Mentor Coaching

Mentor Coaching
Built for the New ICF Standard

Mentor coaching develops your coaching through observation, feedback, reflection, and practice. ICF has announced an enhanced Portfolio-path model for April 1, 2027 under the new Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS); until each effective date, the current application rules still apply. This practice is designed for both the current requirement and that transition.


How Competence Gets Proven

Current Portfolio process through March 31, 2027

One Recorded Session, Judged Once

ACC/PCC Portfolio from April 1, 2027

A Season of Evidence, Session by Session

Session Observation Skill Session Competency Review

The formative model uses multiple observations and feedback over time to document the coaching behaviors demonstrated and the gaps still being developed. The mentor coach documents evidence; ICF alone decides whether an application meets its credential requirements.

Rules reviewed July 21, 2026

Which requirement applies to you?

Your credential level, application path, and dates determine what you must complete and submit.

Your pathThrough Dec. 31, 2026Jan. 1–Mar. 31, 2027Apr. 1, 2027 onward
ACC Level 1/2 or PCC Level 2Your accredited program includes mentor coaching and its performance evaluation.You do not take a separate applicant step; the education provider incorporates the new mentor-coaching requirements.The Level path remains program-managed. ICF says certificates completed before April 1, 2027 remain accepted.
ACC or PCC PortfolioComplete 10 hours over a minimum period of three months, including at least three individual mentor-coaching hours, plus the current performance-evaluation recording and transcript.Any new mentor-coaching hours must be with an MCS holder. The current performance evaluation remains in place until April 1.Complete the enhanced MCS-led requirement, including at least three observed coaching sessions. Submit the Competency Review Form; keep each Session Observation Form for a possible audit. The separate recording and transcript are no longer required.
ACC renewalComplete 10 hours over a minimum period of three months with an eligible mentor coach.Complete those hours with a mentor holding the ACC- or PCC-level MCS.The same MCS requirement continues. Session Observation and Competency Review forms are not required for renewal applications.

The full CoachPrep package provides a written Session Observation Form after each of at least three observed sessions and a closing Competency Review Form. For applications before April 1, 2027, those forms support development but do not replace ICF's current performance-evaluation requirement. Only live dialogue and feedback time counts toward the ten hours; Trey's private recording-review and preparation time does not.

New to the 2027 ICF changes?

What the 2027 ICF Mentor Coaching Changes Mean for You

Trey's Credentials

Assessment-Informed Mentor Coaching

My mentor coaching is shaped by ICF credential-level assessment training, PCC practice, agile leadership work, and systems coaching experience.

Qualification statement reviewed July 21, 2026: Trey holds ICF-issued MCS-ACC and MCS-PCC badges for ACC- and PCC-level mentor coaching. Verify a mentor coach in ICF's registry ↗ Read ICF's MCS announcement ↗

Trey Henderson
ICF Professional Certified Coach credential badge Mentor Coach Specialization ACC Level badge Mentor Coach Specialization PCC Level badge ICAgile Expert in Agile Leadership certified professional badge International Coaching Federation member badge CRR Global ORSCC certified badge
View credential details and assessment training
  • ICF PCC — Professional Certified Coach
  • Mentor Coach Specialization - ACC Level — ICF Credentials & Standards specialization for ACC-level mentor coaching · view public Credly badge ↗
  • Mentor Coach Specialization - PCC Level — ICF Credentials & Standards specialization for PCC-level mentor coaching · view public Credly badge ↗
  • Completed ICF PCC Marker Assessor Training — calibrated to credential-level markers and observed coaching evidence
  • Completed ICF ACC BARS Training — trained in ACC-level behavioral anchored rating standards
  • ICF Member — active member of the International Coaching Federation
  • ICAgile Expert in Agile Leadership — certified professional in agile leadership
  • ORSCC Certified — Organization and Relationship Systems Certified Coach through CRR Global

Mentor Coaching

What brings you here? Choose your path.

A Minimum of Three Months, One Arc
Toward PCC Competence

A developmental engagement using the current 2026 PCC Minimum Skills Requirements (revised January 26, 2026). We observe real coaching, identify demonstrated behaviors and growth gaps, and document the evidence session by session. The closing review is not an ICF performance-evaluation or credential decision.

3

Months Minimum

10

Mentor Hours

3

1:1 Observations

8

ICF Competencies


The Developmental Spine

ICF requires 10 hours over a minimum period of three months. These ten curriculum checkpoints show sequence, not consecutive calendar weeks. On small screens, swipe sideways to explore.

Baseline

Checkpoints 1–3

Deep Skill

Checkpoints 4–7

Evidence

Checkpoints 8–10

Session Observation Skill Session Competency Review
View the Checkpoint-by-Checkpoint

Baseline & Calibration · Checkpoints 1–3

Step01

Orientation & Baseline Observation

Set goals, review the 2026 PCC Minimum Skills Requirements and Code of Ethics, and observe a full coaching session to establish your starting line. No fixing yet — just an honest baseline.

Foundation · Ethics
Session
Observation
Step02

Agreement & Presence

Calibrate CC3 (establishes the agreement) and CC5 (maintains presence). We work the difference between a session contract and a relationship contract, and where presence quietly slips.

CC3 · CC5
Skill
Session
Step03

Trust, Safety & Partnership

Skill session on CC4 (cultivates trust and safety). Using moments from your baseline, we map where you partner with the client versus lead them — a common PCC-level threshold.

