Advanced Organizer Coach Credentials (PCOC, COLC)

These two credentials: Professional Certified Organizer Coach (PCOC) and the Certified Organizer Life Coach (COLC) have exactly the same requirements and training. We offer both credentials at the request of our trained coaches because they cue different understandings of what coaching can offer — each important to certain potential client populations.

Professional Organizers have realized for decades that we are privileged to be invited into people’s lives through the lens of how they live in their homes, how they share space with others, how they show up to support others in business or their communities. These organizing efforts engage clients in their priorities: how they spend their time, what matters most, how they care for others who are vulnerable (children — or family members and close friends in crisis).

Since coaching is a holistic (whole person) support and service, organizer coaching to help someone meet their values and needs is similar to coaching to manifest the life someone wants (life coaching). Again the language is simply shifted for emphasis.

So, the PCOC and the COLC are coaches who facilitate an on-going supportive process for a client to create a manageable life (systems, support and self-care) while bringing the client’s passions, values, strengths, and aesthetic to the forefront. 

These coaches offer the great synergy of organizing experience and instincts with coaching at the advanced Professional Certified Coach level.

A PCC-level credential reflects a commitment to deepened coaching competence through required advanced training. The client benefits from a coaching methodology that provides body-based insights and anchoring. These coaches are prepared to bring clarity to their clients in seeing and changing pattern-development (habits, systems perspectives) so they can handle responsibilities and live beautiful and fulfilled lives.

After the foundation courses, each PCOC or COLC designs a unique quilt of coaching competence by selecting the elective advanced courses that will best serve their clients.

Current Professional Certified Organizer Coaches (PCOC) and Certified Organizer Life Coaches (COLC) are listed in the IAC Directory.

PCOC and COLC Credentialing Requirements

Required Training – 125 Coach training hours

Graduation from the Coach Approach Foundation Training Program (courses, must be taken in the order listed below)

  • CE — Coaching Essentials (8-week course – offered three times a year: new year, spring/summer and fall) 
  • SBC — Strengths-Based Coaching (5-week course – offered twice a year: early spring and early fall) 
  • BBC — Brain-Based Coaching (6-week course – offered once a year in the late fall) 
  • LAC — Life & ADHD Coaching  (6-week course – offered once a year in the late winter) 
  • CI — Coach Integration (4-week course – offered once a year in the late spring)
Foundation Training Schedule (PDF)

Advanced Coach Approach Training (after Foundation Graduation)

Advanced training schedule (pdf)

Mentor Coaching 

  • All ten required hours may be individual mentoring hours with a qualified CAT mentor coach (at least three must be individual). Seven hours may be from a group mentor/lab-style course. 
  • The ten mentor coaching hours must extend over no less than three months with approved, ICF-credentialed, CAT mentor coach.
  • Mentoring must address the applicant’s coaching core competency   skills in support of a strong certification recording. 
  • Advanced Group Mentor Coaching (AGMC) is recommended for its exclusive focus on PCC-level preparation.

Coaching Experience – 500 Hours of Whole-Session Client Coaching

  • The coaching log must reflect:
    • At least 450 paid hours
    • At least 25 clients
    • In the last 18 months, at least 50 hours
  • Accrual of client hours may begin as soon as comprehensive coach training begins

Coaching Proficiency – two recorded coaching sessions

  • The recorded coaching session must be from 30-60 minutes each — and demonstrate PCC-level coaching competency.

Additional Qualifications   

If the COLC or PCOC applicant did not first earn a COC, CNC or CPC credential, then additional proof of complementary training and experience is needed.  Proof may include CPO® or CPO-CD® credentials or business start-up date, plus summaries of client hours and related training and life experience.

Requirements, subject to change, are more specific than this web page allows. The PCC-Level Application Packet (application and instructions) provides a complete and detailed description of the above requirements.
PCC-LEVEL CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (PDF)
PCC-LEVEL CERTIFICATION APPLICATION PACKET
PCC-LEVEL RECERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (PDF)

Application Deadline

The annual application deadline is typically April 1. Current-year applications and instructions are available January 1. Previous-year applications are indicative and available year-round.