Cathy Liska 
The Center for Coaching Certification provides an engaging, energizing, and enlightening training and implementation process. When I signed up for the Certified Professional Coach program, I’d attended coaching training in the past, so I confess I didn’t expect to gain substantial new knowledge. I was definitely mistaken! Even topics I had covered in other educational environments were given new life and additional dimensions. Each learning session was smartly designed and executed.
The materials were concise and interesting, with visual elements that helped cement key concepts in my memory. Before every webinar, a note-taking guide was provided. After the training session, a writing assignment provided opportunities for application and self-insight. In addition, the presentation slides and an audio recording of the webinar were shared for long-term reference. Together, these well-crafted and well-organized materials supported growth in my understanding of topics such as personality profiling, neuro-linguistic programming, and the business and ethics guidelines for coaching.
To be honest, I was a bit nervous about the in-person two-day session I was going to attend; I wanted the practice, and at the same time, I wondered how well I would integrate everything I’d learned. I was quickly put at ease by the professionalism and encouraging tone Cathy Liska set for the group. The coaching session guides were well-thought out and no time was wasted; we accomplished, in 14 hours, over two days, activities that would have taken at least three days in other certification programs. The in-person coaching practice was valuable, not only for the skills I honed but also for the personal insights I gained. One of the strongest elements came from Cathy’s direct and respectful feedback; I learned I personally use “moving away” language with others and in my own self-talk. Developing my ability to use “moving toward” language continues to be exciting and liberating. I want to effectively model this dialogue for my clients, which helps spur me forward in my own growth as well.
During the two-day workshop, I also learned a new approach for enhancing positive self-talk. This innovative method, unique to the Center for Coaching Certification program, is guaranteed to shift thinking. As the workshop concluded, all of the attendees were focused on the value of this method—eager to use the technique in their own lives as well as apply it with future clients.
After the in-person training session, Cathy Liska offered two additional webinars on launching and marketing a coaching business. While I have an MBA and was familiar with the action steps used in creating business plans, I found the webinars full of new ideas and creative strategies that generated great positive energy to get started. I implemented a number of these steps 24 hours after the workshops were finished, and set up an implementation plan for many others, with the goal of building my client base in the next four months.
I have several other goals I established recently, including obtaining an International Coaching Federation credential. I plan on attending the Certified Master Coach program offered through the Center for Coaching Certification to help me realize this achievement, and enthusiastically encourage others to pursue these offerings. This organization offers the best value in the coaching certification market and distinctly prepares individuals as qualified coaching professionals.
Nicole Stragalas is the Executive Director of Stradivarius Solutions, an organization development consulting practice.
