“Are Become’s Coaching Diplomas for life coaches?”
I get asked this question a lot, and it’s a fair one! I think it speaks to how coaching is often understood. So the short answer to the question is: no. But the more useful answer is why.
Most people who join us at Become on an ICF Accredited Coaching Programme are not trying to become a generic “life coach”. They are professionals who want to integrate coaching into something that already matters to them. That might be leadership, wellbeing, career development, therapy-adjacent work, or something more personal and emerging.
What they tend to have in common is this: they want to work with people in a way that actually creates change, not just good conversations.
That’s where the structure of our programmes matters and here’s a breakdown to show this.
Level 1 Diploma in Integrative Coaching: Building a Strong Foundation
Become’s Level 1 Diploma is where we focus on the core of coaching practice. Not scripts. Not surface-level techniques. But how to actually work with a person.
We spend time developing your ability to:
• Stay with a client rather than rush to solutions
• Work across thoughts, emotions, and underlying patterns
• Listen for what is not being said, as much as what is
• Build psychological safety so clients can be more genuine
• Understand how your own responses influence the work
This is where most people realise that coaching is deeper, and more demanding, than they expected.
It’s also where confidence starts to grow. Not because you have a model to follow, but because you begin to trust your way of being with clients.
Whether you go on to use coaching in executive, therapy-informed spaces, or your own practice, this foundation is what makes the work credible.
Level 2 Advanced Diploma in Integrative Coaching: Deepening Practice and Specialisation
Become’s Level 2 Advanced Diploma in Integrative Coaching is not about doing more of the same. It’s about refining and deepening your practice so that it holds up in more complex situations.
Here, we work at a different level of detail. We focus on:
• Working with identity, relational patterns, and emotional complexity
• Staying present when sessions don’t go to plan
• Using yourself more intentionally in the coaching relationship
• Developing a clearer, more consistent coaching style
• Meeting the standard required for PCC-level practice
Alongside this, you specialise through areas like stress and wellbeing, somatic coaching, leadership, or career coaching. This is often where people begin to define what kind of coach they actually are, rather than trying to fit into a label.
So who is an ICF Coach Training Programme for?
In practice, our trainees include:
• HR and L&D professionals
• Therapists wanting to integrate coaching
• Leaders and managers
• People building a coaching practice
• Individuals exploring a more meaningful career direction
Some do go on to call themselves life coaches. Many don’t. What matters more is that they are able to work with clients in a way that is thoughtful, grounded, and effective.
What’s important when choosing an ICF Coaching Course?
If you’re exploring training, it’s worth asking yourself a slightly different question. Not “what type of coach or label do I want to have?” but “ who do I want to work with and how?”
That tends to lead to a more useful answer.
If you’d like to experience how we approach this in practice, we run regular Coaching Fundamentals sessions where you can meet us, ask questions, and get a feel for the training.
And if you’re already thinking about starting, our next Level 1 cohort begins soon, with a small number of places remaining.
You can find more details on the programmes here:
You can also book in some 1-1 time with us to explore whether Become’s Coaching Diplomas are for you.
