I have the ICF credential so why do I need the Coach.me certification?
We are often asked, “What’s the difference between Coach.me certification and the International Coach Federation credential?” In other words, “If I already have the ICF credential, why do I need to go through the Coach.me certification?”
Granted, getting the ICF credential is a lot of work - you’ve already had a significant amount of coach-specific training and demonstrated the ICF competencies. Just like the coach-specific training you received, that provided you with methods for a specific kind of coaching, The Coach.me certification provides another set of tools in your coaching toolkit*. Coaching online in a text-based medium requires a different mindset than traditional live coaching.
In short, there are two unique characteristics to coaching on Coach.me:
Habit Coaching using the Momentum Method
Coach.me was founded on the principle that anyone who has successfully implemented a change in one’s own life is capable of coaching others in making that change also. For example, Setting Priorities For Your Day, No Alcohol, Meditation, etc. After massive experimentation and tons of research, the Momentum Method was born – a simple model for coaches to help clients move through the stages of habit formation by forming tiny habits that continuously build upon each other.
Coach.me is, after all, a free habit tracking app. We’ve found that most behavior change ultimately comes down to creating positive habits. So Coach.me certification prepares coaches to support clients in successfully building habits.
Text-based, Asynchronous Communication
Most, if not all, communication with clients on Coach.me is text-based, so you and your client will be reading messages and your clients may be on the go while they are being coached. You’ll need to adapt your communication to keep their attention and keep them engaged.
We found that the most successful coaches on Coach.me launch the coaching relationship with action right away (within 24 hours of being hired). Rather than doing an in-depth assessment, it’s critical to help the client feel momentum. Remember, they can’t see you or hear your voice so they need to know there’s a person at the other end. In order to build trust, they need credible, responsive interaction. You’ll learn more about the nuances of text-based communicating with clients as part of the Coach.me Habit Coach Certification.
As an ICF credentialed coach, you no doubt have significant expertise, and with the Coach.me Certification, text-based habit coaching is an additional way to help clients.
*Coach.me training is not ICF approved and becoming a Coach.me coach does not require an ICF credential