Coach Training Programs
Interested in becoming a Creativity Coach?
Learn the art of being a masterful creativity coach, attract clients, and launch your coaching practice to the next level!
Creativity Coaching Online Certification Program
The Creativity Coaching Association's main offering is our professional online Creativity Coaching Certification Program, through which anyone interested in creativity coaching can become certified under the auspices of the Creativity Coaching Association. This certification is earned by fulfilling a range of requirements and classes that are conducted over the Internet and by phone. No in-person time is required. The program can be completed in 12-18 months at the cost of approximately $3400.
This certification program has been developed to answer the needs of a growing creativity coaching profession. As more and more people enter the profession, it is clear that developing coaching standards provides increased confidence and professionalism among coaches as well assures the public that coaches have mastered their skills.
If you are interested in this program, please review the course requirements below. You can enroll in any course listed below by clicking on the Enroll link next to the course.
Note also that you must declare candidacy at some point during the program. You can declare your candidacy in advance and save on the fees for some of the courses, or you can wait until you have taken some courses. But you MUST declare candidacy before taking the Supervised Coaching class. If you want to declare candidacy now, click below.
Five Certification Requirements
I. FOUR TRAINING COURSES, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING:
Note: All of these courses are available to any CCA member; you do not need to be in the certification program to take these courses. These four training courses do not need to be taken in the order listed below -- they can be taken in any order. You may declare your candidacy for certification before, during, or after taking these courses, though some courses have reduced fees for those who declare their candidacy for certification in advance of taking the class.
1. Basic Coaching Training Course
Dr. Eric's Maisel’s Introduction to Creativity Coaching Training is a 16-week, email-based training designed to introduce you to creativity coaching and to provide you with the experience of working with clients.
2024 Schedule: Next sessions begin on June 3, 2024, and on September 16, 2024.
Instructor: Dr. Eric Maisel is the author of more than 40 books. His interests include creativity, the creative life, and the field of creativity coaching, which he founded; and the areas of meaning, life purpose, mental health, and mental health reform.
Class Fee: Basic course fee = $475. (Pay Eric Maisel directly).
Course Details and Enrollment information
2. Advanced Creativity Coaching Training
Coaching Writers, Visual Artists, and Performers is a 16-week email-based training for coaches and other helping professionals who want to learn how to effectively coach writers, visual artists and performers. Participants learn the common challenges that writers, visual artists and performers face and how to effectively help them (and help themselves) meet those challenges.
2024 Schedule: Next sessions begin on June 3, 2024, and on September 16, 2024.
Instructor: Dr. Eric Maisel is the author of more than 40 books. His interests include creativity, the creative life, and the field of creativity coaching, which he founded; and the areas of meaning, life purpose, mental health, and mental health reform.
Class Fee: $475. (Pay Eric Maisel directly).
3. Building the Coaching Relationship with Creative Clients
This class focuses on the coaching skills useful for working with artist clients and the particular accountability and relationship issues encountered. The elements and stages of creativity are paired with specific coaching skills whether your prior experience has been as an artist, coach, therapist, or none of the above. Exercises for practice between sessions can be adapted to your own coaching of individuals or groups, and in various formats (e-mail, telephone, video, live).
2024 Class Dates:
Schedule: This class will take place for 8 weeks spread over a 9-week period.
Summer/Fall Dates to be announced
Classes will be taught on Zoom at 12 pm EST
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Class Fee: $700 (declared candidates) / $750 (others)
4. Business Planning and Success Strategies for Creativity Coaches
This online course is devoted to teaching candidates how to develop a successful coaching practice. The class is highly interactive, with participants sharing information and each person developing a personalized marketing plan for his or her own coaching practice. There will be homework assigned by e-mail each week after each teleclass. Participants will be expected to actively set business goals and complete specific ongoing assignments in order to meet the requirements for completion.
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*Updated
2024 Dates:
Schedule: This class will take place for 8 weeks spread over a 9-week period.
This class is on June 25, July 2, (no class 7/9), 16, 23, 30, August 6, 13, 20
Classes will be held on Zoom from 1pm-2:15pm EST
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Instructor: This class is taught by Rob Fortier, an internationally recognized writer and is the co-author of Pushing the Envelope: The Greeting Card Manufacturer’s Guide to Working with Sales Reps and Showtime! The Greeting Card and Gift Company’s Guide to Trade Show Success (Center Aisle Press)
As a Certified Creativity Coach and business coach, he’s all about helping his clients escape from the activities they think they’re supposed to do, and focus instead on what works for them and their unique goals.
Class Fee: $700 (declared candidates) / $750 (others)
Course Details and Enrollment information
II. FIVE HOURS OF SUPERVISED COACHING
The candidate will work with the Certified Creativity Coach and CCA instructor of their choice. Together, candidates will discuss the candidate's coaching of clients in detail over 5 hours of time via phone calls to enhance the candidate's skills, coaching style and approaches with clients, as well as business building practices.
Fee: $500
III. COMPLETION OF A READING LIST
The candidate will select five books from the approved reading list established by CCA of the most important books in creativity. For each book, the candidate will write a brief review and commentary focusing on how the book affects their coaching and thinking about creativity. The purpose of this requirement is to ensure the candidate is familiar with important literature on creativity and to broaden the candidate’s perspectives and knowledge.
Fee: $250
IV. 100 HOURS OF COACHING CONTACT
The candidate will keep a record on the CCA-approved form (to be sent when you enroll in candidacy) indicating that the candidate has accomplished a minimum of 100 hours of client contact, which may include student coaching during the training classes.
Email: teamcca@creativitycoachingassociation.com to obtain the official log form you must use to keep track of your coaching hours.
