which is 25 more than we expected (yay!). This means that our grads will have a streamlined experience when applying for the ICF ACC credential and even the advanced placement members will have an easier time qualifying for CCEs and the PCC credential. This is important, because coaches who've gone the non-approved 'portfolio route' to ICF certification tell me it's pretty arduous and not recommended. So I'm excited for our members!
This news comes on the heels of Certified Positive Psychology Coach® becoming a Registered Trademark belonging to School of Coaching Mastery. That's what the little, "®" means. Essentially, we own this certification and no one else has the legal right to use it or grant it. We took this step to establish a level of excellence in positive psychology coaching and to protect our certified coaches from possible imitators.
We plan to keep our IAC License for the foreseeable future, but are more focused now on the ICF approach to coaching. One big reason is that, after years in the coach-training-and-certification business, I've observed an undeniable truth: coaches are far more likely to get certified when the certification they pursue is directly related to completion of a training program. This is, perhaps, one reason why the ICF certifies so many more coaches. Another is that the ICF has done a great job of making businesses and organizations aware of coaching and ICF credentials. A third reason is that the ICF Coach Directory does a good job of attracting clients to coaches.
[UPDATE: We've chosen to stop renewing our IAC license after consulting with our students. They told us they're not interested in IAC certification and we want to focus laser-like on what most helps them reach their goals.]
So congratulations to our coach-members who become certified and get more clients!
[UPDATE: One bit of related bad news, if you haven't yet joined, savings on Part 2 will be phased out over the next few weeks. Don't delay, if you want to join and save!]
