Professional Diploma (ICF Accredited)

Are you ready to become a professionally qualified coach? Our triple accredited diploma is not only at the highest level with the ICF it also holds EMCC and AC accreditation.

We teach Psychology-informed coaching which means you're able to go deeper with your clients and work with their brains and nervous systems to create lasting change. We have a whole person holistic approach to coaching which means you'll leave the diploma with a range of approaches and tools which allow you to be flexible with your clients.

We have developed the curriculum alongside a practical focus on application with coaching practice in nearly every session, lots of developmental feedback and at least 50 hours of coaching practice required outside the course. With this depth of experience you will be a confident and competent coach on graduation.

PLUS we have a strong community focus: we believe in supporting every coach as an individual and provide an inclusive supportive environment both during and after the course with ongoing access.

AND our experienced trainers are practicing coaches with a minimum of 500 coaching hours, they bring their own case studies, examples and perspectives to bring the training to life and answer your questions. Alongside the trainers we have a bank of example sessions across different sectors and using different tools so you can see real life examples to support your own development and practice.

You will get exceptional support with a team responsive to your individual needs and feedback : our role is to ensure you become a confident and competent coach. With over 95% completion rates we know we deliver and are committed to supporting you in a flexible way if you need additional help and support. When you commit to us we commit to you.

*** Enrolling now for February 2025 start **

Our Triple-accredited Diploma is wide-ranging, bringing in theories from Neuroscience, Positive Psychology and Psychodynamic approaches as well as normative coaching methodologies. It is designed for you to build your own unique coaching style and approach, through mentoring and feedback. We passionately believe in equality and diversity and run a number of workshops to help inform your practice and integrate learning throughout the course.

Enrolling for February 2025 start

The Professional Coach Diploma is an all-in-one professional qualification, over 8 months – with robust training, mentoring, practical coaching experience and feedback – to help you become a powerful, highly skilled and fully accredited coach. And you’ll receive a wealth of support to develop your own coaching business or further your career!

The Diploma is a Level 2 ICF qualification, the ONLY qualification that allows you to apply for ICF accreditation at both an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level AND a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Ievel, without having to do more mentoring or training on top (and the added investment that comes with it).

Professional Coach Diploma Breakdown :

Module 1 - Introduction to coaching: Coaching mindset, presence, core skills and ethics

Module 2 - Normative models in coaching includingThe GROW model

Module 3 - Coaching for emotions and emotional intelligence

Module 4 - Coaching Psychology including strengths, values and identity

Module 5 - Somatic approaches to coaching

Module 6 - Positive Psychology and coaching

Module 7 - Psychodynamic approaches to coaching including transactional analysis and trauma informed practice

Module 8 - Neuroscience: the power of our thoughts and neuroplasticity

Module 9 - Your Coaching Approach: beyond the course and embedding reflective practice

** We will no longer be teaching DISC as a discreet module however if you want to use DISC with clients we'll offer a free certification route as a bonus **

DIPLOMA OVERVIEW

175 hours of in-depth coach training
Taught over 8 months
Start in October 2024 (Plus : February, May and October 2025 start dates)
Flexible Study: choose from daytime sessions or evening sessions
Learn anywhere: all delivered virtually via Zoom (with all sessions recorded)
Student workbooks & materials, to support your learning

PLUS:

10 hours of mentoring, focused on YOUR development as a coach
3 group supervision sessions upon graduation
The chance to coach & be coached in most sessions, with feedback throughout
Pro-bono coaching opportunities, to practice your skills & grow your confidence
Full training & support to start or grow your own coaching business
An incredible community to build your network, with small cohorts to forge strong relationships
And continued alumni support, after you graduate!

" There is a huge amount of support from the teachers on the course and really great support in the sessions... And then you've got this bespoke service from your mentor where you can really get into some detail on your own journey in coaching. And then the unexpected big element for me is about finding this community of peers who are going through the same journey with different approaches, a real diversity of professions and expertise and ages and so on" Tess Nixon Speller - Coach & Fundraising Consultant

"It’s opened my eyes actually to all different types of coaching and that was part of the reason why I chose to go on the Optimus course. When you do it in a corporate environment, typically, you come across Grow and some of the other more basic, more transactional type models, whereas having the opportunity to learn about things like positive psychology and neuroscience and transactional analysis and how that all links into how you can approach stuff as a coach has made a huge difference." Chris Roberts - Leadership and Team Coach

"The financial impact has been quite significant actually. I am charging way more than I would have been comfortable doing before. I've well and truly more than earned back the cost of the course. So the ROI for me is well worth it. I think as well from a credibility perspective, I am able to work with organisations in a different way and at a different level " Ruth Wood - Executive and Leadership Coach

Small cohort groups (maximum 20) so you can build strong relationships and get the personal support you need – while also being part of our bigger network of incredible students and alumni coaches, from a diverse range of backgrounds

