Essentials of Life CoachingBased upon over 25 years of training more than 5,000 Christians throughout the world, the majority of our students consistently secure paying clients on their caseloads before this introductory course is finished.

Our curriculum is designed around Dr. Gary Collins’ foundational book, Christian Coaching, and 2 other outstanding texts. The course is aligned with the standards of both the International Coach Federation (ICF) and the Christian Coaches Network International (CCNI).

All classes are taught live, via high-definition Zoom videoconference, and supplemented with home study as well as interactive peer coaching groups meeting by Telebridge each week. In this class you will:

  • Master critical distinctions between coaching, counseling, consulting, mentoring, & discipling.
  • Learn the Core Competencies of Coaching as established by the International Coach Federation (ICF).
  • Integrate your Christian faith & worldview into your work with both Christian & non-Christian clients.
  • Develop the skills, tools & techniques necessary for effective coaching practice.
  • Explore Christian coaching principles in Scripture, using these as your basis & mandate for practice.
  • Learn the keys to forming a strong coaching alliance with your clients.
  • Study the latest research behind remarkable personal growth and lasting change.
  • Hear live role play demonstrations & case examples by your instructors – two ICF-certified coaches.
  • Process readings from 3 exceptional texts and get direct answers to your questions.
  • Practice coaching skills live in telephone lab sessions and in class, receiving real-time feedback from instructors.
  • Learn to structure questions in a genuinely exploratory manner to avoid ‘leading’ your clients.
  • Develop the ability to hear beyond your clients’ words through their inflections, pace, energy, & even silence.
  • Develop the ability to hear beyond your clients’ words through their inflections, pace, energy, & even silence.
  • Become comfortable in confusion, embracing questions in a true spirit of curiosity and discovery.
  • Practice the skill of becoming ‘invisible’ as your clients listen to the Holy Spirit & their God-given desires.
  • Help clients operationalize their visions, setting measurable goals & timelines.
  • Learn empowerment skills to place clients more in-touch with their abilities & resources for dramatic life change.
  • Foster accountability that really works – through you, not to you.
  • Marshal pain & passion – the two great human motivators for change.
  • Understand the stages of personal & spiritual growth, and meet your clients in their own unique stages.
  • Learn what to do with resistance to change, and how to help a client get ‘unstuck.’
  • Identify and work with core values, vision, purpose, & mission.
  • Develop self-monitoring skills in your ‘use of self’ in this contractual, designed relationship.
  • Explore several major niches in Christian coaching to begin specializing in your areas of greatest passion.
  • Experience dramatic personal growth as you work through the very exercises you will use with clients.
  • Catch vision for the future of Christian coaching and how to position yourself in this explosive new field.

Required Texts:

“PCCI is the best coach training available with Christian values, commitment to excellence, a supportive and prayerful community, and unparalleled training. I highly recommend it!”
Lauren Rush, Lauren Rush Life Coach
“I have taken 149 hours of training from PCCI and I have nothing but gratitude. Lots of money and time invested, and it was well worth it!”
Brian Bennett, Kingdom Capital Leadership Institute

How This Course Relates to Certification & Credentialing

The Essentials of Life Coaching is the FIRST STEP toward CPLC Certification and earning the ICF Level 1 and ICF Level 2 certificates. See the image below for the full path for each, and where this course is on that path. Click here for more information about certification and credentialing.

Credentialing Path

Upcoming Courses

NOTE: Indicate your desired course date during registration and checkout.

October 2025

DAY: Thursdays
TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 PM Eastern
DATES: October 30, 2025 – February 26, 2026*
INSTRUCTORS: Steve Cromer, PCC & Cindy Schmelzenbach, MCC

*NOTE: Class will NOT meet on 11/27, 12/25, and 1/1.

January 2026

DAY: Thursdays
TIME: 4:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
DATES: January 29 – May 14, 2026*
INSTRUCTORS: Cindy Schmelzenbach, MCC & Kris Kelso, PCC

*NOTE: Class will NOT meet on 4/2.

March 2026

DAY: Mondays
TIME: 6:00 – 8:00 PM Eastern
DATES: March 30 – July 13, 2026*
INSTRUCTORS: Crystal Wagner, PCC & Steve Cromer, PCC

*NOTE: Class will NOT meet on 5/25.

May 2026

DAY: Tuesdays
TIME: 4:00 – 6:00 PM Eastern
DATES: May 19 – August 25, 2026
INSTRUCTORS: Sandra Black, PCC & Andrew Gorter, MCC

August 2026

DAY: Wednesdays
TIME: 12:00 – 2:00 PM Eastern
DATES: August 26 – December 9, 2026*
INSTRUCTORS: Erica Vinson, ACC & Scott Frickenstein, PCC

*NOTE: Class will NOT meet on 11/25.

October 2026

DAY: Thursdays
TIME: 5:00 – 7:00 PM Eastern
DATES: October 15, 2026 – February 11, 2027*
INSTRUCTORS: Pam Mertz, PCC & Michael Pfau, PCC

*NOTE: Class will NOT meet on 11/26, 12/24, and 12/31.

Tuition & Fees

Full Payment

$2,250
  • NO monthly payments

3 Payments

$765monthly
  • $2,295 total investment

6 Payments

$390monthly
  • $2,340 total investment

9 Payments

$265monthly
  • $2,385 total investment

All payment plans include a $15 monthly service charge.

“Every instructor I had was very professional; no lightweights. Christianity is a constant thread. Their goal is solidly equipping coaches to coach to the highest industry standards. And it’s not just a school; you will belong to the fellowship of PCCI for your entire career.”
Thomas Kenyon, Real-Life Coaching
“PCCI coach training is life changing and one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. The hand-on training is priceless.”
Mary Lou Caskey, Life Coach
“The training I received at PCCI has been both very professional and invaluable for this season of my career.”
Jenn Nickel, MBA, JLN Consultants
“I made the decision to train at PCCI after researching every Christian coaching school I could locate. Their high-quality training in alignment with ICF competencies impressed me immediately, and the personal attention of their faculty and staff is tremendously supportive!”
Stacy Toney

“I just completed The Essentials of Coaching course and already have my first official client – at $500/month! PCCI has provided me with a powerful launch.”

Kimberly Moore
“The Essentials class has exceeded my expectations! I’m so impressed with the quality of instruction and with our instructor’s openness in sharing their hearts…”
Teri Bailey, Life Well Coach

“I spent $2,100 for a popular DVD training program and left with no paying clients. In just a few weeks of PCCI classes, I gained the practical knowledge I needed to land my first paying client! Hearing live demonstrations and being able to ask questions helped me to clarify coaching concepts, and our live peer groups have provided hands-on practice in a safe learning environment.”

Victoria Barber-Emery, Inspire Life Coaching
“This course has been transformational for me!”
Steve Greer, Genesis Counseling Centers
“I am LOVING this class. It has truly already been a transformational experience for me.”
Dr. Saudra Wall Williams, T.E.A.C.H Ministries