Frequently asked questions

The benefits of joining ICF are two-fold: you become part of the ICF Global network as well as having a closer relationship with your local chapter. ICF and ICF Ireland are committed to helping you be the best coach you can be. Being an ICF member provides the opportunity to succeed in your coaching career through outstanding business development, networking and professional growth opportunities, connecting with your local and global ICF coaching communities and having access to cutting edge research. ICF Members represent the highest quality of professional coaching.

Becoming a member of ICF is a simple application, however there are certain eligibility requirements. Our Join page has tips for those new to ICF, explains how to start the process and provides links to ICF Global to begin the application process.

Your status comes directly from ICF Global and updates nightly. If you have recently renewed, allow one working day. If it still looks wrong, contact us and we can check the sync record for your account.

The site synchronises with ICF Global every night. Your new status is normally visible the morning after you renew.

ICF Credential holders are part of a self-regulating group of elite coaches who provide accountability to clients and the coaching profession as a whole. They pursue and complete rigorous education and practice requirements that provide unquestioned legitimacy to their commitment to excellence in coaching.

ICF offers three credential types: Associate Certified Coach (ACC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Master Certified Coach (MCC). To learn more about the types and pathways to credentialling, see our Credentialling page.

ICF maintains high standards for professional coaches worldwide and requires ICF Credentials to be renewed every three years. Credential renewal is done directly with ICF. See our Credentialling page for more about renewal.

Anyone can call themselves a coach. ICF Credentialled Coaches are professional coaches who have met stringent education and experience requirements and have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the coaching competencies that set the standard in the profession. In addition, ICF Credentialled Coaches adhere to strict ethical guidelines as part of ICF’s mission to protect and serve coaching consumers.

ICF events are designed to inspire, educate and connect our coaching community. These valuable learning and networking opportunities benefit individual coaches and help advance the profession. Many ICF events provide coaches with Continuing Coach Education units (CCEUs) to develop their professional development and support their ICF Credential renewal.

In order to maintain rigorous professional standards, ICF’s position on Continuing Professional Development (CPD) keeps pace with industry expectations and emerging standards. To further explore CPD and CCEU requirements, see our Coach Training page or coachingfederation.org.

It is recommended that you attend coach-specific training that is accredited by the ICF. Many training companies in Ireland provide the minimum amount of coach-specific training hours, as well as teaching the ICF core competencies. If you are in doubt, speak with your training company. To learn about the types of training and how to use the searchable training database, see our Coach Training page.

Firstly, do your research and decide what type of coaching you would benefit from: career, leadership, management, life coaching, and so on. There is a coach out there to work with you exactly in the way that you need. Working with an ICF-credentialled coach will ensure you receive quality of service, professionalism and accountability. Browse our Find a Coach directory to get started.

Use our Find a Coach directory to search ICF Ireland coaches by region, speciality and format. The ICF Global directory at coachingfederation.org can also be used to search for ICF-credentialled coaches based in Ireland.

Every listed coach holds a current ICF credential and an active ICF membership, verified against ICF Global data nightly. The ICF credential requires documented training, mentoring and examination.