V. AGREEMENT TO A STATEMENT OF ETHICS
The candidate will sign a statement of ethics and business practices to which he or she will abide in practicing creativity coaching.
Additional Certification program Information:
Fees:
The Total cost of the program is $2900 for declared candidates, based on fees in 2018. This cost includes the declaration of candidacy fee, plus the two courses taught by Eric Maisel and the two CCA led courses, Building the Coaching Relationship with Creative Clients and Business Planning and Success Strategies for Creativity Coaches, plus all other elements of the program. Enrollment and fees for Eric Maisel's classes are handled via his
web site. All other enrollments and fees may be paid on the CCA Enrollment page.
Note: You may declare candidacy at any time before, during, or after taking the four courses, but candidacy must be declared before taking the Supervised Coaching course. Fees for the two advanced CCA led courses, Building the Coaching Relationship with Creative Clients and Business Planning and Success Strategies for Creativity Coaches are discounted for declared candidates.
Membership Dues:
The Candidate must remain an active paid member of CCA during the time in which he or she seeks certification.
Time Frame:
Once a candidate declares candidacy, he or she must complete the remaining requirements within a period of two years.
Additional Benefits:
Certified coaches will receive the following additional benefits:
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☆ A special listing in the database of coaches available to the public on the CCA web site; these special listings will be reserved for Certified coaches.
☆ A promotional announcement of the candidate's business in the CCA newsletter in the month following their certification.
☆ The opportunity to promote Master Workshops to the public on the CCA web site's Creative Marketplace.
Continued Education Classes:
VI. MARKETING MANIFESTIATIONS *(optional a la carte)
This program is a follow-up support system for those who have completed Business Planning and Success Strategies for Creativity Coaches. Participants will set their own goals and receive support and guidance to help them jumpstart their coaching practice and overcome apprehensions that are stopping them from moving forward with their marketing plan.
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Schedule: This class will take place once a month at 12pm EST for 6 months. The class is on February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, June 5, July 10.
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Prerequisite: Business Planning and Success Strategies for Creativity Coaches
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Instructor: The class is taught Sharon Good, CLC, BCC, ACC owner of Good Life Coaching Inc. in New York City. Sharon has been a successful coach and teacher since 1997, with specialties in life, career and creativity coaching. She is the author of several books through her publishing company, Good Life Press.
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Class Fee: $299
Course Details and Enrollment information
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The above description of requirements for the Creativity Coaching Certification Program is subject to change as needed to accommodate expanded course offerings and schedule flexibility.
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Is creativity coaching a form of therapy? Are coaches therapists?No, this type of creativity coaching is not therapy per se. In many ways, it is related to therapy in that, as coaches, we try to help you understand various aspects of your background that may influence your ability to achieve your goals, such as self-esteem, motivation, intellectual interests, and creative desires. However, unless otherwise stated, most creativity coaches are not trained as therapists and so the work that they do with you in this regard is strictly on a personal level, similar to what a knowledgeable friend might do with you in a deep discussion about your life. However, many creativity coaches bring an extensive knowledge to the coaching sessions regarding how a creative person's life story may have influenced their creative drive, profoundly affecting many elements of their ability to work and achieve goals. They are thus willing to talk about your past and what influence it may had on you, but you might consider that their goal is not to heal you as a therapist does but simply to help you gain a deeper perspective on how your past might influence your creative work.
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Is creativity coaching the same as life coaching?No, not really. People who call themselves life coaches, or who have been certified as a life coach, utilize many of the same skills as a creativity coach to get to know and help you. However, life coaches are not as specifically trained or knowledgeable about working with artists, writers, and other creative professions as creativity coaches. As creativity coaches, we have been specially trained to deal with the issues that creative work often brings up: where to find ideas, how to decide what idea to work on, how to develop an idea, how to market creative work, how to find an artistic community, and so on. You may want to consult with a life coach, in addition to one of us, but if your issues are largely focused on enhancing and optimizing your creative work (writing, painting, screenwriting, poetry, pottery, dance, music, etc), then we are the type of coach you truly want.
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Do creativity coaches specialize?Most creativity coaches are able to work with artists in all types of work, focusing on the "creative process" rather than the specific nature of your art. However, many coaches also specialize or have particular expertise, which can be a specific art -- such as writing, painting, or music -- or a specific aspect of creativity -- such as getting unstuck, self-esteem, dealing with your inner critic, and so on. On our Find a Coach Full Profile pages, you will see the top five issues that each coach specializes in.
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Do creativity coaches act as "agents" to help me sell my work?"No, coaches are not agents or managers, and there are many differences. Our goal is to help you find your creative "vein of gold" as it is often called. We work with you to help you understand your creative urges, find your voice, and produce your best work. We do not get involved in getting your book published or representing you to a gallery or publishing house or producer. Yes, we may know some agents, producers, and gallery owners that we refer to you indirectly, but we do not legally represent you as an agent or manager does. We do not take a cut of your sales as agents or managers do.
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Are creativity coaches certified?Yes, increasingly, coaches are certified by the Creativity Coaching Association. Click here for more details about the certification program if you are interested in becoming a certified coach.
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What issues can coaches help me with?Coaches can help artists, writers, inventors, and many creative people explore their creative urges and achieve much more effective results. We work with you to help you learn how to discover new ideas inside yourself, how to work "deeply" and authentically rather than superficially, how to explore new techniques of working, how to begin a project with commitment, how to work and stay working even when your inside voice tells you to stop, how to overcome many of the common psychological and personal blocks that prevent you from doing your best work, and how to complete projects and prepare yourself to show them to the outside world. There's even more we can do for you, so please email us if you have specific questions about a concern or issue that you are facing and we will tell you how any of the many coaches who are members of our association can work with you to understand or overcome it.