TIMELY NOTE: The process and prices listed here are valid through Dec 31, 2026. Beginning Jan 1, 2027, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) will make changes regarding mentor coaching – specifically, who can provide mentor coaching accepted by the ICF. Mentor coaches will be required to hold the ICF specialization of Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS). The ICF released the MCS application process in June 2026. I am currently gathering the required documents to submit my MCS application. The ICF indicates that it will take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to approve submitted applications (longer if further documentation/clarification is needed).
ALL mentor coaching provided until December 31, 2026 will be accepted toward an ICF credential application, credential renewal, or for up to 10 hours of core competency continuing education. As an ICF-credentialled PCC, all mentor coaching I provide to ACC initial applicants, ACC renewal applicants, PCC applicants, or for PCC core competency continuing education WILL be accepted by the ICF through at least the end of 2027. I expect to obtain my MCS badge and be listed in the ICF Mentor Coach Directory by the autumn of 2026.
Explaining Mentor Coaching (ICF-Style)
The ICF requires 10 hours of mentor coaching for an ACC or PCC initial credential application, as well as for an ACC credential renewal. These 10 hours must occur within a 12-week (3-month) period. As the mentee who will submit your mentoring hours to the ICF, it is your responsibility to ensure extend at least up to the full 12-week period. I purposefully extend the period between mentoring sessions to help you maintain the required time frame.
Of the 10 hours required, at least 3 hours MUST be conducted as individual (one-to-one) mentoring. The other 7 hours can be any combination of group or individual mentoring. While many mentor coaches insist that individual mentoring be completed in three one-hour sessions, the ICF does NOT require this. The ICF has clarified, in writing, that the requirement is only for 3 hours minimum and can be accomplished as three one-hour sessions, two 90-minute sessions, six 30-minute sessions, or even one 3-hour session.
The General Mentor Coaching Package I Offer
Most coaches are looking for a mentor coach package, so I have one that is pretty irresistible! It includes four hours of individual mentor coaching and 6 hours of group mentor coaching. All mentoring sessions are conducted over the internet by video in English.
The four hours of individual mentoring can be laid out in one of two ways. Both ways begin and end with a 30-minute mentoring video session. These are titled a Mentor Coaching Intake Session and a Final Mentor Coaching Engagement Session (these titles come straight from the ICF Mentor Coach Handbook dated April 2026). These sessions ARE COUNTED by the ICF toward the individual mentor coaching requirement.
During the Intake Session, the mentor coach and the mentor coach client partner to establish agreements about the:
Structure, logistics, and other important considerations for the engagement.
Purpose and structure of the mentor coaching process.
Mentor coaching client’s goals and desired outcomes.
During the Final Session, the purpose is to:
Partner to close the mentor coaching relationship in a way that honors the experience.
Review and honor the work the mentor coach and MC client have done over the course of the engagement.
Review the client’s cumulative demonstration of coaching skills across all observed coaching sessions
completed through the engagement, along with written feedback, through the Competency Review Form.
Reflect upon and acknowledge the progress and growth the MC client accomplished over the course of
the engagement.
Discuss the goals the mentor coach and MC client achieved and identify any remaining goals.
Discuss any issues that remain unresolved in the mentor coaching relationship.
The three additional individual mentor coaching hours can be completed in either three one-hour sessions or two 90-minute sessions. This is based on YOUR preferences, which will be agreed upon during the Initial Session. An important factor to consider is that beginning in January 2027, submitted documentation for the individual sessions from the mentor coach to the ICF must show a progression of improvement from session to session. (This may be easier to show with three sessions than with two.)
In order to incorporate feedback from one individual session to another, the ICF highly recommends a space of two weeks (minimum) between individual sessions. This gives you time not only to begin to implement mentoring feedback but also get another recorded session for the following mentor coaching session.
The three hours of individual mentor coaching, which the ICF calls One-to-One Mentor Coaching Session, require that a recorded coaching session be reviewed by the mentor coach to:
- Identify areas of strength and development, with specific examples or evidence from the coaching session.
- Complete a Session Observation form, including written feedback in alignment with the ICF Core Coaching.
- Competencies and minimum skills requirements at the appropriate level for the client.
NOTE REGARDING RECORDINGS: The mentor coach client must request and receive written permission from one of their current coaching clients to either record a coaching session and share it with their mentor coach, or to allow the mentor coach to observe a live coaching session with the mentor coach client.
If a mentor coach client is an ACC initial applicant, they will be evaluated based on the ICF Credentialing Minimum Skills Requirements (a.k.a., the ACC BARS).
If the mentor coach client is an ACC credential renewal applicant, they can be evaluated based on the ICF Credentialing Minimum Skills Requirements for either the ACC or PCC.
If the mentor coach client is a PCC initial applicant, they will be evaluated boased on the ICF Credentialing Minimum Skills Requirements for PCC (a.k.a., the PCC Markers).
If the client is using mentor coaching for Core Competency Continuing Education hours, they may use either the ICF Credentialing Minimum Skills Requirements for ACC or PCC (based on their current credential).
During the One-to-One Mentor Coaching Session, there will be:
- A discussion of strengths and development for the session overall.
- Verbal and written feedback from the mentor coach about the client’s strengths and development areas in alignment with the ICF Core Competencies and the relevant minimum skills requirements.
- Reflection from the mentor coach client on their demonstrated coaching skills and areas for further growth.
- Partnering to create a plan to address development areas and further leverage areas of strength.
As the 3 hours of individual mentor coaching come to a completion, the mentor coach and the mentor coach client should discuss whether any additional hours of individual mentoring would be helpful to document.
Group Mentor Coaching
As noted above, my package includes six hours of group mentor coaching. This is provided in four 90-minute group sessions to complete the full 10-hour requirement. I schedule monthly group sessions, usually on a Friday morning, at a time to accommodate coaches in North America and Europe.
During the group mentor coaching, four mentor coach clients (the coaches themselves) will either coach or be coached for approximately 25 minutes, leaving about 15 minutes for feedback discussion after each coaching round. Therefore, each mentor coach client should come prepared with a topic to be coached on.
Pricing
My 10-hour mentor coach package, which includes 4 hours of individual mentoring and 6 hours of group mentoring, is only $300 when paid in full. If you choose only group or individual mentoring, the prices are slightly higher, though still very affordable ($275 for either group-only or individual-only). As mentioned above, these prices are valid ONLY to the end of 2026.
Schedule
Month 1 Mentor Coaching Intake Session 0.5 hours
Month 1 Group Mentoring Session 1.5 hours
Month 1 One-to-One Mentoring Coach Session 1.0 hours
Month 2 Group Mentoring Session 1.5 hours
Month 2 One-to-One Mentoring Coach Session 1.0 hours
Month 3 Group Mentoring Session 1.5 hours
Month 3 One-to-One Mentoring Coach Session 1.0 hours
Month 4 Group Mentoring Session 1.5 hours
Month 4 Final Mentor Coaching Engagement Session 0.5 hours
Getting Started
To begin your mentor coaching, email me at Bruce56k (at) yahoo.com (This is the email that I use for my ICF membership, mentor coaching, and supervision.) I look forward to serving you!