How to join ICF

To be a member of the International Coaching Federation and choose ICF Ireland as your preferred chapter, you must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Have completed at least 60 hours of coach-specific training that meets ICF standards (see what qualifies as coach-specific training under the heading Some notes on eligibility below)
• Be enrolled in 60 hours of coach-specific training in a program that is either an ICF Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) or Approved Coach-Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) distinction (for new members only)
• Hold a current ICF Credential (ACC, PCC, or MCC)

Start here: https://coachingfederation.org/join-icf

Here are some tips if you are new to ICF:

• Review all the information on this page for full details on ICF membership benefits and eligibility
• Check the TPSS to see if your training company is ICF-approved
• Go to ICF Global and start the process here
• If you are joining ICF, scroll down and click I’m Ready:
  • If you have completed coach-specific ICF-approved training (minimum of 60 hours), choose the first option
  • If you already have an ICF credential, choose the first option
  • If you are currently partaking in coach-specific ICF-approved training (minimum of 60 hours), choose the second option
  • If you are not currently partaking in coach-specific training (minimum of 60 hours), choose the third option
• Note that renewal is March every year, so if you join anytime after April, your renewal will be March the following year. If you join at the beginning of the year (Jan, Feb, March) your renewal will be the following year – 15, 14 or 13 months.
• Pricing is pro-rated depending on when you join. See the ICF pricing page for more details.

Benefits of ICF membership

The power of coaching: ICF Global Study findings presented by Rosarii Mannion in Oct 2020

Once you become a member of ICF, you can immediately take advantage of the following benefits:

ICF Global in a nutshell

• Member Toolkit, Credential listing 
• Corporate Membership Discount 
• Reciprocal Coaching  
• Opportunity to gain a credential 
• Build Leadership Skills at local and global level 
• Research & Knowledge Exchange 
• Global Community
• Partner Discounts e.g. Zoom, Professional Insurance, website
• Participation in pro bono coaching events via ICF Foundation https://foundationoficf.org/

ICF Ireland in a nutshell

• Member of and connected to your local chapter
• Attend ICF Ireland sponsored events for continued growth and development 
• Gain CCEUs for your CPD or credentialling
• Expand your professional network
• Join a coaching circle to avail of ongoing peer support & encouragement 
• Participate in your local chapter at board or associate level
• Local discounts (see below)
• Recognition of the impact of coaching – Coaching Awards, Global Awards (for example the Prism Award)

Further membership benefits

Reciprocal coaching

A global peer coaching programme is offered for ICF members that offers incredible value for high-quality coaching. Further details here: https://coachingfederation.org/professional-coaches/benefits

ICF official partners

ICF Business Solutions and Media Partners offer members discounts or special pricing on products and services. ICF Members can take advantage of partner offers when they are logged in. Further details here: https://coachingfederation.org/partners

Branding and communications support

ICF Members may use the ICF logo on promotional materials, including their website, in email communications, on business cards and more. ICF also provides marketing guides, various branded templates, and simple directions to create media alerts, press releases, and PowerPoint presentations. You can access their new branding guide through your profile on ICF.

Connect to the coaching community

Sometimes your best resource is your coaching colleague who has gone before you. Join the journeys of other coaches who face the same challenges and joys as you. Chapter meetings and events are a great opportunity to develop your leadership skills and contribute to the flourishing of humanity. There are many networking opportunities in the ICF community.

Cultivate your professional growth

Grow professionally with opportunities for continued education. ICF is the leader in industry research as it releases annual research reports full of practical information and industry trends to inform and give you an edge in a competitive coaching market. Regional conferences and online webinars are great opportunities for professional development.

Stay up to date on industry trends

Through regular member updates and our quarterly, digital magazine, Coaching World, you can stay up to date on the latest industry trends. ICF also partners with various groups to offer special pricing and discounts on goods and services to ICF Members. Discounts on ICF research, events and application fees are offered to ICF Members. A Director of Research ensures members are kept up to date with global research and market trends.

Some notes on eligibility

To be a member of the International Coaching Federation, you must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Hold a current ICF Credential (ACC, PCC, or MCC)
• Have completed at least 60 hours of coach-specific training that meets ICF standards. (see what qualifies as coach-specific training below)
• Be enrolled in 60 hours of coach-specific training in a program that has either the ICF Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) or Approved Coach-Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) distinction (for new members only).

For further details, please see here https://coachingfederation.org/professional-coaches/eligibility-requirements

What qualifies as coach-specific training?

Training that is accepted as coach-specific training includes:

• Training from an Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) or a program that has received the ICF Approved Coach Specific Training Hours (ACSTH) designation
• Training from a Continuing Coach Education (CCE) provider, subject to these limitations:
  • All hours approved in Core Competencies will be accepted
  • A maximum of 12 hours outside of the Core Competencies will be accepted
• Training that has not been previously approved by ICF and that is specifically marketed as teaching coaching skills or teaches how to apply technical skills in a coach-like manner and teaches coaching skills in accordance with the ICF Core Competencies (e.g., university-based training, training from a non-ICF-accredited organisation).

Training that is not accepted as coach-specific training includes:

• Training that is marketed as teaching other skills, even though the skills can be used by a coach in some manner
• Personal development courses
• Education in other areas such as psychology, counselling, NLP, etc., unless it was actually taught as coach training and from the perspective of the ICF Core Competencies.

Teaching coaching classes does not count as coach-specific training unless:

• The applicant created the class
• The applicant also taught the class
• The training otherwise meets the definition of coach-specific training

If all three of the above apply, the class may be counted only one time, not each time that the same class was delivered.

How are hours of training calculated?

Of the 60 hours required, at least 48 of the hours must be:

• Student contact hours – clock hours spent in synchronous (real-time) interactions between faculty and students. This may include time spent in direct instruction (voice-to-voice or in-person training), real-time discussions, observation of and feedback on practice coaching sessions, and mentoring students.
• Coach-specific training developed and delivered based on the ICF Core Competencies (all 11 ICF Core Competencies must be covered).

Of the 60 hours required, no more than 12 of the hours may be:

• Homework/Independent Study – clock hours spent outside of real-time interaction between faculty and students (asynchronous). These may include outside reading, writing, research, journaling and various other activities that may occur outside of the synchronous setting. All asynchronous hours must be part of the training program and require some method of validating that the activity was completed by the student.