Structure of the Program

How the course is organized

When you enroll in the PCC, you join an intimate group of 20 professionals who study, learn, and practice together for an entire year and quickly form a supportive learning community. No other coaching school offers a continuous, small-group learning environment. The curriculum blends a rigorous course of study with hands-on practice and attention to participants' own individual development.
  • The PCC is organized around four face-to-face sessions. Each session lasts from Thursday to Sunday.
  • Days run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a long afternoon break to eat lunch, do a short assignment, walk, and relax.
  • In between sessions, you read books from the "Coach's Bookshelf" (see below for details), complete written assignments, coach clients, and undertake your own individual development program.
  • As you engage in these activities, you draw upon the support of small learning groups called pods. Each pod works with a pod mentor, an experienced graduate of the program. You also receive periodic coaching from the course faculty.
See a detailed outline of the structure of the course. 

What makes this experience unique

The PCC is unlike any other coach training program in the world.  Here are two examples of what makes this program unique:
  • Individual development programs. The program that you receive from the course leader in Session One sets a tone and structure for the year. Being coached about something that matters to you provides a visceral experience of Integral Coaching from the client's perspective. In addition, the practices you receive and undertake help you become the kind of person who can create such relationships with others; so this is not only personally powerful, but also very practical in enhancing your ability to coach.
  • "Coach's Bookshelf" and written assignments. You receive a Coach's Bookshelf of ten books that span widely across different disciplines and knowledge bases. One month you may read a book about the physiology of breathing; the next, a work of twentieth-century philosophy; and the next, a guide to being present and mindful amid life's turbulence. The intent is to spark your curiosity by delving into subjects that are essential to coaching and outside your "normal" range of learning. In addition, you complete written assignments such as the application of the core models to a coaching case, essays about how everyday life informs your coaching, reflections on your readings, and the development of a vision of your future. These assignments further help you embody the "two tracks" of Integral Coaching.

Who will support you

Learning to coach is not something we can do alone. Throughout the year, you receive support and extensive feedback from a very experienced faculty and from your classmates in several ways.
  1. You have six private coaching sessions with the course faculty.
  2. You are a member of a small group (pod), which meets together on a regular basis in between sessions either by telephone or in person (depending upon where people live). Each pod has a pod mentor, an experienced graduate of the program who provides support and counsel. The focus of pod meetings evolves during the year, from students' personal development, to the models and practices of Integral Coaching, to students' experiences coaching clients.
  3. Individual participants often pair up with each other informally around particular issues of mutual interest.

Planning your time

The PCC involves a substantial investment of time and attention. In addition to the four four-day sessions, participants report that they spend an average of five to ten hours per week on activities (reading, writing, coaching, phone calls, personal practices) related to the program. It is for this reason that we encourage you to look closely at your schedule for the next year and ask two questions.
  1. Can I make a commitment to this program?
  2. How do I need to structure my time—and do I need to give up any of my current activities—to make this possible?
Participants who take the time to skillfully explore these questions find a way to integrate the course into their lives (and to integrate their lives into the course). When they experience breakdowns—when life intrudes on their best-laid plans—they ask their classmates and the staff for support in resolving these breakdowns.
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What Our Graduates Are Saying about the Professional Coaching Course
"I am a much better coach as a result of the PCC. My skill in assessing clients and designing appropriate coaching programs has increased significantly. I am more confident in trusting and acting on the information I get from my body when I am with a client, and invariably this leads to more powerful conversations between us. And I have much greater capacity to be both challenging and compassionate in those conversations."

Karen Kane, M.A.
Principal, Catalyst Coaching and Consulting, Inc.