ICF Coaching Certification Levels

Hello everyone,

I'm coming to you today as an ICF Accredited Coaching Education Provider and a proud Master Certified Coach.

I get this question all the time: “Shiny, what is the difference between ICF accreditation levels?” "As a professional coach, why should I care about my ICF accreditation and why should I go from one level to the other, explain to me."

I've been teaching coaching and certifying coaches and practitioners of Neuro-Linguistic Programming since 2011. Based on my 11 years of experience, I want to share with you why you want to get not only your certification as a coach but your ICF accreditation as a coach, and I'll also cover the 3 levels of coaching certifications by the International Coaching Federation.

If you want to learn more about my upcoming online coaching education programs, you can click here.

What is ACC level Credential?

The first level of your ICF accreditation as a coach is called "Associate Certified Coach" or "ACC." In order for you to receive your ACC level credential from the ICF:

• You need 60 hours of ICF approved coaching education
• You need to collect 100 hours of coaching experience
• You need 10 hours of mentor coaching with a coach who already holds an ICF ACC or above credential (as part of your mentor coaching, you also need to prove your coaching skills by recording a coaching session that you have done with one of your clients)
• Then you need to pass the ICF's credentialing exam 

What is PCC level Credential?

PCC is "Professional Certified Coach". Here are the requirements to become a PCC coach:

• You need 125 hours of ICF approved coaching education
• You need to collect 500 hours of coaching experience
• You need 10 hours of mentor coaching with a coach who already holds an ICF PCC or above credential (as part of your mentor coaching, you also need to prove your coaching skills by recording two coaching sessions that you have done with two of your clients)
• Then you need to pass the ICF's credentialing exam 

What is MCC level Credential?

MCC stands for "Master Certified Coach". Here are the requirements to become a MCC coach:

• You need 200 hours of ICF approved coaching education
• You need to collect 2,500 hours of coaching experience
• You need 10 hours of mentor coaching with a coach who already holds an ICF MCC credential (as part of your mentor coaching, you also need to prove your coaching skills by recording two coaching sessions that you have done with two of your clients)
• Then you need to pass the ICF's credentialing exam 

What is the difference between ACC, PCC, and MCC?

MCC is the highest level, but why do you care about these differences? Why do you care about ACC, PCC, and MCC?

Because as you level up in your education, skills and accreditation you'll become an even better coach, even better you and serve the world at the highest levels possible.

Why should you get your ICF Accreditation as a Coach? 

Here is a simple answer; if you want to go to a hospital, you want a doctor who has graduated from a university, right? You want your doctor to hold a degree to rely on him, and you can depend on his skills, knowledge, and ability to help you go through whatever the health problem you're going through. Right? That's the same thing.

Importance of Coaching Communication Skills

Coaching, to me, is the highest level of communication skills one human being can have. Why do I say that?

Coaching comes with so many levels of training and so many levels skills. And that's why when you work with a coach, you are working with an invisible neuro-surgeon. I'm making a big statement here, but I mean it.

Because if you work with a coach who does not understand neuroscience, psychology, heart science, Neuro-Linguistic Programming, and practical tools for making somebody feel better, you're not doing yourself a good job. You are relying on somebody who believes that you know they have the ability, but they have not gone through the specific training required, the particular exams, testing their power, so you cannot take a risk.

Why do I say Neuro-Surgeon?

Because when you work with a coach, you open up your emotions, so those are intense levels in your nervous system. Suppose you look at it from the neuroscience perspective, the emotional part of your brain.

In that case, your limbic system is so ingrained in your everyday activities, behaviors, and language patterns. It is so hard for you to move forward with your life without truly understanding it and integrating what happens in it. Thus, only a very well-trained, certified, and accredited ICF coach can help you recognize your patterns and achieve your goals.

What are the distinctions in Coaching?

1. Coaching is not therapy
2. Coaching doesn't take you back to your childhood so that you can heal your wounds
3. Coaching takes you as a whole and complete and resourceful individual
4. Coaching helps you understand what works for you to put all of those working parts together so that you can move forward to become more and achieve more in your life

ICF accreditation levels, Coaching, and NLP skills

Suppose you want to know more about ICF accreditation levels, coaching skills, and NLP skills. In that case, I am inviting you to check my Neuro-shine Technology coaching program that ICF International Coaching Federation fully accredits.

I'm here to teach you the ability to combine Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Neuro-science, Heart Science, Positive Psychology, Emotional Intelligence, Quantum Physics, and even Cosmology! You will get a more extensive and deeper understanding of who you are, what you do, and how you can serve others. Please click the link below to learn more about NLP Coaching, or you can contact me anytime if you want to.