Coaching Certification
I love mentoring and training emerging coaches how to be great ADHD coaches and create their profitable and sustainable coaching business. You see, having been a coach for over 12 years, I know how much coaching can make a positive difference in people’s lives and I want to do everything I can to make sure there are great coaches out there serving our community.
However, when it comes to getting certified as a coach there still seems to be some controversy with people on both sides of the “certify or “not to certify” fence. You see, currently, there is no legal training requirement to use the title of “coach”. Yet, despite the current lack of legal obligation to do so many dedicated coaches seek certification and credentialing from approved training programs before they use the professional title of “coach”. And still, many so called “coaches”, still forgo actual approved coach training in lieu of life experience.
So, in a time when coaching is becoming widely known and the need for ADHD coaches is increasing, which direction should a person go if they want to become an ADHD coach? Here are my thoughts:
There is a difference in what you can bring to the coaching session when you have become a certified coach. Coaches who have invested the money, energy and a couple of years training to become a certified ADHD coach are going to be more skilled, experienced and professional than someone who hasn’t gone through that rigorous process. You see, coach training takes your life experiences and teaches you how to incorporate them into the coaching model. Coach training honors your expertise in other areas of your life and helps you mold these to use in your coaching to serve your clients. Without this training, you may be providing comfort, lending an ear or giving advice, but you are not skilled at eliciting your client’s wisdom, honoring them as fully capable or truly empowering them to make lasting changes in their lives.
More and more people are asking about credentials. When I first started coaching 12 years ago, the profession of coaching was just emerging and I rarely got asked if I had a coaching certification or not. In the past five years I have noticed this changing. It is not uncommon now for me to be asked about my training and experience. Potential clients are becoming informed consumers, interviewing multiple coaches and asking great questions. Thanks to organizational and leader support, our community is becoming educated about ADHD coaching and learning that there is a difference between the quality and skill of well trained certified coaches.
Certified coaches are pushing to have the laws changed. I see a day, not too long in the future, when being certified or credentialed will be a requirement for using the title “coach”. Even if a potential client doesn’t know to ask, credentialed ADHD coaches like myself are educating our community about what they can expect from their coaches, including the coach training. Coaches who have put in those long hours and financial investment into making sure they are professionally trained will continue to lead the way and lobby for the privilege of using the title “coach” only by those who have the gone through the rigorous training.
A place to start if you are looking for a list of quality training programs, is the International Coach Federation (ICF) website. This organization has a long list of quality certifying programs and offers a variety of options for people wanting to become a certified coach. I am excited to announce that our program at the International ADHD Coach Training Center is currently in the process of getting approval for our certification program. In the midst of this fast growing profession, the ICF, the largest regulating body of coaches worldwide with over 20,000 members, has continued to maintain its standards for quality well trained coaches. If someone wants to be a coach there is a program that will fit your needs and provide the structure, direction, philosophy and training for your coach certification.
Let me know what you think.
You can find out more about the International ADHD Coach Training Center by emailing support@coachingforadhd.com
