Course Title — Accredited Advanced Professional Diploma
Advanced Professional Diploma in Coaching, Mentoring & Supervisory Management
120 CPD Credits | 10 Modules | Live Online via Zoom | Fully Accredited
Enrolment
Important Information on Enrolment & Securing Your Place
Course Status: Fully Accredited
Course Cost: €1,095
Deposit Due Now: 50%
Payment Now to Secure Your Place: €547.50
At a Glance
Course Details
Delivery: Live-Online (Lecturer-Led)
Credits: 120 CPD Credits
Format: Live-Online Lecturer-Led Modules via Zoom
Duration: 1 Day Every 2nd Week (Sunday), 10am – 4 pm, Over 7 Days
Online Live Attendance: 60 Hours
Self-Directed Learning: 60 Hours
Course Open To: Practitioners, Students & All Members of the Public with an Interest & Speciality Area of Practice
Assessment: Written Assignment and/or Viva Voce Assessment
Award: Accredited Advanced Professional Diploma
Course Description
This course presents Coaching, Mentoring and Supervisory Management as an extensive, academically developed and professionally grounded programme for learners who wish to strengthen their understanding of these areas. The course is designed to move beyond a brief introductory overview by providing a structured professional training experience that supports knowledge, applied skill, reflective capacity and ethical practice. The programme is suitable for counsellors, psychotherapists, trainees, psychologists, social care practitioners, healthcare workers, educators, supervisors, managers, and allied professionals for whom the course subject is relevant to their practice context.
The course explores coaching, mentoring, leadership, performance, supervision and organisational relationships as core elements of the learning experience. Learners are encouraged to understand the presenting issue or professional field not only as a set of visible behaviours, techniques or knowledge points, but also as a relational, developmental, cultural and ethical phenomenon. The programme therefore combines conceptual teaching with applied thinking, case discussion, reflective learning, skills practice and professional judgement. Particular attention is given to assessment, formulation, boundaries, scope of practice, referral pathways, supervision and the responsible use of professional knowledge in real-world settings.
A central aim of the course is to help learners develop an integrated framework for practice. This means being able to recognise patterns, formulate meaning, apply appropriate interventions, and understand how developmental, relational and systemic factors influence current difficulties or professional dynamics. Learners will engage with coaching conversations, feedback, mentoring design and reflective supervision while also considering the limits of their role and the importance of ongoing supervision. The course supports practitioners to work with greater confidence, precision and reflective awareness, particularly where presentations are complex, emotionally charged, ethically sensitive or shaped by conflict, identity or relational rupture.
The programme draws on contemporary evidence-informed models of coaching, mentoring and leadership development to deepen understanding of how relational patterns, professional dilemmas or performance difficulties develop and are maintained. Learners are supported in considering how organisational culture, power dynamics, communication patterns, and developmental history shape a person's presentation in coaching, mentoring, and supervisory contexts. These frameworks are presented as clinical and reflective tools that can support careful listening, nuanced formulation and ethically restrained intervention.
The course further considers how communication, identity, organisational context and relational expectation shape a person's experience and presentation. Learners will consider how difficulties may be understood not simply as deficits to be corrected, but as meaningful responses shaped by a person's history, environment, relationships and professional identity. This supports a more sophisticated understanding of client experience, professional identity, and the coaching, mentoring, or supervisory relationship, particularly where standard frameworks alone do not fully account for suffering, repetition, or impasse.
Practical application remains central throughout the programme. The modules are designed to help learners translate theory into applied practice through structured key topics, case examples, reflective exercises, skills development and integration tasks. Learners are invited to think carefully about the relationship between evidence-informed approaches and reflective depth, recognising that effective practice requires both practical competence and the capacity to tolerate complexity. The course also emphasises the importance of professional boundaries, cultural sensitivity, informed consent, confidentiality, record-keeping, safeguarding, appropriate referral and the ethical management of power within helping relationships.
The end goal is for learners to be able to describe the major theoretical frameworks relevant to coaching, mentoring, and supervisory management, apply course-specific concepts in practice, formulate client or professional material with greater depth, and reflect on their own responses and assumptions. The programme supports academic development, professional confidence and clinically responsible practice.
This programme is open to practitioners, students and members of the public who wish to deepen their understanding of coaching, mentoring and supervisory management. Practitioners already working in counselling, psychotherapy, healthcare, education, social care, or organisational settings will find the course strengthens their existing skill set and provides a structured, evidence-informed framework for applied practice. Students who are building toward a career in coaching, mentoring, supervision or management will benefit from an advanced theoretical and practical foundation that complements their ongoing studies. Members of the public who have a personal interest in this area of study or are considering a future career in coaching, mentoring, or supervisory management are equally welcome to enrol.
