A Coaching Certification for People Who Influence Others

You influence people every day in meetings, classrooms, clinical settings, and conversations that matter.

While influence is part of your role, most of us were never formally trained in how to navigate resistance, emotion, and accountability with skill.

Coaching Foundations builds the skills and presence to lead conversations that empower and create ownership, not dependence. 
This program is approved for up to 60 PDCs toward SHRM-CP® and SHRM-SCP® recertification (30 for the live training and 30 for the self-paced curriculum), through Above Coaching, a recognized SHRM Recertification Provider.

A Coaching Certification for People Who Influence Others

Next Cohort: Sept 10th, 2026

Level 1 Coaching Foundations

The Level 1 Coaching Foundations Certification is a developmental pathway designed to build strong coaching fundamentals, ethical confidence, and grounded presence, equipping people who influence others to coach skillfully, responsibly, and with integrity.
Self-Paced

12+ Online Modules

Mentor Coaching

3-Month Mentor Program

Live Classes

Weekly Live Classes + Coaching Practice

Community

Meaningful Connection and Support

Duration

3 Months
60+ Hours

1:1 Support

Advisor + Mentor Hours

Who Is This Course For?

You may be a leader, a teacher, a medical professional, a sponsor, a helper, or an advisor.
You may not hold a formal title at all.

If people come to you for direction, decisions, support, or guidance - you influence others.

Leaders + Managers

You’re responsible for outcomes.

You run meetings. You hold 1:1s. You give feedback. You make decisions.


Sometimes you may feel the tension between supporting people and driving performance.


You don’t want to micromanage.

But you also don’t want things slipping through the cracks.


This program helps you develop conversations that build ownership without losing clarity or authority.

Educators

You care deeply about the people you teach. You want them to think for themselves. To engage. To grow.


At the same time, you’re responsible for outcomes, standards, and time.


There’s a constant balance between guiding and stepping back.


Coaching skills don’t remove structure. They help you ask questions that build ownership inside it.

Care Professionals

You work with people in vulnerable moments.


There’s already a power dynamic. There are already boundaries. There’s already responsibility.

And you have to navigate all of that while staying present and clear.

This program strengthens your ability to have meaningful conversations without overstepping, over-functioning, or blurring roles.

Sponsors/Advisors

People come to you because you’ve walked ahead of them.


You want to guide, not control.
You want to support,  not rescue.

But when someone is stuck, it’s easy to slip into giving answers instead of building capacity.

Coaching gives you a way to stay supportive while keeping responsibility where it belongs.


This program meets people inside their actual roles, where power dynamics already exist and conversations matter. Where words land. Where responsibility is real.

You Will Walk Away With

This course provides you with more than just knowledge or education.

You will leave with a strengthened capacity to hold conversations that matter — with steadiness, clarity, and care.
A grounded presence that allows you to respond rather than react
Greater self-regulation and presence under pressure
Clear agreement-setting skills that prevent confusion and covert agendas
Listening that goes beyond content into meaning, values, and identity
The ability to lead coaching conversations without fixing, rescuing, or controlling outcomes
Inquiry that evokes ownership instead of dependence
Confidence to coach ethically within roles that carry authority or responsibility
Experience being observed, mentored, and evaluated against a real coaching standard
The capacity to create psychological safety while maintaining accountability
Respond instead of react in moments of resistance.
Lead 1:1 conversations without carrying the emotional weight afterward.
Create accountability without micromanagement.

The Coaching Foundations Pathway

Coaching Foundations is structured around a simple developmental arc that reflects how real coaching capacity is built, not how techniques are memorized.

This pathway is about developing the capacity to coach responsibly when influence is already present.

Presence → Trust & Safety → Awareness → Growth & Responsibility → Mentored Integration
Self-Awareness & Regulation

 Presence

Before techniques, before questions, before frameworks, participants learn to regulate themselves. They learn to notice reactivity, resist the urge to fix, and remain grounded in moments that matter.

Presence is treated not as a soft skill, but as a professional responsibility.
Because influence without self-awareness creates noise — not clarity.
Boundaries & Psychological Safety

Trust & Safety   

Participants learn how trust is built through consistency, clear boundaries, and clean agreements, especially in roles that carry authority or responsibility.

This phase focuses on creating psychological safety without rescuing, avoiding over-functioning, and establishing conversations where honesty and accountability can coexist.
Listening & Insight

  Awareness

Participants develop the ability to listen beyond surface content, listening into values, assumptions, emotional cues, and identity-level patterns.

