I am now ICF Certified

I am excited to share that I am now officially ICF Certified!

Getting this certification means a lot in todays coaching world. I take my coaching skills, training, experience, and abilities seriously. Receiving the stamp of approval from the primary certifying body in the world is a chance to validate the integrity of my work as a coach and I feel incredibly proud to be able to wear this ACC badge in my practice.

I have lots of opinions about certifications in coaching. This profession remains unregulated by any legal body which is a double edged sword for both coaches and clients alike. Institutions like the ICF fill the gap by providing a standardized set of competencies to adhere to which helps at a very baseline level in communicating expectations around coaching quality and integrity. However, having any type of training or certification is not a requirement at any level for anyone to call themselves a coach or even to be successful in their coaching business. Nor does having an ICF certification mean that someone will be the best or right coach *for you*. This gray area makes it challenging for a consumer to know which coaches they can trust to be the most effective and it also makes it challenging for coaches to market themselves and their abilities amongst a sea of people with varying skill or ability.

One of the main gripes I have with our industry is that truly anyone can call themselves a coach and no one can stop them nor are they held accountable for the work they do in their coaching practice. I see so many ‘online coaches’ in my social media feeds who aim to sell programs, e-books, courses, coaching sessions, or trainings on a topic of their own expertise who make a ton of money in their business but may ultimately be better marketers than they are coaches. I’ve seen people call themselves ‘productivity coaches’, ‘mental health coaches’, ‘weight loss coaches’ and even ‘fashion coaches’. And while all of these areas may be valuable and important for individuals to get tailored support with, I have a hard time seeing how the fundamental principles of coaching can be upheld in a relationship where one person positions themselves as an expert and doles out advice and consultation. Perhaps calling them ‘productivity consultants’ or ‘fashion stylists’ might be a better title. But since coaching has surged in popularity, everyone wants in on the ‘coach’ name.

That’s why I take my training and certification from the prestigious Hudson Institute and my recent accreditation from ICF seriously. Working with me means you are getting seriously impactful results in your career and life. Need more proof? See what my clients are saying about me here.

And a big special thank you to the entire Hudson staff for the elite training that helped me pass my exam and receive this certification. Proud to be an alumni and coach on this journey with this amazing community!