ICF-accredited Level 1 Coach Training
Professional Coaching Skills Certification
Become a certified coach. Learn to facilitate powerful coaching sessions grounded in recognised professional standards. Develop core coaching competencies through supervised practice, reflective learning, and mentor feedback, and complete an ICF-accredited Level 1 certification that supports your progression toward credentialing.
Why choose our programme?
Our ICF-accredited course gives you the tools and skills to become a professional coach, whether you are already experienced in coaching or a complete novice.
- Professional foundation:
Gain the tools and skills you need to start your career as a professional coach.
- Core coaching skills:
Learn essential competencies for effective coaching, including contracting, active listening, powerful questions, setting goals and ethical practice.
- Pychological theories:
Expand your knowledge of key theories and models to understand your clients (and yourself) better.
- Structured learning:
The course was designed to build your skills and confidence so you see a clear progression in your abilities and confidence.
- Practice in a safe environment:
The course is highly interactive and includes coaching demos and practice in each class, so you can apply what you learn.
- Professional credibility:
Complete an ICF-accredited Level 1 certification that demonstrates your commitment to ethical, structured, and effective coaching practice.
Fully accredited by the ICF
The Professional Coaching Skills Certification has been approved by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and granted the Level 1 programme accreditation. It will enable you to apply for an ICF ACC credential via the Level 1 path.
- Pathway to ACC credential:
The course meets the training and mentoring requirements for the ICF ACC credential application.
- Verified professional standards:
Your training hours, mentoring hours, and learning outcomes meet ICF standards.
- Quality assurance:
The programme was evaluated and approved by the ICF for its content, structure, and adherence to coaching core competencies.
Upcoming training dates
Level 1 - Nov. 2026Full
Online
November 2026: 3rd, 5th, 10th, 12th, 17th, 19th, 24th & 26thDecember 2026: 1st, 3rd, 8th & 10th
9am to 1pm (UK time)
Level 1 - Dec. 2026
Online
December 2026: 1st, 3rd, 8th, 10th, 15th & 17thJanuary 2027: 12th, 14th, 19th, 21st, 26th & 28th
1pm to 5pm (UK time)
€3,900€3,510 Early bird ends in 2 daysSave €390
Level 1 - Feb. 2027
Online
February 2027: 9th, 11th, 16th, 18th, 23rd & 25thMarch 2027: 2nd, 4th, 9th, 11th, 16th & 18th
9am to 1pm (UK time)
€3,900€3,510 Early bird until 10 JanSave €390
Level 1 - Mar. 2027
Online
March 2027: 23rd, 25th & 30thApril 2027: 1st, 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 20th, 22nd, 27th & 29th
9am to 1pm (UK time)
€3,900€3,510 Early bird until 21 FebSave €390
Level 1 - Apr. 2027
Online
April 2027: 20th, 22nd, 27th & 29thMay 2027: 4th, 6th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 20th, 25th & 27th
9am to 1pm (UK time)
€3,900€3,510 Early bird until 21 MarSave €390
Notify me when a new cohort opens
Course Content
Complete the modules of the ICF-accredited Level 1 Professional Coaching Skills Certification to build a solid foundation in key coaching competencies. You will apply your learning in coaching sessions during the class, and engage in reflective practice afterwards to keep learning about yourself as a coach.
The course has a structured approach to give you practice coaching tools you can use immediately with clients, and ensures you graduate with real-world experience to feel confident as a professional coach.
To explore the full programme structure, watch our programme overview video below.
The course starts by covering the foundation of coaching:
Definition of coaching
Coaching dos and don’ts
Difference with mentoring, therapy and consulting
Coaching philosophy and values
ICF and EMCC accreditations and credentialing paths
Structure of a coaching session and a coaching engagement
Coaching demo and practice
You will develop core competencies to become a great coach. Our competency model is based on the ICF and the EMCC competency frameworks. It includes:
Contracting
Active listening
Powerful questioning
Effective communication
Facilitating client growth
Ethical practice
Coaching presence
Trust & safety
Professional development
You will learn how to use evidence-based theorie, tools, and models in your coaching to understand your clients better and help them reach their full potential:
Positive psychology
Personality psychology
Emotional intelligence
Cognitive biases
ABC model
Metaphors
Change model
Students practice coaching with each other every time they meet.
You will be split in pairs or in triads to get confident in the coaching process and apply coaching skills in a safe learning environment. You will not do any role-play, but coach each other on real topics.
The trainer joins a group every day to observe the sessions and provide detailed, personalised, and empowering feedback to participants. The group then comes back together and a bigger debrief is made to allow everyone to share their learning and inspire each other.
