Weekly classes & challenges
Classes are live each week. Each one will provoke you to think, challenge your inner dialogue, and reach for a more human-centred approach to coaching.
Since2016
Compassion is a skill. It begins with you.
Starts annually, in March
Compassion
Specialization for coaches · 8 weeks · Live virtual
ICF Continuing Coach EducationA Certificate Program
Welcome
Compassion starts with self.
Challenge the unknown: your bias, your lens, your presence.
A Certificate in Compassion is an 8-week, live virtual specialization for coaches working in complex, multicultural environments. You'll dive into the science of compassion for others, for yourself, and for the collective.
You'll learn to acknowledge others by honouring diversity, break through your unconscious bias, and hold unconditional space for the people you coach. Compassion is the foundation of unconditional positive regard, and the language of inclusion.
Earn 10 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits while you grow the self-awareness and social-awareness to lead with intention and impact.
Change is hard. You go first.
10
CCE credits (ICF)
8
Weeks, live virtual
- How to reveal your unconscious bias.
- How to reach for acceptance and acknowledge what is.
- How to offer an unconditional space to the people you coach.
- How to stay present and self-managed when strong emotions rise.
- How to practice compassion for yourself, others and the collective.
You'll practice each week, with reflections, weekly challenges, and a Capstone Project that has you doing the work, and tying it all to your coaching practice.
A closer look
Coaching Compassion, in two minutes
The details
Program at a glance
| Course | Compassion |
|---|---|
| Format | Live, virtual, weekly, on Zoom |
| Length | 8 weeks, 1 class per week |
| Attendance | Attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes |
| Classroom access | Course duration plus 3 months* |
| Weekly class | Weekly live class |
| Coursework | Reading, class lessons, videos, reflections + Capstone Project |
| CCE credits | 10 Continuing Coach Education (CCE) credits |
| Prerequisite | 30 coach education hours, or enrolled in a CA ICF certification (conditions and exceptions may apply) |
| Designation earned | A Certificate and Specialization in Compassion |
| Start dates | Annually, in March |
| Tuition | $950 plus applicable taxes |
| CA returning student price | $750 plus applicable taxes |
* Classroom access ends 3 months after the last day of the course, with no extensions beyond that date. Every class is recorded: attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes. Tuition is valid for 2026 and subject to change.
Successful completion
- Attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes
- Post in the classroom each week
- Complete all assignments and weekly challenges
- Complete the Capstone Project
What you achieve
- 10 CCE credits, applicable to your ICF credential renewal
- Tools and strategies to lead with compassion in complex environments
- Confidence to hold unconditional space for others
- A Certificate and Specialization in Compassion
The curriculum
What you'll learn
In 8 weeks, you'll build the cultural dexterity to coach with compassion. You'll learn how to:
- Move from the instinct to evaluate to acknowledgement
- Reveal and confront your unconscious bias
- Hold unconditional space for the people you coach
- Experience the effect of tactical silence
- Exercise self-compassion to increase compassion for others
- Access compassion in complex, multicultural environments
- Practice unconditional positive regard for others
- Coach with a more human-centred approach
Compassion requires humility.
How you learn
Readings, videos & audio
Immerse yourself in a stimulating selection of readings, videos and audio materials that will surprise you, and linger for days.
Shared wisdom
Learn through peer discussion, practice, brainstorming and shared experience, with coaches at every stage of their journey.
Capstone Project
A challenging, creative, practical opportunity to tie your learning and self-reflection together.
You'll leave changed. It's that simple. Your clients will experience the difference.
The program flow
From orientation to a lifetime of learning
8 weeks, one class at a time. The full week-by-week outline is in the course overview.
Step 1 · Get Ready
Orientation
CA team members will set you up for success.
Step 2 · Settle in
Classroom access
Student orientation begins! Prep for your first class.
Step 3 · Weeks 1 to 2
The science of compassion
Compassion for others, yourself and the collective, and Kristin Neff's research on self-compassion: rewriting your inner dialogue.
Step 4 · Weeks 3 to 5
Radical acceptance in practice
Meeting what is without judgement, the daily habits of highly compassionate people, and choosing between empathy, compassion and sympathy.
Step 5 · Weeks 6 to 8
Boundaries, presence and Capstone Project
Notice, Recognize, Allow, staying resourced while holding space, and your Capstone Project.
Step 6 · Week 8
Your certificate
Your course ends with a certificate, and 10 CCEs for your ICF renewal.
Step 7 · A lifetime of learning
Keep growing
More specializations, community, and membership carry you forward.
Beyond the classroom
Join your peers in the community
Learning continues between and beyond classes with 10+ live events every month in the Coach Academy community.
- Clubs and keynotes
- Unlimited coaching exchange
- Live coach demos
- Case study clinics
- Coaching skills labs
- Q&A with Coach Academy Founder
- Upgrade to Mastermind for mini-courses, leadership circles, business strategies and advanced skills
Membership is open to all students. Ask an Admissions Coach about member rates.
Keep learning
Why Coach Academy
We are different
Grounded in research
Every specialization is built on empirical research and evidence-informed practice, backed by 50,000+ hours of curriculum design since 2016. When the science of coaching moves, our curriculum moves with it.
The pulse of the profession
We study where coaching is heading: new ICF competencies, emerging frameworks, and the skills teams and organizations ask for. You learn what the coaching trends predict.
Learning beyond certification
Our mission is to multiply the impact of coaching in every conversation, and that doesn't stop with certification. Specializations, CCEs, and a community of practice keep you growing.
Here to serve
Peer insights, stimulating conversations and the care you would expect from a world-class institute. We are here to serve the coaches who serve everyone else.
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
What are CCE credits, and why do they matter?
Continuing Coach Education credits are how the ICF keeps credentials current: credential holders renew every 3 years with 40 CCE units. This course earns you 10 CCEs in one 8-week specialization, applicable to your renewal.
Is this a certification?
This is a specialization for coaches. You'll graduate with a Certificate and Specialization in Compassion and 10 CCE credits that build on the credential you already hold. For ICF credentials, see our certification programs.
What is the prerequisite?
30 coach education hours, or current enrollment in a Coach Academy ICF certification (conditions and exceptions may apply). An Admissions Coach will confirm your eligibility.
Is this course theory, or practice?
Both. You'll study the science of compassion, then practice it, through weekly challenges that provoke your thinking, challenge your inner dialogue, and reach for a more human-centred approach.
How does attendance work?
Attend live, or watch the recording for missed classes. You'll also post in the classroom each week and complete the assignments, weekly challenges, and Capstone Project.
What is the Capstone Project?
A challenging, creative, practical opportunity to tie your learning and self-reflection together. This is where the curriculum is brought to life.
Can I do this while working full-time?
Yes. One live class per week, a weekly challenge to apply what you're learning, and a reflection to post in the online classroom, all designed for working coaches. In class attendance is not required, although highly encouraged.
When does the course start?
Once a year, in March.
Do I have to be a Coach Academy graduate to join?
No! Coaches trained elsewhere are welcome. If you meet the prerequisites, we would love your perspective in the classroom. Many students join us from other schools.
How long do I keep classroom access?
Course duration plus 3 months, with no extensions beyond that date. Every class is recorded, so you can revisit lessons during that window. You have 3 months after the program ends to complete all assignments.
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.
Starts annually in March · All classes live and online
| Program | Compassion |
|---|---|
| Next program starts | March 30, 2027 |
| Class time | Tuesdays at 4:00 PM ET |
| Format | Live, virtual |
The first life to change is yours.