The emphasis is on inquiry that expands perspective rather than directs outcomes, supporting insight that leads to ownership.
Ownership & Forward Action

Growth & Responsibility  

Coaching is not complete until responsibility stays with the person being coached.

Participants learn how to support forward movement without pressure, control, or micromanagement, helping others translate awareness into action that is self-generated and sustainable.
Coaching Skills & Mentor Feedback

 Mentored Integration

Elevate your coaching presence and refine your skills through deep practice and live mentor coaching. In this step, you’ll strengthen the ICF Core Competencies, deepen your intuitive listening, and gain confidence in navigating real coaching sessions with precision and purpose.


You’ll learn the skills and distinctions that allow you - the coach - to become the most valuable coaching tool in every session. You’ll also discover how to be the source of a deep coaching presence, one that creates trust, safety, and transformation simply through who you are being.
Includes our signature Mentoring Made Easy program.

Graduation Requirements

The Graduation Requirements for Above Coaching's Level 1 Coaching Foundations Certification program are designed to ensure that each participant emerges as a competent, confident, and ethical coach. To successfully graduate, students must complete all course modules, actively participate in live classes, and engage in learning activities. Additionally, students are required to complete 10 hours of mentor coaching, submit recorded sessions for evaluation, and passing a final performance evaluation. These requirements are aligned with the ICF's rigorous standards, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to pursue their Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential.

Training Hours

Participants are required to complete a minimum of 60 training hours, consisting of 30 hours of self-study and 30 hours of live classroom instruction. Our program provides 65+ hours of comprehensive training to ensure all students comfortably fulfill the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Level 1 requirements. 

Recorded Coaching Sessions

Each participant is required to receive feedback on five coaching sessions. A minimum of four of these sessions will receive detailed written feedback. These submissions will be evaluated by our mentor coaches, who will assess the sessions against the ICF Core Competencies..

Performance Evaluation

Each participant is required to complete a performance evaluation to demonstrate their ability to meet the ACC level of coaching. Participants must demonstrate ACC level coaching on a minimum of 1 coaching call, as observed by an ICF PCC or MCC Mentor. 

Mentor Coaching

Participants are required to successfully complete the entire Mentoring course, which includes a total of 10 mentor coaching hours. Of these hours, 7 may be completed in a group mentoring setting, while the remaining 3 hours must be conducted in a one-on-one mentoring capacity. 

Complete All Online Self Paced Course Work

Participate must complete all online course work (included with the Level 1 Coach Certification package):

  Level 1 Coaching Foundations Certification Course 
  10 hours of Mentor Coaching (included within the Level 1 Coach Certification Course)

Capstone Project

The Capstone Project is your opportunity to demonstrate integration, leadership, and your unique coaching voice in action.

  Final Performance Evaluation
  3 Written ACC Evaluations

What Is Included

Level 2 Professional Coaching Certification

  Three-months live Accelerated Interactive training

  Coaching Foundations Certification from Above Coaching
  An Above Coaching Certified Coach Certificate 
  65 total hours of ACC level coach training
  30 Hours of live Accelerated Interactive Learning
  On Demand self study program in LMS
  Skills to start coaching from month one
  ICF Credentialing exam preparation support


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Level 1 Coaching Foundations Certification
On Demand Program

   Lifetime access to the whole Coaching Foundations Certification On Demand program. Access will be granted once full payment is completed

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ACC Mentoring Made EasyTM Program

  3-months signature Mentoring Made EasyTM training to support you in the art of ACC-level coaching using the LAUD Method
  7 group mentoring session covering the ICF Core Competencies and in depth PCC Markers
  (3) 1:1 mentoring sessions
  Personal supportive feedback on your coaching skill and ACC readiness
  4 written ACC Marker call evaluations

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Group Coaching and Mentoring Program

   1-year of monthly live group coaching and mentoring sessions

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Coaching Case Studies

   6-months access to Coaching demonstration Training days

Frequently Asked Questions

I already feel like I’m coaching. Why do I need training?

Many people who seek this training are naturally empathetic and supportive, and they're often surprised to discover how much of what they're doing is actually advising, enabling, rescuing, or directing. Professional coaching involves specific competencies that create development rather than dependence. Training gives you the distinction, not just the instinct.