CC4 · Partnership
Skill
Session

Deep Skill Development · Checkpoints 4–7

Step04

Active Listening

Skill session on CC6 — listening for what the client is and isn't saying. We score excerpts from your earlier sessions against the marker language together so you internalize the PCC threshold.

CC6 · Calibration
Skill
Session
Step05

Evokes Awareness

Skill session on CC7 — the marker cluster where most ACC-to-PCC growth happens. Powerful questions, silence, and client-generated insight over coach-supplied answers, drilled with reflection prompts between sessions.

CC7 · Evocation
Skill
Session
Step06

Client Growth & Accountability

Calibrate CC8 (facilitates client growth) — partnering on actions, learning, and accountability without prescribing. We rework moments where you owned the client's agenda.

CC8 · Autonomy
Skill
Session
Step07

Integration Observation

Observe a full session with all competencies live. Feedback shifts from isolated skills to flow — how the markers show up together under real client pressure.

CC1–CC8 · Flow
Session
Observation

Integration & Evidence · Checkpoints 8–10

Step08

Edges & Patterns

Targeted work on your two or three recurring growth edges identified across observations. Personalized drills and reflection prompts between sessions.

Personalized
Skill
Session
Step09

Evidence Observation

Final live observation against the January 26, 2026 PCC Minimum Skills Requirements. This session anchors the cumulative review and documents which PCC-level behaviors appear consistently and which still need development.

PCC Evidence
Session
Observation
Step10

Competency Review & Documentation

Cumulative review across the engagement: competencies observed, remaining gaps, ethics verification, mentor feedback, and your reflection. You leave with documented evidence, not an ICF credential decision or pass guarantee.

Evidence · Ethics
Competency
Review

How Hours and Evidence Are Documented

The package schedules at least 3 observed coaching sessions and 10 interactive mentor-coaching hours. ICF requires 10 hours over a minimum period of three months, with a Session Observation Form after each observed session and a closing Competency Review Form. Private review and preparation time is not counted toward the ten hours.

Ready to Map Your PCC Path?

Start the Engagement →

Now booking

Choose your mentor coaching option

Pick the level of support that fits your credential timeline. Payment is handled securely by Stripe, and you'll book your session time right after checkout.

Credential path check

ICF Credential Journey Health Check

A focused review of your credential path, preparation, requirements, and next best steps before you commit to a full mentor coaching package.

Single session

Mentor Coaching One-Off Session

One targeted 1:1 mentor coaching session for feedback on your coaching, a recording, or a specific credential-level skill pattern. A single session does not complete the ten-hour requirement.

Not sure which option fits? Start with the health check, or email coachprep@trey.coach before booking.

Questions

Mentor coaching FAQ

How do the sessions work once I book?

After checkout you'll schedule your session time, then meet one to one with Trey over video. You coach a live or practice client while Trey observes, and you receive focused feedback using the applicable ICF Minimum Skills Requirements. Between sessions you work on one or two evidence-based growth edges.

Do these hours count toward my ICF application?

The full package follows ICF's requirement of 10 hours over a minimum period of three months and includes at least three individual observed coaching sessions. You receive a Session Observation Form after each observation and a closing Competency Review Form. For ACC or PCC Portfolio applications submitted on or after April 1, 2027, ICF says to submit the Competency Review Form and keep the Session Observation Forms for a possible audit. ICF makes the final decision about whether hours and documents satisfy your application.

Does mentor coaching replace an ICF performance evaluation or exam?

Not under the current 2026 rules. Mentor coaching is developmental and is not a standalone ICF exam. The enhanced mentor-coaching documentation replaces the separate performance-evaluation recording and transcript only for ACC and PCC Portfolio applications beginning April 1, 2027. ICF exams and all other eligibility requirements remain separate.

Which option should I choose?

Start with the Health Check ($149) for an educational review of your credential path and next steps; it is not an ICF eligibility decision. Book a single session ($300) for targeted feedback on a recording or specific competency. Choose the full 1:1 package ($2,500) when you need the ten-hour engagement. Not sure? Start with the Health Check.

Do I need to record my coaching sessions?

Trey must observe actual coaching, but it may be live or recorded. If you share a recording, only the time spent in interactive dialogue and feedback with Trey counts toward the ten-hour requirement; his private review and preparation time does not.

Do I need to be a CoachPrep user?

No. Mentor coaching is available as an independent one-to-one engagement. If you use CoachPrep with Exam Pass, your diagnostic and practice data can help focus the conversation, but it is not required and is not an official ICF score.

How long does the full package take?

ICF requires 10 hours over a minimum period of three months. CoachPrep adds three calendar months in the time zone of your first session to calculate the earliest completion date, then schedules ten curriculum checkpoints, including at least three observations and a closing competency review.

Are you qualified to provide ICF mentor coaching?

Yes. Trey Henderson is an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), holds ICF-issued Mentor Coach Specialization badges at the ACC and PCC levels, and completed ICF PCC Marker Assessor and ACC BARS training. Public verification links appear in the credentials section above. These qualifications do not make Trey the final decision-maker on an ICF application.

What's your refund and rescheduling policy?

You can reschedule a session with at least 24 hours' notice at no charge. The Health Check and single session are refundable if you cancel before the session takes place. For the full package, email coachprep@trey.coach before booking with any questions, and if your plans change after you start, reach out and we'll settle up fairly for the hours you have not used.