What Is ICF Mentoring?

ICF mentoring, officially called mentor coaching, is 10 hours of structured feedback on your coaching from an experienced, credentialed mentor coach. The International Coaching Federation (ICF) requires it for every ACC, PCC and MCC credential application, and for every ACC renewal. Your hours must come from a qualified mentor coach: one who holds the required credential and the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS) for the credential you are applying for.

The ICF defines it as "the professional support of a coach in order to achieve excellence in coaching competencies." In plain terms, your mentor listens to your real coaching, then tells you what is working and what to deepen, using the ICF Core Competencies as the shared language.

Mentor coaching is not personal coaching. The focus is not your life or your goals. It is your craft: how you listen, what you ask, how you partner with your client, and how clearly your coaching shows the skills the ICF assesses.

Who needs ICF mentor coaching, and how many hours?

Every level uses the same structure: 10 hours, over at least 12 weeks, with at least 3 of those hours one-to-one. The other 7 hours can be one-to-one or in a group of no more than 10 coaches.

• ACC (Associate Certified Coach): needed for every ACC credential application and every ACC renewal. Your mentor coach must hold an ACC (renewed at least once), PCC or MCC, plus the MCS-ACC.
• PCC (Professional Certified Coach): needed for every PCC credential application. Your mentor coach must hold a PCC or MCC, plus the MCS-PCC.
• MCC (Master Certified Coach): needed for every MCC credential application, using new hours not counted for an earlier credential. Your mentor coach must hold an MCC, plus the MCS-MCC.

Good to know: you can use your 10 mentor coaching hours toward either your ACC or your PCC credential. You can apply for the ACC en route to the PCC, or go straight for the PCC. The MCC is different: you must hold a PCC before you apply for it.

If you train in an ICF Level 1, Level 2 or Level 3 accredited program, the 10 mentor coaching hours are built into the program, so you do not need to buy them separately. Our ICF accredited coach trainings at Level 1, 2 and 3 all include them.

For PCC and MCC renewals, mentor coaching is optional, but up to 10 hours count as Core Competency CCE credits toward the 40 you need every three years. Many coaches use it to stay sharp between credentials.

Before you start, check your mentor's credential and MCS badge in the ICF Verify a Coach directory. For the official forms, links and requirements in one place, see our ICF resources page.

How the ICF evaluates your coaching

For ACC and PCC, the ICF is moving away from a single performance evaluation to a Formative Evaluation Process, which looks at your development as a coach over time. Mentor coaching fits this shift naturally, because it is formative by design.

For MCC, the bar is the highest of all. You submit two coaching recordings, and ICF assessors evaluate them very rigorously against MCC-level standards. That is why MCC candidates benefit from more than one experienced set of eyes before they submit.

Mentoring vs. supervision vs. coaching vs. training

These four are often mixed up, but each has a different job. The biggest line is advice: coaching does not give it, while mentoring and training do.

• Coaching unlocks the client's potential. The client has the answers. "You have the answers, and I'll help you find them."
• Mentor coaching grows your coaching skills against the ICF Core Competencies. The mentor often has the answers. "I've been there, and here's what I've learned."
• Training builds knowledge and skills. The trainer has the answers. "Here's what you need to know and practice."
• Supervision is reflection on your practice, ethics and self-awareness. The coach and supervisor explore together. "Let's reflect on how you're showing up and working."

Mentor coaching sits in the middle. It is directive enough to give you clear competency feedback, but it stays focused on your growth as a coach, not on life advice.

Supervision is the one that focuses on you as the practitioner rather than on your skills alone. It is ongoing, it supports ethical practice, and it is a natural next step once your credential is done. Read more in What Is Coaching Supervision? or see our coaching supervision options.

What happens in an ICF mentor coaching session?

At Happy Whole Human, mentor coaching happens in two formats: group and one-to-one. Most coaches combine both to complete their 10 hours.

Group ICF mentoring

1. A live coaching session. Usually one coach volunteers to coach another coach for about 30 minutes while the group observes.
2. Feedback against the PCC Markers. The ICF mentor evaluates how closely the session aligned with the ICF PCC Key Behavioral Markers.
3. Group discussion. Everyone reflects together, focusing on strengths and opportunities for development.
4. More ways to learn. The mentor may also demonstrate coaching, listen to recordings with the group, go over ICF standards, or answer your questions about ICF-aligned coaching practice.

If all participants agree, the session is recorded and shared in our ICF Group Mentoring eCourse, so you can learn from it again later.

One-to-one ICF mentoring

1. Record a session in Ovida. Coach a client in a 20 to 60 minute ICF-aligned midstream session, set up as a meeting in the HWH Ovida platform with your mentor added as an observer. Optimally, use a purely Socratic approach, rather than facilitating tools or recommending resources.
2. Book and tell your mentor. Book a 1:1 mentoring session, then email your mentor to say which Ovida meeting you would like them to observe and discuss.
3. Meet on Zoom. In your 1:1 session, you go over the feedback together and discuss the strengths observed and the opportunities for development and refinement.