How long does the course take to complete?

Our Coaching Foundations Certification program is 3 months and designed as a comprehensive training delivered live via Zoom. Upon completion of all practical elements, you’ll receive a Certificate from Above Coaching.

Does my employer cover this? 

Many do. This certification program qualifies as professional development under most employer tuition reimbursement policies. We're happy to provide documentation or help you make the case internally, just mention it when you book your connection call.

What is Above Coaching’s Accelerated Interactive Learning style?

Our programs are not just theoretical; they engage you in actively experiencing what it’s like to be a coach through experiential group activities, immediately applying your new skills.

We call this Accelerated Interactive Learning, utilizing diverse methods such as didactic, experiential, practical, theoretical, and group activities. Our approach also includes multimedia resources (video, audio, written, podcasts) in our LMS, enhancing retention and transformative learning. (Experiential learning achieves about 80% retention versus traditional classroom methods, which average around 25%.)

Who will I be able to coach? What if I want a specialty (e.g., health)?

The Above Coaching model is flexible, fluid, and universally applicable. It prepares you with confidence and skill to coach anyone across any situation and specializes in learning to become skilled at coaching the person, not the problem or situation.
Examples of Coaching Situations:
  • Individuals
  • Employees within organizations,
  • Executives.
  • Teams and leaders
  • Community groups
  • Sports teams and athletes
Examples of Coaching Topics:
  • Leadership and team challenges
  • Career transitions and development
  • Health and wellness
  • Family and personal relationships

Does Above Coaching work in the Corporate Environment?

According to research from the International Coaching Federation (ICF), 86% of organizations reported an ROI from their coaching engagements, and 96% of executives who received coaching said they would engage again. Companies experienced measurable improvements in productivity, employee performance, reduced costs, revenue growth, and increased employee retention and engagement. Additionally, coaching provided intangible benefits such as increased confidence, enhanced communication, and stronger relationships with peers and stakeholders.

A notable study by Manchester Inc., surveying 100 executives primarily from Fortune 1000 companies, found an average ROI nearly six times the cost of coaching. 

Another study by a Fortune 500 company revealed that executive coaching significantly impacted key business areas, particularly productivity and employee satisfaction, yielding a remarkable 788% ROI overall and a 529% ROI even when excluding benefits from employee retention. 

Does this course teach me business skills?

The Above Coaching certification program primarily focuses on coaching education and skill-building, enabling you to confidently deliver impactful coaching conversations. The program includes foundational business knowledge for coaching.

As part of the LMS Coaches Toolkit, you’ll gain access to valuable resources, templates, and tools to launch your coaching practice, such as Discovery Call Scripts, Client Forms, Coaching Agreement, Coaching Questionnaire to name a few.

For specialized business, marketing and client attraction knowledge, we recommend our dedicated coaching business training program, the Coaching Business Builder program specifically designed to show coaches how to build and grow their coaching business and have them implement it.

Will you teach us how to get coaching clients?

Yes! The Coaching Foundations Certification program covers business strategies to attract new clients. And, for more advanced business, marketing, and client attraction methods, we offer our specialized program, the Coaching Business Builder program, designed to have you get clear on your niche, build your business, attract clients, and influence to enroll and sell your services and programs.

Can I claim this course as a tax deduction?

Generally, training that enhances your professional skills or contributes to your income-earning potential may qualify as a tax-deductible expense. We recommend consulting your accountant or tax advisor for guidance specific to your situation.

Are there any prerequisites or pre-work?

There are not. This is a complete level 1 coach training program and there is no need to complete any courses prior to joining. 

Do coaching sessions need to be face-to-face?

No, coaching sessions via phone or Zoom are highly effective and convenient and eliminate the need for physical office space. Many coaches prefer virtual sessions due to their flexibility, ease, and ability to reach clients across various time zones.

Still Scrolling?

Let's Keep the Momentum Going

Not ready to commit just yet? That’s okay. Growth is a process, and we’ve got resources to support you wherever you are.

✨ Whether you're a coach ready to level up…
✨ Or a leader looking to integrate deeper coaching skills…

We created two free guides to help you take your next step with clarity:

The Coach
Starter Guide

For newer or uncertified coaches
exploring a professional path.

The Professional
Development Guide

For experienced coaches, leaders, and professionals seeking advanced skills or ICF certification.
Take a moment. Download what resonates. And when you’re ready - we’ll be here.
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