The certification includes 10 hours of Mentor Coaching, which is one of the requirements when you apply for an ICF credential.
On the last two half-days of the training, you will complete the group mentor coaching (7 hours). Students will coach each other in front of the whole group, while the others will observe and learn from the coach. A discussion is then facilitated by the trainer who also gives feedback.
In the three months following the end of the course, you will complete the 3 hours of individual mentor coaching with your mentor. These 3 sessions of an hour each will enable you to ask questions, review the audio recording of sessions, and discuss your coursework.
Programme overview
Learn more about the Professional Coaching Skills Certification in this video. We discuss who the certification is for and we share with you how the course is organised and structured.
We show what it is like to graduate with us so you know exactly what to expect from completing your ICF Level 1 training with the Institute.
How you will learn:
- Prework & Preparation:
Watch video lessons and complete reflective exercises ahead of each class.
- Interactive Classes:
Participate in live sessions with an experienced ICF-credentialed trainer and practice coaching with students.
- Self-study:
Once the classes are over, work through additional lessons in your own time and assess your own coaching practice in preparation for mentoring sessions.
- Individual Mentor Coaching:
Receive detailed feedback and personalised guidance from your mentor on your coaching sessions.
- Final Performance Evaluation:
Demonstrate your coaching skills in a final recording session to receive your Level 1 certification.
Supportive
"The structure was well-organized and the support was continuous. As someone with ADHD, I truly appreciated how accommodating and patient the team was-it was incredibly helpful. I felt supported throughout the entire journey."
Inspiring
"It was truly a transformative experience. The training was comprehensive, practical, and deeply supportive, giving me the tools and confidence to step into my (future) role as a coach."
High standards
"The quality, value, and support they provide are incomparable. Before taking the course, I thoroughly researched the available options. I can tell you that they are the best, from beginning to end!"
Become a Certified Coach
Choose the start date that suits you during registration. Flexible payment options available.
Groups are limited to 9 participants. Enrolment closes once the cohort is full, so early registration is recommended.
Level 1 Professional Coaching Skills Certification
Take a leap in your career- 5-month all-inclusive programme
- 2-year access to the materials
- Start coaching immediately
- Pathway to ICF ACC
Best value
Combine with our Level 2 Advanced Coach Training
Bundle your Level 1 and Level 2 together to avail the offer- Add the Advanced Coach Training
- Develop your coaching to PCC standards
- Become a Certified Advanced Coach
- Pathway to ICF ACC & PCC
From coaches who’ve been there
"Words alone can’t do justice to the value of the education and support that I received from the institute. Although I completed a Level 1 certification, the training I received went beyond the ACC level and truly helped me go deeper into more transformational coaching- I truly learned to coach the person and not the problem."
""If you want to be set on the path to become a great coach then the Institute of Coaching Studies is the place to study with to become that. I am very grateful that I did my certificate in coaching with them. I really like how they structured the sessions to get the most out of becoming a coach, and embedding the ICF ethics and standards within it."
"I enjoyed this course so much! Even before I enrolled, they were so supportive and made time to go through any questions I had. The course was well organised and the training itself was well paced and designed in a way to quickly build trust and get us working together as a group. Highly recommended!"
"Taking this coaching training course was a wonderful experience for me. The trainer was very experienced and the content was well organized. Even the slides were well designed. I really liked this course, not only gaining the knowledge about coaching, but also having some hands-on coaching experiences. And the online platform is super helpful, a lot of useful materials and resources."
"Would 100% recommend. The whole training was an experience I don’t want to miss. Loved the atmosphere that was created in our classes. The content was practical and yet, very professionally curated."
"Perhaps the most impactful personal growth I’ve experienced in years."
"It was an absolute pleasure to do the professional coaching skills programme with Institute of Coaching Studies. It took me some time when selecting the course and I could not have made a better choice to start my path as a coach."
"Taking the ICF accredited course at The Institute of Coaching Studies was a significant event in my career. By expanding my skill base outside pure therapy into coaching taught me techniques I now employ throughout my practice. Simultaneously fascinating, challenging and rewarding, I learnt all I needed and more for my application to the ICF for accreditation."
"I not only have the confidence to begin my career as a coach but have access to an array of tools and wonderful connections to help in my growth as a person."
"Excellent instruction. Excellent resource. Excellent value for money. Excellent sessions. My co-coaches and I developed exponentially over the course of the sessions - I personally saw dramatic change after just session 1 (worth noting here, I was coaching professionally for 6 years prior to seeking my ICF Accreditation). The course is mercifully expedient whilst covering all the ground required in order to go on and get the ACC."