Each week we meet on Zoom for our training (choose from daytime or evening sessions, or one weekend a month). You’ll need to attend 80% of the training live to receive your Diploma but they are all recorded, for any you can’t make live and so you always have access to look back on the training.
You’ll be assessed with a live coaching session at the end of the Diploma. Throughout the course, you’ll also get formal feedback on 4 x additional sessions and tutor-led feedback on at least 4 occasions.
You have the chance to coach and be coached in the majority of sessions and observe different coaching styles, so you can develop your own unique approach.
The group sessions are supplemented by 10 mentoring hours, where you work with an ICF (International Coaching Federation) coach of a PCC rating or above, focused on your development as a coach.
We passionately believe in supporting you and work with each student as an individual, helping you track your progress to achieve your Diploma working alongside our Coach Training Manager.

We don’t make promises of making 6 or 7 figures from doing the qualification. But we DO teach you about the financial aspect and help you build a thriving coaching business, that plays to your strengths.
We’ll never let you feel like a number. Every one of our amazing students is so important to us and we’ve put significant support and resources into place, so you feel taken care throughout your Diploma
We don’t give you nice feedback for the sake of it! We have high and rigorous standards and although we are supportive, we also help you to step out of your comfort zone to become the best coach you can be.
We don’t say you have to wait until you are qualified to start charging clients. We work with you on an individual basis – based on your experience – and encourage you to start charging as soon as you are ready.
We never cut corners. The investment for our Diploma is higher than some of our competitors because you receive 10 mentoring hours (worth £750); 125 hours of world-class coach training in small cohorts; extensive practical coaching experience; business mentoring and training (or support to use your skills in the workplace) AND you’ll be certified at a PROFESSIONAL level!

About The International Coaching Federation (ICF)

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) is the gold standard of professional coaching – the leading global organisation for coaches and coaching, dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by setting high standards, providing independent certification and building a worldwide network of trained coaching professionals.

Our Professional Coach Diploma gives you a Level 2 ICF qualification. It is the ONLY qualification that allows you to apply for ICF accreditation at both an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level AND a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) Ievel, without having to do more mentoring or training on top (and the added investment that comes with it!).

Why Get Accredited?

For the same reason you might avoid a self-proclaimed solicitor… the truth is that more & more potential clients WILL avoid an unqualified coach!

Only 1.6% of coaches are certified to an ICF standard worldwide – which gives you a HUGE opportunity to stand out from the crowd, with credibility both online and across all sectors, industries and workplaces.

ICF accreditation is so much more than letters after your name. It tells your clients that you are comprehensively trained; widely skilled and have met the high standards of a leading global coaching organisation, giving them the confidence to choose YOU as their coach!

PLUS this diploma is also accredited with the EMCC at Practitioner level this means when you graduate you are also ready to accredit directly with the EMCC with nothing extra to do. It is also accredited to a Diploma level with the Association of Coaching.

" I previously trained as a professional coach ten years ago under my NLP Practitioner and then when I was looking to sort of grow out beyond and develop myself into my own business, as opposed to just working for other people, I wanted to make sure that I had the right qualifications to stand out. I started following Ruth, seeing more and more about Optimus and wanting to get certified as ICF accredited. " Michelle Parsons - Performance Coach

The one thing that I can say that Optimus has done extremely well, and there are many, but the one that comes to mind is the mentoring piece that is provided... We have an intimate one on one time with a mentor to sort of go through different and allows us to ask questions and to really be coached by somebody else through the whole process. And then we had the group mentoring which was also a nice little added feature." Darren Micallef - Leadership Coach

You’ll get 125 hours of in-depth teaching over 6 or 7 months – alongside extensive practical experience, with a Coaching Buddy and pro-bono coaching opportunities – so you have ALL the knowledge, skills and confidence you need, to coach to a professional level
You’ll be trained in a diverse range of evidence-based approaches which have strong roots in Psychology & Neuroscience - with varied schools of thought, so you can develop your own unique approach and coaching style
You’ll receive 10 hours of mentoring with ICF qualified coaches (both group mentoring in your sessions and individually), to further your personal development as a coach and reflect on your progress
You’ll become part of an amazing network of like-minded coaches - including an active, private Facebook community, where you can ask questions and get non-judgmental support for your coaching and your business
You’ll have SO much support to start and build your coaching business and get clients - as well as access to a comprehensive online business program, to help you build a thriving practice

10 hours of coach mentoring with an experienced mentor, worth £750 (which means that when you want to get accredited with the ICF, it is a direct route to ACC or PCC status).
Access to ‘Accelerate your Success’ online program worth £497 which supports you to start or grow your coaching business
Monthly group business coaching and mentoring worth £2000 for the duration of the course and beyond
Feedback on 4 recorded sessions + 5 coaching sessions within the training worth £1000. This ensures you are confident in your coaching skills
Additional bonus modules and resources worth £2500 including coaching tools and masterclasses including group coaching and coaching for neurodiversity
4 core course texts sent to your door worth £50