Program
How the program works.
Five stages, in order. One account the whole way through, and nothing to type twice.
1. Apply and pay
Tell us your name and email, confirm a few things, and write a short note on why you’re drawn to coaching. Then pay $450 once. That one payment covers your application, your background check and the full program.
2. Background check
Our graduates work one-on-one with people, so we check criminal history and the sex offender registry before we certify anyone. You give written consent first, on our screening partner’s secure page. We never see your Social Security number.
If something comes up, we send you the report and a summary of your rights, and you have time to respond before we decide. If you aren’t accepted, we refund your $450 minus what the background check actually cost.
3. Your modules open
A clear background check opens your modules. That’s the day your 90 days start. You work through 8 modules in order, at your own pace, with no live classes. Each module has short readings with a quick quiz after each one, written knowledge checks, and a goal entry where you use the skill on a goal of your own. Progress bars and a “days left” counter show where you are.
Not done in 90 days? Extend for another 90 days for $150. If you don’t extend, or the extra 90 days end before you finish, your access closes.
4. Final exam
The exam opens when every module is complete and your wrap-up is saved. Before the timer starts, you take a photo of your ID and a quick selfie.
Grounded in clinical work, made for coaching
This program was built by a licensed counselor. It takes three approaches with a long history in counseling and adapts each one for coaching: goals and next steps, with no diagnosis and no treatment.
Why it matters: these approaches were shaped by years of real work with real people. You get that grounding, in plain language, with a clear line on scope.
5. Certificate and profile
Pass, and you earn Certified Professional Coach, Lantern Academy of Coaching. Your certificate arrives by email with a credential ID anyone can check on our verify page. If you want, you can publish a profile in our graduate directory.
Coaching is not therapy. Coaches trained here don’t diagnose or treat any condition, and they refer to a licensed professional when a client needs more than coaching. This certificate is not a license.
Questions about the approaches
Is the program grounded in clinical work?
Yes. It was built by a licensed counselor and draws on three approaches with a long history in counseling: person-centered work, motivational interviewing, and brief directive work. Each one is adapted for coaching. You work on goals and next steps, with no diagnosis and no treatment.
What is person-centered coaching?
It comes from Carl Rogers’ person-centered approach in counseling, adapted for coaching. The client is the expert on their own life. You learn to speak plainly and hold people accountable without shame, so clients tell you the truth and keep moving. Module 2 covers it.
What is motivational interviewing for coaching?
Motivational interviewing was developed in counseling by William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick. In Module 4 you learn a version made for coaching: helping clients hear their own reasons to change, instead of arguing for change yourself. Reasons a client says out loud are the ones they act on.
What is brief directive coaching?
It comes from brief, structured counseling work. You keep the conversation organized around a goal and a next step, and the client makes every decision. Each session ends with a clear action the client owns. Module 3 covers it.
If the approaches come from counseling, is this therapy?
No. They are adapted for coaching only. Coaches trained here don’t diagnose or treat any condition, and they refer to a licensed professional when a client needs more than coaching.