Q: Why is Mentor Coaching a fee-based service, instead of a pro bono service allowing coaches to give back to their peers?
A: The ICF does not regulate the marketing and delivery of Mentor Coaching services. When we determined that working with a Mentor Coach is the best way for people to learn, the market stepped in and developed the business around Mentor Coaching.
Like the decision to pursue coach training, we see Mentor Coaching as an investment of time and money that practitioners make in themselves and their careers. Many ICF Credentialing candidates have found group coaching to be more affordable than one-on-one delivery, and our policy dictates that they may count a maximum of seven hours of group coaching toward their 10-hour Mentor Coaching requirement.
Q: How do I find a Mentor Coach?
A: If you are at the beginning of your coaching journey, one of the best ways to complete the requisite Mentor Coaching hours required for the ICF Credential is to complete an ACTP. The ICF requires programs with this designation to build 10 hours of Mentor Coaching (with at least three of those delivered one-on-one) into their curricula. Many ACSTH programs also offer Mentor Coaching, although they are not required to do so. (Check with an individual program to learn more about what it does and does not offer.)
At the end of this year, the ICF will launch its Mentor Coach Registry as another way for coaches to find ICF Credential-holders who offer Mentor Coaching as part of their practices. Mentor Coaches will pay a fee to be listed in the MCR, but the service (structured as a searchable list) will be free to users seeking a Mentor Coach.
Abby Tripp Heverin is the Communications Coordinator for the International Coach Federation. She oversees content development for Coaching World, in addition to helping implement the ICF’s public relations strategy. If you’re interested in contributing to a future issue of Coaching World, email her at abby.heverin@coachfederation.org.
This article was originally posted on the International Coach Federation Blog.
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