The Next Step in the APC Coaching Journey:
Preparing for ASC Level
Building the confidence, skills, experience, and reflective practice needed to progress towards Accredited Senior Coach (ASC) status.
This interactive three-part masterclass series is for Accredited Practitioner Coaches (APCs) who are considering progression towards Accredited Senior Coach (ASC) level.
Becoming an ASC involves developing greater depth, confidence, and maturity in your coaching practice. Progression is about expanding your coaching toolkit, listening more deeply, asking more impactful questions, offering challenge when appropriate and engaging in consistent reflective practice that aligns with and supports continuous development.
Through practical discussion, peer learning, peer coaching and real-world accreditation insights, participants will strengthen their coaching capability whilst building confidence in their readiness for the next stage of their coaching journey.
Whether ASC accreditation is an immediate goal or part of a longer-term development plan, this series will help IAPC&M APC-accredited member coaches prepare for the next level of practice.
The Three-Part Experience
Masterclass 1
Beyond the Familiar: Expanding Your Coaching Toolkit and Contracting with Confidence
29 September | 2.00 pm – 3.15 pm
As coaches develop, they often discover that no single model or framework works for every client. Senior-level coaching requires flexibility, adaptability, and confidence to draw on a wider range of approaches. It also requires stronger contracting skills that create clarity, safety, trust, and accountability from the outset.
This interactive session explores advanced coaching models, approaches and contracting practices, helping coaches expand their toolkit and develop confidence in selecting the most appropriate approach for different coaching conversations.
Objectives
Participants will:
- Learn about advanced coaching models and approaches beyond foundational frameworks.
- Increase confidence in adapting their approach to different client situations.
- Explore how contracting evolves from APC to ASC level, including boundaries, ethics, accountability, and how to build strong foundations for coaching conversations.
- Develop greater flexibility and confidence associated with ASC-level coaching practice.
Masterclass 2
Listening Beyond the Words: Advanced Listening and Questioning Skills
28 October | 2.00 pm – 3.15 pm
One characteristic often seen in more experienced coaches is the ability to listen more deeply and ask questions that create genuine insight, awareness, and action.
This practical and interactive session explores the subtle art of listening beyond the words and using purposeful questions to deepen client thinking.
Objectives
Participants will:
- Strengthen their ability to listen at multiple levels during coaching conversations.
- Develop greater awareness of how and when to use different questioning techniques.
- Recognise habits that may unintentionally limit coaching effectiveness.
Masterclass 3
Courageous Coaching Conversations: Challenge, Accountability and Reflection
17 November | 2.00 pm – 3.15 pm
Many coaches find challenging clients one of the most difficult capabilities to develop. Yet constructive challenge, combined with strong accountability, is often where meaningful client growth occurs.
This session explores how reflective practice can help coaches build confidence in offering challenge, sharing observations, strengthening accountability, and supporting clients to think beyond their current assumptions.
Objectives
Participants will:
- Understand the role of challenge in supporting client growth and development.
- Explore how to challenge constructively whilst maintaining trust and rapport.
- Strengthen accountability conversations by exploring barriers, commitment, support structures, and the consequences of inaction.
- Discover how reflective practice and supervision support progression towards ASC-level coaching.
Meet Our Expert Speakers:
Gail Gibson is a strategic advisor and executive coach who partners with senior leaders, leadership teams, and organisations operating in complex, high-performance environments.
With over 30 years of global leadership experience across the UK, EMEA, and APAC, she brings a strong combination of operational expertise and strategic insight. Gail supports organisations in strengthening leadership capability, improving decision-making, and building the conditions for sustainable high performance.
Her work focuses particularly on advancing women’s leadership and progression, while enabling leaders to navigate complexity, manage competing demands, and lead effectively at scale.
Gail has extensive experience working across regulated sectors, including financial services, healthcare, higher education, and legal, and is known for combining practical, results-focused delivery with a reflective approach that enhances clarity, focus, and leadership impact.
She joined the IAPC&M Assessment team in 2025 to assess incoming coaches and mentors for accreditation.
Gail is an author, avid reader, green-tea fan, curious traveller, haiku poet, and UK kidney charity volunteer who loves finding her ideal ‘sit spot’ in nature.
Lisa McMurtry is the CEO of Lisa McMurtry Coaching Limited and a Law of Attraction, Emotional Well-Being, and Success Mindset Coach.
Before founding her coaching business, Lisa built a career as an advanced nurse practitioner in mental health nursing. With a wealth of qualifications and years of experience, she now empowers women to achieve success, fulfilment, and purpose in both life and business.
Lisa specialises in supporting female entrepreneurs and coaches to shift their mindset, nurture emotional well-being, and cultivate a positive outlook. Through her signature Abundance Queen® 4 Keys to Success Formula, she blends psychological approaches, intuitive coaching, and powerful somatic energy-releasing practices to help women clear limiting beliefs, step into their potential, and manifest their goals. Alongside this, she offers business strategy mentoring to ensure long-term growth and sustainable success.
As a qualified and accredited Master Coach and Training Provider with the International Authority for Professional Coaching & Mentoring, Lisa’s mission is to guide ambitious women in transforming their lives and businesses—helping them become the Abundance Queens they were always meant to be.
“The most caring, sharing, practical coach & mentoring resources available”
- Become accredited – Apply for your international accreditation status with our humanistic capabilities-based approach, which is inclusive and fast
- Apply to become a member – For professionals who use coaching and/or mentoring skills as part of their role. Whether you’re a corporate manager, working in HR, or you’re a consultant, trainer, therapist, counsellor or entrepreneur, this opportunity is for you.
- Testimonials – See what members say about the IAPC&M accreditation process, resources, and their international community
- Client-facing signature programme – Get accredited here and help your programme stand out in a noisy digital space
- Training Providers – Add coaching/mentoring to your skill set, improve your communication, and build a rewarding career
- Special Offer – Business support for coaches, everything you need personally and professionally to thrive
- Continuing professional development (CPD) – Log your CPD hours and certificates in your professional evidence portfolio
- Podcast – Both Sides of the Coin PR opportunity for you and your clients
- Meditation – Register for our weekly guided sessions so you can show up for your clients in a way that makes them feel heard, held and held
- Contact us, and we’ll respond by inviting you to join us in a Zoom conversation over your favourite beverage to discuss how best to support you.