Why Choose This Course
Course Highlights
• Extensive professional training in coaching, mentoring and supervisory management, designed for applied clinical and professional practice
• Comprehensive coverage of coaching, mentoring and leadership within a structured learning framework
• Course-specific integration of contemporary evidence-informed coaching and organisational psychology models
• Applied development of coaching conversations, feedback and mentoring design for real-world practice
• Strong emphasis on ethical practice, professional boundaries, scope of competence and referral pathways
• Use of case examples, reflective discussion and practical application to consolidate learning
• Attention to trauma-informed, relational, developmental and culturally sensitive practice
• Exploration of power, authority and organisational dynamics within coaching and supervisory relationships
• Support for professional confidence, reflective capacity and clinically responsible decision-making
• Structured learning progression across ten modules with key topics tailored to the course subject
• Suitable for counselling, psychotherapy, mental health, education, social care, supervision and allied professional contexts
• Suitable for practitioners seeking to formalise existing coaching or mentoring experience within a structured academic framework
• Accessible to students building toward a career in coaching, mentoring, supervision or management
• Open to members of the public with a personal interest in coaching, mentoring and supervisory management
• Supportive learning environment designed to accommodate learners at different stages of their personal and professional development
• Clear progression pathway for members of the public seeking further training in coaching, mentoring or supervision
• Opportunities for practitioners to expand their professional toolkit with structured, evidence-informed coaching and mentoring skills
• Flexible, live-online bi-weekly delivery designed to suit practitioners, students and members of the public balancing work, study and personal commitments
• Rigorous, academically robust approach that values lived experience alongside advanced theoretical and practical learning
What You Will Achieve
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this programme, learners will be able to:
1. Understand the key theoretical, clinical and professional frameworks relevant to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management.
2. Analyse how coaching, mentoring and leadership shape presentation, practice and professional response.
3. Apply course-specific skills, including coaching conversations, feedback, and mentoring design, within the appropriate boundaries of competence.
4. Develop ethically sound, culturally sensitive, and trauma-informed responses to complex professional material.
5. Use assessment and formulation skills to organise relevant information and support thoughtful decision-making.
6. Recognise appropriate referral pathways, safeguarding concerns, risk issues, and the limits of the professional role.
7. Understand contemporary models of coaching, mentoring, supervision and organisational relationships
8. Understanding power, authority, ty and organisational dynamics within coaching and supervisory relationships.
9. Reflect on the coaching, mentoring, or supervisory relationship and its role in supporting positive outcomes
10. Evaluate the relationship between evidence-informed practice and reflective learning.
11. Demonstrate professional self-awareness, supervision awareness, and reflective capacity in relation to emotionally demanding work.
12. Integrate learning from Coaching, Mentoring, and Supervisory Management into ethical, applied, and professionally responsible practice.
13. Integrate evidence-informed coaching and mentoring approaches into their existing professional practice.
14. Build an advanced theoretical and practical foundation for further study in coaching, mentoring, or supervision
15. Develop a clearer, more informed understanding of coaching, mentoring and supervisory management.
16. Identify appropriate next steps for further training or professional development in coaching and mentoring.
17. Apply core communication and feedback skills in personal, community, or professional contexts.
18. Recognise when to seek professional support or supervision, or signpost others to it.
19. Reflect on their own responses and assumptions in a safe, structured, and supported learning environment.
20. Communicate about coaching, mentoring and supervisory management with confidence, sensitivity and cultural awareness.
Good to Know
Additional Information
Coaching, Mentoring and Supervisory Management provides a broad professional foundation in these areas. It is designed as a continuing professional development programme. It should be understood as an academically structured and practice-focused course rather than as a replacement for full specialist clinical training, statutory qualification or independent authorisation to practise outside one's existing scope of competence. Learners are expected to apply the course material responsibly within their own professional role, training background, organisational context and ethical obligations.
The course supports learners in developing confidence in coaching conversations, feedback, mentoring design, and related professional tasks. However, complex presentations require careful judgement, supervision and, where appropriate, referral to specialist services. Learners should be especially attentive to safeguarding, high-risk presentations, trauma, severe distress, coercion, professional boundary issues and any situation requiring multidisciplinary or statutory involvement.
The reflective material in the programme is included to deepen clinical and professional thinking. Theoretical frameworks should not be used to impose premature interpretation or to replace evidence-informed practice, collaborative work, or client-centred care. Instead, these frameworks support learners to listen more carefully to what clients or supervisees communicate and to the relational and organisational meanings that may shape the work. This integration should always be used with humility, ethical restraint and appropriate supervision.
Learners are encouraged to engage actively with live teaching, Moodle LMS materials, independent reading, reflective exercises, skills practice and case-based discussion. The course is most beneficial when students connect theory with their own professional experience while maintaining confidentiality and appropriate boundaries. Written assessment, viva voce, and reflective work should demonstrate not only knowledge of coaching, mentoring, and supervisory management, but also mature professional judgement, awareness of limitations, and a commitment to ongoing learning.
