360-degree learning
Coach, be coached, and observe coaching. You develop as a coach from every angle, inside the safety of a learning community.
Since2016
Aim for mastery. The practice gets subtle from here.
Programs start in Spring and Fall
Advanced Coaching Skills
ICF-approved coach education · 15 modules · Live online
ICF Level 2Spring and Fall start dates
Welcome
You have the foundations.
This program is for coaches with the foundations, ready to sharpen their edge.
The Advanced Coaching Skills Program is 65 hours of ICF-accredited Level 2 coach education: 15 modules in one 4-month, part-time, live virtual program. Ask about our prerequisites. Advanced skills is for coaches with a minimum of 30 CCEs in qualifying coach education, working toward a PCC credential.
This is where your practice gets more subtle: tone of voice as a tool, lingering and discovery, exploring the personal bias underneath your questions, coaching from the client's experience.
You'll practice in class each week, in a cohort capped at 10 participants. You'll learn the theories behind motivation and the science of behavior change, submit coaching sessions for peer reviews, and work through case studies that stretch your growth edge.
Foundations got you this far. This program moves you from thinking to doing to embodying coaching competencies.
It's a practice, and a mindset.
65
ICF coach education hours
4
Months, part-time
10
Practice coaching hours
30
CCEs prerequisite
- How to use your tone of voice as a powerful tool.
- How to linger in discovery, and dig deeper for profound insights.
- How to unpack bias with clean questions and mirroring.
- How to use the PERFORM™ framework to explore resistance.
- How to coach the person, not the problem.
Advanced skills will provoke new insights, increase confidence and give coaches the skills to partner with the most challenging clients.
The details
Program at a glance
| Program | Advanced Coaching Skills |
|---|---|
| Format | Live virtual training, on Zoom |
| Length | 15 modules, 1 per week |
| Breaks | Applicable holidays* |
| Classroom access | Program duration plus 3 months |
| Weekly class | 2 hours live |
| Coursework | About 2 to 3 hours per week |
| Coaching practice | About 2 hours per week |
| ICF coach education hours | 65 (ICF Level 2) |
| ICF mentoring hours | Available as an add-on |
| Prerequisite | Minimum 30 CCEs or 60 hours in qualifying coach education |
| Designation earned | Qualifies for ICF Level 2 Coach Education |
| Community membership | Influencer Membership, included for 3 months |
| Start dates | Spring and Fall, annually |
| Tuition | $4,900 plus applicable taxes |
| CA returning student price | $4,600 plus applicable taxes |
| Payment plans | Up to 3 payments |
* Breaks follow the statutory and civic holidays of Ontario, Canada, where Coach Academy is based. Every class is recorded, and missed classes can be made up. We respect the holidays our students celebrate around the globe. Tuition is valid for 2026 and subject to change.
Successful completion
- 65 hours of coursework
- 10 practical coaching hours completed
- 10 hours being coached
- Capstone project, coaching submissions, and peer feedback
- ICF Performance Evaluation (optional)**
** The ICF Performance Evaluation ($600) is optional, and therefore not included in tuition. Your Admissions Coach will walk you through it.
What you achieve
- Increased confidence and skill
- ICF Level 2 Certificate for 65 Hours
- Bridge to ICF Performance Evaluation
- A global community of practice, included for 3 months
The curriculum
What you'll learn
In 15 modules, you'll sharpen the advanced skills behind PCC-level coaching. You'll learn how to:
- Use your tone of voice as a powerful tool
- Practice advanced skills in lingering and discovery
- Unpack personal bias and increase self-awareness
- Work with reflection, inflection and observation
- Coach from the client's experience
- Measure your progress against PCC Markers
- Experience the power of feedback
- Move beyond the obvious: coach the "What" not the "How"
- Learn strategies to unearth competing commitments
- Cultivate advanced strategies and mindset for greater impact
Multiply your growth with peer insights, rich discussion and mentoring from MCC-level learning leaders.
How you learn
Live coaching + feedback
Weekly coaching demonstrations, reflections, tools, peer reviews, and observations, both in class and in community.
Unlimited peer coaching exchanges
Unlimited access to a global network of peers working toward ICF credentials, ready to practice coaching with you every week. This is our best kept secret and most valuable feature.
Tools, research, and tutorials
Ongoing development, research, and resources embedded in the classroom and the community, supplemented by monthly live events and workshops as part of your membership.
You'll leave with advanced skill your clients can feel in the very next conversation.
The program flow
From orientation to a lifetime of learning
The full module-by-module outline is in the program overview.
Step 1 · Get Ready
Orientation
CA team members will set you up for success.
Step 2 · Jump right in!
Immediate community access
Join the conversation and meet peers from across the globe.
Step 3 · Settle in
Classroom access
Student orientation begins! Prep for your first class and meet your classmates.
Step 4 · Modules 1 to 4
Foundations of mastery
Trust-based connection, unpacking subconscious bias, and cultivating mindset.
Step 5 · Modules 5 to 8
Listening Positions
Listen to receive, explore your listening positions, tactical empathy and what body language can reveal.
Step 6 · Modules 9 to 15
Case studies and capstone
Case studies, ethics, develop your capstone presentation.
Step 7 · Graduation
The support continues
Your program ends. The support does not. A team stays behind you.
Step 8 · A lifetime of learning
Keep growing
CCEs, community, and membership carry you forward.