The HWH ICF Coaching Observation Form

In both group and one-to-one mentoring, our mentors use the Happy Whole Human ICF Coaching Observation Form. It provides a checklist of the ICF PCC Key Behavioral Markers, which are the basis of our Happy Whole Human ICF-accredited coach training programs.

The PCC Markers describe what coaching looks like at the PCC level. Because our Level 1 training is part of our Level 2 (PCC preparation) training, we teach every coach to operate at the PCC level. The PCC Markers correspond to both the 2019 and the 2025 updated ICF Core Competencies.

In both formats, your mentor also helps you document your hours and understand the ICF process, including the Formative Evaluation Process for ACC and PCC, or choosing your two recordings for MCC. When your 10 hours are complete, you receive a signed completion letter for your ICF application.

How to choose an ICF mentor coach

• Check their credential. It must be at or above the level you are applying for, and you can confirm it in the ICF Verify a Coach directory.
• Confirm their Mentor Coach Specialization. Your mentor must hold the MCS for your level (MCS-ACC, MCS-PCC or MCS-MCC), which shows they have completed the ICF's mentor coach training and assessment for that level.
• Ask how feedback is given. Written, competency-based feedback after every session is far more useful than general impressions.
• Ask about recording review. The more of your real coaching your mentor hears, the more precise the feedback.
• Make sure the hours are documented. You should finish with a signed completion letter.
• Notice how you feel. Good mentoring is honest and kind at the same time. You should leave sessions clearer, not smaller.

ICF mentoring at Happy Whole Human®

Our mentor coaching is led by two Master Certified Coaches: Dr. Lisa Leit, MCC, and Rafał Szaniawski, MCC. Both hold the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization at all three levels (MCS-ACC, MCS-PCC and MCS-MCC), so whichever credential you are pursuing, you are mentored by someone trained and assessed for that level.

For ACC, PCC and MCC applicants, and for renewals: our ICF Mentor Coaching program gives you all 10 required hours, with written feedback mapped to the ICF Core Competencies after every session, recording review, guidance on your application, and a signed completion letter. Choose one of two packages:

• Group plus individual (from €1,500): 7 Monday group mentor coaching sessions plus 3 individual sessions.
• All individual: 10 one-to-one sessions for the most personal attention.

Both include our Ovida AI coaching platform, so you can practice between sessions and get instant feedback aligned to the ICF competencies.

For PCC coaches going for MCC: our MCC Mentoring Pathway gives you two MCC sets of eyes on your coaching. MCC applicants submit two recordings that ICF assessors evaluate very rigorously, so two independent MCC perspectives before you submit make a real difference. Each private session includes a recording review. When either mentor believes a recording may show MCC-level coaching, the other MCC gives it an independent calibration review, so you hear from both before you choose your two recordings. You choose your own mix of private and group hours, from all 10 private to 3 private plus 7 group, at the same package price.

A calibration review is an extra, honest check. It is not a guarantee, because only the ICF can assess your recording, but it helps you submit with more confidence.

Not sure which fits? Book a discovery call or email admissions@happywholehuman.com.

Frequently asked questions

How many mentor coaching hours does the ICF require? Ten hours from a qualified mentor coach, spread over at least 12 weeks, with at least three hours one-to-one. The other seven can be in a group of up to 10 coaches.

Can I finish my mentor coaching hours faster than 12 weeks? No. The ICF requires the 10 hours to span a minimum of 12 weeks, so the feedback has time to sink in.

Do I need mentor coaching if I did an ICF accredited program? Every credential application needs the 10 hours, but ICF Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 programs include them. You need separate hours if your training did not include them, or when you renew an ACC.

Can I reuse my PCC mentor coaching hours for MCC? No. MCC applicants must hold a PCC first, and need 10 new hours with an MCC mentor coach who holds the MCS-MCC.

How does the ICF evaluate my coaching for a credential? For ACC and PCC, the ICF is shifting to a Formative Evaluation Process instead of a single performance evaluation. For MCC, you submit two coaching recordings, which ICF assessors evaluate rigorously against MCC-level standards.

Is mentor coaching the same as supervision? No. Mentor coaching develops your skills against the ICF Core Competencies. Supervision is ongoing reflective practice focused on you as a practitioner, your ethics and your wellbeing. See What Is Coaching Supervision?

Does mentor coaching count toward ICF renewal? Yes. ACC holders need 10 hours at each renewal. For PCC and MCC holders, up to 10 hours count as Core Competency CCE credits.

Find every ICF form and requirement link on our ICF resources page, or explore ICF Mentor Coaching and the MCC Mentoring Pathway.