"I came into the program with no previous experience and not sure what to expect. What I discovered was a very hands on and practical learning environment that gave me a great opportunity to learn all of the theory and models and put them into use in the same day. This is a great place to start or continue your coach education and training."
"I want to say thank you for helping me become a great coach. The knowledge and experience I gained during the coaching program were priceless. It was very informative, practical, and insightful. I feel very confident and empowered to continue my coaching journey. Highly recommended!"
"Attending the Coach Certification training was such a great experience. I enjoyed that we were 6 participants and we got to know each other and support each other. I enjoyed the combination between theory and practice. I can see the difference that practicing coaching during the training did, I gained the confidence that I can coach and changing my career from IT to being a coach."
Frequently Asked Questions
More questions? Visit our extended FAQ, send us an email or schedule a call with an Advisor.
The course is delivered in English.
The theoretical part of the certification is covered in videos you will watch before each class. You will do some reflections in the coursebook as well, which you will discuss in the class with the rest of the group and the trainer.
There are 12 modules of 4 hours each. The class is highly interactive and energising (no slides!). They include group discussions, breakout rooms, group activities, and coaching practice.
Once you are finished with the classes, you will complete some self-study and the individual mentor coaching.
We tend to follow the same format for most training days (start time is indicative only):
9-9:15am - Daily check-in, Q&A
9:15-10am - Group discussion on the videos, the demos, and the self-reflections. Breakout activity.
10-10:15am - Break
10:15-11am - Group activity on a specific skill or model.
11am-12:45pm - Coaching practice
12:45-12:55pm - Group debrief of the coaching practice
12:55-1pm - Wrap up
We have 3 important requirements that we ask all participants to consider before signing up to any of our programmes:
Participants must be able to attend all classes and must be in the right mindset to practice coaching. The learning is intensive, so it is important to choose a training format that best suits your learning style and preference.
Participants must join the training from a private, quiet location where they will not be distracted during classes and the coaching sessions they will facilitate. This is to maintain focus as well as honour the confidentiality of their clients’ sessions.
The participants’ Internet bandwidth needs to be good enough to join a Zoom call with video and audio from your laptop.
These requirements are essential to maintain a positive and enriching learning experience for you but also for the group.
Regarding specific background, experience or education, there is no requirement. Anyone interested in learning and practicing coaching skills can join. Though most of our students have already practiced coaching one way or another, some have never formally coached before.
Aside from all the information listed above, it is important to know that you will practice coaching a lot during the programme. You will coach and be coached each time we meet (so once per half-day of training), on real topics.
Being coached so much can be difficult for some people. There are two reasons we included so much real practice:
The first one is that coaching is an art that can only be perfected through practice. You can learn the theory but it is only when you coach that you can improve your skills.
It is essential that you also experience coaching as a client so you can see the different styles of coaching from other participants, as well as increase your self-awareness and reflective practice.
All the information about the ICF credentials can be found on the ICF website. You can visit this page to read about the credentialing process for ACC.
You can practice paid coaching in different ways. The ICF defines “paid coaching” as follows:
Peer-to-peer coaching (coaching another coach and receiving coaching in return)
With paying clients (payment may be in any amount, or exchange of goods or services)
Internal coaching (as part of the coach’s employment)
Third-party coaching (when the coach receives payment from an organisation for coaching a client. Payment may be in any amount or barter of goods or services).
Visit the ICF website for more information on the experience requirements.
Yes the course is enough to practice as a coach. The ICF accreditation is not mandatory. However we strongly encourage coaches to aim for an ICF certification, which validates your training and experience and is highly recognised.
Unfortunately the training dates can’t be changed as the trainer and people who booked their place have already committed to them. Make sure to check all the dates suit you before registering, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Yes we do! We have a second module which is ICF Level 2 accredited. It is an additional 75 hours of training and you will be awarded an Advanced Diploma in Coaching.
You can book both Level 1 and Level 2 programmes as a bundle to avail a discount on the second training.
Is this course for me?
If you are interested in developing a solid foundation in professional coaching, grounded in recognised standards, ethical guidelines and psychology, the Level 1 Professional Coaching Skills Certification will be a good fit.
Live classes and self-paced study
Connect with like-minded professionals
Practice real coaching sessions
Get ready for your ICF ACC credential
Choose this course if…
you want to become a professional coach and facilitate powerful sessions for your clients, regardless of the topic they bring to their sessions. If you want to coach the person, not the problem, this is the programme for you.
Still deciding? Let’s talk.
Send us an email or schedule a call if you have any questions.
We’ll help you find the right course for you.