Mentor Coaching
Solidify your own coaching style as you work towards ICF accreditation
Mentor Coaching is more than a requirement to complete. Done well, it’s a valuable opportunity to look closely at your coaching, receive thoughtful feedback and deepen your understanding of the ICF Core Competencies.
Together, we’ll look honestly at your strengths and development edges, using your own coaching practice as the starting point. The aim isn’t to make you coach in a particular way, but to help you develop the judgement and confidence to understand and refine your own approach.
“We had great conversations about coaching, focusing on being there for the client and improving our skills. Looking at the ICF competencies together helped me realise how useful and client-centred they are. I always felt like Natalie wanted me to win.”
Catherine Maina ACC, Grief and Loss Coach & Counsellor
ICF Mentor Coaching Client
What meaningful Mentor Coaching can offer
Development over box-ticking
Credentials matter, but your long-term development and capability as a coach matter more. Mentor Coaching gives you an opportunity to examine your approach honestly, strengthen your skills and build reflective habits that continue beyond your accreditation.
An opportunity to think with another coach
Mentor Coaching works best as a developmental relationship, not a one-way transfer of knowledge. We’ll bring real coaching experiences into the conversation, explore different perspectives and create space for you to think things through.
Clear, usable feedback
Working towards a professional credential takes time, energy and money. I’ll take that investment seriously, giving you clear, thoughtful feedback about where your coaching is strong and where there are opportunities to develop against the ICF standard.
“Our discussions helped uncover my biases and reveal blind spots and risks in my coaching tendencies. Natalie helped me reflect on new alternatives and options, while cultivating my own coaching style and philosophy, without being overly instructive.”
Aubrey Xiao, Leadership Coach
ICF Mentor Coaching Client
Ways to work together
The ICF recently introduced new requirements for Mentor Coaching from January 2027. I am currently completing training to gain the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS) and ensure my Mentor Coaching meets the new requirements to work with coaches applying for or renewing an ACC credential.
1:1 Mentor Coaching
Flexible, personalized packages. Starting from a minimum of 3x 1-hour sessions, each including a recording review, up to a 10-hour programme to fulfil the entire requirement.
Small-group programme
A 10-hour programme combining group Mentor Coaching with dedicated 1:1 attention and at least three recording reviews – full details coming in autumn 2026.
All options include the documentation you need for your ICF application.
Natalie Tucker
ICF Coach, trainer & supervisor
About your Mentor Coach
I’m an ICF-accredited coach and ILM-certified coach supervisor, with over five years’ experience coaching social leaders and over three years’ experience training coaches. My approach to Mentor Coaching is curious, reflective and developmental: I’ll give you clear feedback in relation to ICF standards while making space for you to think, question and develop your own coaching approach.
ICF Mentor Coaching FAQs
ICF Mentor Coaching is a structured process of feedback and reflection designed to develop your coaching skills in alignment with the ICF Core Competencies. For coaches applying for an ICF credential, the required 10 hours must take place over at least three months.
Mentor Coaching is for coaches working towards any ICF credential, or renewing an ACC credential. Coaches renewing a PCC or MCC credential can also count Mentor Coaching as Core Competency CCEs.
Coaches who are considering ICF accreditation may also find it useful to engage in some Mentor Coaching to learn about the ICF’s core competencies and decide whether it is the right path for them.
I currently work with coaches pursuing or renewing at ACC level, and hope to be qualified to work with PCC coaches from early 2027.
The ICF requires coaches seeking accreditation or ACC renewal to engage in 10 hours of Mentor Coaching over a minimum of three months, including at least three hours of individual Mentor Coaching. The remaining hours can be completed individually or in a group.
We’ll review recordings of your coaching together, exploring it in relation to the ICF Core Competencies, identifying strengths and development edges, and considering alternative ways of working. Group sessions may include live coaching and hearing feedback from the group as well as me.
My aim is to give you clear, honest feedback, while enabling you develop your own coaching judgement and style.
ICF Mentor Coaching focuses specifically on developing your coaching skills in relation to the ICF Core Competencies. Supervision takes a broader reflective view of your coaching practice, including the coach–client relationship, your own internal responses, ethical practice and the wider system around your coaching.
Both offer valuable ways to reflect on and develop your coaching, and supervision is also valued by the ICF for CCEs.
Mentor Coaching can definitely support your exam preparation as it will involve study and discussion of the ICF Core Competencies and Code of Ethics which form the basis of the exam.
It isn’t designed as exam preparation, though, so I’d recommend complementing Mentor Coaching with further study and preparation.
To renew a credential you will need to record the start and end date of your Mentor Coaching, and number of 1:1 and group sessions completed with each Coach Mentor, along with their contact details, so the ICF can confirm this information.
From 2027, to gain a new credential you will also need to submit a set of feedback forms completed by your Mentor Coach, demonstrating that you meet the standards and confirming that you have completed at least three 1:1 Mentor Coaching sessions. These forms will be shared with you as part of the Mentor Coaching process.
From April 2027 Mentor Coaching will replace the previous Performance Evaluation for ACC and PCC credential applications. This will give coaches at least three opportunities to demonstrate that their coaching meets the required standards for their level, rather than the single session recording which was previously submitted to the ICF for evaluation.
While previously Mentor Coaching could be completed with any suitable accredited ICF coach, from January 2027 all Mentor Coaching needs to be with a Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS) holder – I expect to gain this designation in Autumn 2026. This is intended to raise the quality and bring more standardisation to Mentor Coaching.
You can find full details of these changes on the ICF website here and here.