My accreditation with the IAPC&M is all about caring for my clients so that I can give them the best opportunity to achieve their goals through the coaching process.
Accredited Coach vs. the Non-Accredited Coach
Imagine seeing a doctor for a medical issue who wasn’t qualified or registered with the General Medical Council. Imagine seeking legal advice for a personal issue from a solicitor who didn’t hold a practising certificate. Sounds ridiculous. No one would knowingly do this.
Let’s now relate this to coaching. Imagine seeking help from a non-accredited coach to improve an aspect of your life and well-being. This may not sound as ridiculous as my legal and medical profession example, but why? Why doesn’t it sound as ridiculous?
I can only think that it is because you don’t need to be accredited to work as a coach, which still baffles me ten years later in my work as a career coach.
I used to be a solicitor, so I was used to the concepts and importance of professional registration, training, CPD and accountability. To go through the accreditation process after completing my coaching training was, therefore, the obvious next step for me. When working as a solicitor, it never crossed my mind to work without the correct training, qualifications and a legal practising certificate, just as it never crossed my mind to be a coach without becoming qualified and accredited.
I could not work as a solicitor without the correct training, qualification, and practising certificate, and you can’t work as a doctor without the correct training, qualification, and registration. So why would anyone trust a non-accredited coach to help improve their life and well-being?
How Accreditation Improves Coaching and Helps Clients
Through my coaching business, Tessa Armstrong Associates, I work with individuals daily to help them pursue fulfilling careers. Many of them feel lost or stuck in a rut in their careers and can’t see a way forward. They may be returning to work after a break, pursuing a career change, looking for a new job, or struggling with their confidence at work.
Whatever challenges my clients bring to me as their coach, I want them to trust me and be reassured that I am investing time and energy into providing the best coaching service to help them progress with their careers, be the best they can be at work, or carve out the right career for them. Accreditation helps me to do this.
Accreditation helps me ensure I work as a competent and skilled coach, providing a high-quality coaching service. It provides me with that extra boost of confidence in my ability and ensures I am doing everything I need to do to coach to a high standard by checking and confirming my competencies and skills. Ongoing CPD requirements ensure I develop in accordance with my business vision through courses, networking, writing articles and webinars, and personal support.
Coaching Book – a Big Achievement
My latest development is the launch of my first coaching book, and my accreditation has helped me achieve this. By maintaining my accreditation, I have developed the skills, experience, and confidence to take my coaching service to the next level and write a book that helps individuals pursue satisfying careers. Furthermore, the IAPC&M has supported me in marketing my book – The Tea Model: Slowing Down in a Fast-paced World to Find the Career You Love.
The Winner is the Accredited Coach
The winner of the accredited coach vs. the non-accredited coach is most certainly the accredited coach. The benefits for the coach and client are numerous, such as helping clients get results more quickly than doing it alone and achieving a satisfying and fulfilling career through the coaching service I provide.
- Testimonials – What members say about IAPC&M
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- Podcast – Both Sides of the Coin
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