The ICF pathway, explained
From your first class to a globally recognized credential
Coach Academy programs are accredited by the International Coaching Federation, the gold standard in coaching worldwide. Here is exactly how the pathway works.
- 1
Complete the program
15 modules, live classes, coursework, and coaching practice: 65 ICF Level 2 coach education hours, 10 practical coaching hours, and 10 hours being coached.
- 2
Add Level 2 to your education
Your 65 hours build on your earlier coach education toward the 125 ICF coach education hours the PCC application requires.
- 3
Apply for your ICF PCC credential
The PCC application requires 125 coach education hours, 500 coaching hours, and 10 mentoring hours. We walk you through what counts, and what to plan for.
- 4
Keep growing, for life
Level 3 mastery training and continuing education keep your credential moving toward MCC, with a community that grows with you.
One Academy, a lifetime of learning
Level 1
Foundational training
Level 2
Included in this program
Level 3
Mastery-level training
CCE
Continuing education
Beyond the classroom
A vibrant community, included
Learning continues between and beyond classes with 10+ live events every month.
- Clubs and keynotes
- Unlimited coaching exchange
- Live coach demos
- Case study clinics
- Coaching skills labs
- Q&A with Coach Academy Founder
- And so much more to enrich your learning
Your Influencer Membership is included for the duration of your program.
Why Coach Academy
We are different
Rigorous training, human delivery
Built for people who take this work seriously. The curriculum is grounded in ICF standards, evidence-informed practice, and 50,000+ hours of curriculum design, mentoring, and facilitation since 2016.
A proven 360 learning model
Our courses are evidence-based and designed for adult learners. Advancing coaching skill takes practice, feedback, observation, and discussion, and every class is built on that formula.
Small cohorts, real practice
You'll learn beside coaches with different levels of experience and diverse backgrounds. Peer insight is one of the most valuable opportunities in this program. Classes are capped at 10 for engaged learning and discussion.
A boutique learning experience
Our programs strive for the academic excellence of the Ivy League and deliver with the care and diligence you would expect from a world-class institute. Our motto is "unexpected hospitality". Your experience is curated, like a five-star boutique hotel.
In searching for a coaching qualification course, Coach Academy offers an amazing group of experts. This professional school demonstrates awareness, flexibility, commitment to their students, a community of practice and up-to-date knowledge of the compass of coaching internationally and here at home. An amazing adventure where you will feel well supported and leave with the skills and knowledge to provide quality and informed coaching. No hesitation required!
Anne Niec, MD · Graduate
The founder
Nathalie Blais, MCC
Founder & CEO, Coach Academy
Nathalie Blais is the Founder and CEO of Coach Academy and an ICF Master Certified Coach whose work focuses on how people think, connect, and lead. Her central idea is both simple and disruptive: connection is a skill.
Blais holds a Master's degree in Psychology from Harvard and has logged more than 50,000 hours in facilitation, learning design, research, and education development. She is the architect of multiple ICF-accredited coach education programs, a TEDx speaker, and has trained thousands of leaders and coaches worldwide.
Watch her TEDx talk: Connection matters more than curriculumQuestions
What people ask before they call
Is this program ICF-approved?
Yes. Coach Academy is an approved partner of the International Coaching Federation. This program is accredited at ICF Level 2 and qualifies for 65 coach education hours.
Who is this program for?
Coaches ready for their next level of skill. Students have different levels of experience, typically coach actively, and are working towards a PCC standard.
What is the prerequisite?
A minimum of 30 CCEs or 60 hours in qualifying coach education. Trained at another school? Qualifying hours from other ICF-accredited programs count, and an Admissions Coach will confirm your eligibility.
How does this program get me to the PCC?
The PCC application requires 125 coach education hours, 500 coaching hours, and 10 mentoring hours. Your 65 Level 2 hours build on your earlier coach education toward that 125, and we walk you through what counts.
What is the difference between the ACC and the PCC?
Both are ICF credentials. The ACC requires 60+ education hours and 100 coaching hours. The PCC requires 125 education hours and 500 coaching hours, demonstrated at a deeper level of skill. This program is the education bridge between the two.
Is mentor coaching included?
Mentor coaching is available as an add-on, so you can complete the 10 mentoring hours the PCC application requires through our ICF mentoring packages. An Admissions Coach will map the path for your application.
Can I do this while working full-time?
Yes. You'll attend 2 hours of live class each week, with about 2 to 3 hours of coursework and about 2 hours of coaching practice. The pace is steady on purpose: 15 modules over 4 months.
When does the program start?
Twice a year, in Spring and Fall. Classes are capped at 10 for engaged learning and discussion.
What does the capstone involve?
A project you build across the program and present in module 14: a practical demonstration of your advanced skills, shaped by case studies, coaching submissions, and peer feedback along the way.
What if I miss a class?
Life happens, and the program is built for working adults. Every class is recorded, and missed classes can be made up.
Start with a conversation
What happens when I fill out this form?
Fill out the form to set up a call with an Admissions Coach, or view program overviews and get more information. Either way, no pressure. All of our Admissions Coaches are graduates of our programs. They will be able to answer all your questions from first-hand experience as alumni of Coach Academy.
Cohorts start in Spring and Fall · All classes live and online
| Program | Advanced Coaching Skills |
|---|---|
| Next program starts | Spring 2027 |
| Class time | 2 hours live, weekly |
| Format | Live, virtual |
The first life to change is yours.