On this page
- Course Description
- CE Testimonials — What Students Say
- CE is THE Pre-Requisite
- CE Schedule, Registration & Fees
- CE FAQs (Course Details)
Basic Coaching Skills Training
CE Course Description
Using the coaching skills and strategies introduced in this course will improve your communication with clients, co-workers, friends and family members.
Coaching Essentials an intensive, introductory course in basic coaching skills, methodology, strategies, ethics and philosophy. Specifically, it teaches:
- 16 powerful receptive and active coaching skills (defined and demonstrated)
- The structure and process of a coaching session
- Skills competence (supported by the trainer(s) and your skills group)
- The core philosophy, best practices, and ethics of coaching
You can begin using the coaching skills and techniques right away — starting from the first class. You will strengthen your listening ability, learn how to deepen client self-knowledge, and empower clients to move forward through a coaching partnership.
This is intensive training and we encourage you to make space in your schedule to maximize your learning. Find detailed course information in the CE FAQs at the end of the page.

Senior Trainer Casey Moore, MA, CPLC, PCC, CPO teaches this course with Elizabeth Brink, ACC, CNC, assistant trainer.
As with all our courses, the Coaching Essentials curriculum references the International Coaching Federation’s Core Coaching Competencies.
Coaching Essentials is offered two or three times a year: late winter, late spring (or early summer) and fall.
CE Student Testimonials
What Our Students Say
CE is the Pre-Requisite
Coaching Essentials is a stand-alone course — a comprehensive introduction to coaching skills and methodology,. In addition, Coaching Essentials is also the pre-requisite course for the five-course Foundation Coach Training Program. Take Coaching Essentials to develop basic coaching understanding and competence, and then decide whether or not continuing is right for you. You may move into additional foundation courses at your own pace.
The 2-Course Foundation Package
You may register for this course alone or gain some savings with the 2-course intro training package. Strengths-Based Coaching is the popular follow-up training to Coaching Essentials and the second course in the foundation program. Offered twice a year, the SBC focus is on coaching to a client’s strengths. This is modeled through two powerful strengths models: Values & Needs — and Processing Modalities. Strengths-Based Coaching (SBC) has its own page — find more info there.
CE Schedule

CE Registration Fees & Options

Foundation Course Fees & Payment Options
CE FAQs — The Course Details
– Eight weeks long, one 90-minute class each week, with 2 trainers via Zoom (See course calendar for holiday accommodations)
– Seven 90-minute Skills Building Group (SBG) meetings, one each week, with two other classmates
– Class time training includes instruction, discussion and question time, coaching demonstration, and assignment review
– Between-class assignments (see below for details)
– Typically, you will receive start-up instructions and tasks 2 weeks, and again 1 week, prior to the first class
– Allow 3+ hours to complete all Coaching Essentials start-up tasks
– Read through the CE Course Overview and the two start-up documents (allow an hour)
– Complete the New Student Info Form and sign and return the document Understanding & Agreements (15 minutes)
– Communicate your Skills Building Group (SBG) scheduling preferences via email (a few minutes) and then coordinate with your group to set up your meeting schedule
– Organize your training materials, including downloading/printing/reviewing those needed for Class 1 (allow an hour)
– Get a headset with microphone to use during class (optional, but highly recommended)
– Log in to the CE Coaches Learning Lab (CE CLL), complete your student profile, and look around (15 minutes+)
– Listen to the recorded CE Orientation Telesession (15 minutes)
– Assignment completion times vary from student to student, but expect to spend 4-5 hours each week (in addition to the (1½-2-hour class) to complete all
– Complete brief reading assignments (short articles and handouts), usually 1-2 each week (1/2 hour)
– Complete forum post assignments, usually 1-2 brief posts each week, and review classmates’ posts (1/4-3/4 hour)
– Prepare for your weekly SBG meeting (¼ hour) and attend/participate in it (1½-2 hours)
– Listen to the recording of your SBG meeting and complete the SBG Report (1 hour)
– Listen to the recorded coaching demonstration and capture questions and comments for class discussion (1/2 hour)
– Review new documents that will be used in each upcoming class (1/4 hour)
– Complete an online course evaluation (15-30 minutes)
– Complete a written, take-home, open-book assessment provided after Class 7 (average 4-6 hours to complete, range of hours reported is 3-20)
– Be sure all other course assignments are completed
After completing Coaching Essentials, you are eligible to take two other courses:
– Strengths-Based Coaching — the second of the five foundation courses, described briefly above and on its own page Strengths-Based Coaching
– Coaching Skills Lab, an elective foundation course decribed briefly in the next Q&A and in more detail on its own page Coaching Skills Lab.
CSL‘s lab-style training is for those who have completed Coaching Essentials. Designed to support new coaches at any point in their foundation program training, classes are limited to five students. This inexpensive course strengthens coaching confidence and competence between courses (or if you stopped foundation training with CE).
– In each class, a live coaching session takes place with a student coach and client. The trainer provides instruction and feedback and leads discussion with all present.
– For many years, Denslow Brown, MCC (the Coach Approach co-founder) has been the CSL trainer.
– Coaching Skills Labs is offered throughout the year in various configurations (weekly, every other week, monthly). The registration fee is determined by the number of sessions ($90-150).
Upon completion of both Coaching Essentials and Strengths-Based Coaching, there are two additional elective courses to consider (in addition to Coaching Skills Lab). They are Cultivate Coaching Courage (CCC) and Client Enrollmant: Best Practices (CEBP). Find the links to all three Elective Foundation Courses below.
Required Foundation Courses
- Coaching Essentials (CE)
- Strengths-Based Coaching (SBC)
- Brain-Based Coaching (BBC)
- Life & ADHD Coaching (LAC)
- Coach Integration (CI)