This programme is suitable for practitioners and trainees seeking to strengthen their academic, clinical and professional understanding of coaching, mentoring and supervisory management. It may support progression into further training, enhance current practice, or provide structured CPD for professionals in counselling, psychotherapy, psychology, healthcare, education, social care, community work, management, supervision or allied settings. Students should consult the lecturer, course leader, or academic registry office if they require clarification about accreditation, assessment, attendance, professional requirements, or suitability for their pathway.
This programme welcomes practitioners, students and members of the public alike. Practitioners already working in counselling, psychotherapy, healthcare, education, social care, or organisational settings are encouraged to use the course to consolidate and extend their existing knowledge through structured, evidence-informed coaching and mentoring perspectives. Students working toward a qualification in coaching, mentoring or supervision will find the course a rigorous foundation that complements their wider studies. Members of the public, including those with a personal interest in this area of study or those considering a future career in coaching, mentoring or supervisory management, are warmly encouraged to enrol.
The College recognises that learners come to this subject from diverse personal and professional backgrounds, and the course is designed to be rigorous and meaningful regardless of prior experience. Reflective exercises, case discussion and skills practice are structured to support learners at all levels, while maintaining the academic depth expected of an Advanced Professional Diploma for Level 8/9 CPD learners. Learners are encouraged to engage honestly and thoughtfully with the material, and to seek appropriate support, supervision or further training where relevant to their personal circumstances or professional development goals.
Programme Structure
Course Curriculum — Ten Modules
1 | Foundations of Coaching, Mentoring and Supervisory Management
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to the foundations of coaching, mentoring and supervisory management
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of coaching and coaching conversations
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking are linked to the foundations of coaching, mentoring and supervisory management
• Distinguishing coaching, mentoring and supervisory management as related but distinct disciplines
• The relationship between the practitioner and the client, mentee or supervisee
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
2 | Core Coaching Skills and Contracting
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to core coaching skills and contracting
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of mentoring and feedback
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to core coaching skills and contracting
• Establishing a clear coaching contract, goals and boundaries with the client
• Core coaching skills, including active listening, powerful questioning and goal-setting
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in coaching, contracting and goal-setting conversations
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
3 | Mentoring Practice and Developmental Relationships
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to mentoring practice and developmental relationships
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of leadership and mentoring design
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to mentoring practice and developmental relationships
• Designing and structuring effective mentoring relationships
• The developmental function of mentoring across career and life stages
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in designing a mentoring relationship structure and agreement
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
4 | Supervisory Management, Performance and Accountability
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to supervisory management, performance and accountability
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of performance and reflective supervision
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to supervisory management, performance and accountability
• Frameworks for performance management and accountability within supervisory roles
• Balancing developmental support with organisational accountability
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in structuring a performance-related supervisory conversation
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
5 | Feedback, Conflict and Difficult Conversations
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to feedback, conflict and difficult conversations
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of supervision and coaching conversations
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to feedback, conflict and difficult conversations
• Delivering constructive, developmental feedback effectively
• Managing conflict and navigating difficult conversations with confidence
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in delivering feedback within a simulated difficult conversation
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
6 Coaching for Well-Being and Well-Being
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to coaching for well-being and resilience
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of organisational relationships and feedback
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to coaching for well-being
• Coaching models for supporting behavioural and organisational change
• Building well-being and supporting well-being through coaching conversations
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in applying a change-focused coaching model to a case scenario
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
7 | Power, Authority and Organisational Dynamics
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to power, authority and organisational dynamics
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of coaching and mentoring design
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to power, authority and organisational dynamics
• Understanding power, authority and hierarchy within organisational and supervisory relationships
• Navigating organisational culture and systemic dynamics as a coach, mentor or supervisor
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in recognising and responding to power dynamics in a coaching or mentoring relationship
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
8 | Reflective Practice, Supervision and Professional Development
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to reflective practice, supervision and professional development
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of mentoring and reflective supervision
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to reflective practice, supervision and professional development
• Models of reflective practice for coaches, mentors and supervisors
• The role of supervision in sustaining safe, ethical and effective practice
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in structured reflective practice and self-supervision techniques
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
9 | Building Coaching Cultures and Ethical Practice
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to building coaching cultures and ethical practice
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of leadership and coaching conversations
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking are linked to building coaching cultures and ethical practice
• Embedding a coaching culture within teams and organisations
• Ethical codes and standards relevant to coaching, mentoring and supervisory practice
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Skills practice in applying ethical decision-making to a coaching or mentoring dilemma
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
10 | Integration, Skills Practice and Action Planning
• Core concepts and professional vocabulary relevant to integration, skills practice and action planning
• Application to coaching, mentoring and supervisory management in counselling, psychotherapy or allied professional practice
• Focused exploration of performance and feedback
• Assessment, formulation and reflective thinking linked to integration, skills practice and action planning
• Integrating coaching, mentoring and supervisory skills into a coherent approach to practice
• Developing a personal and professional action plan for ongoing practice
• Trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and ethically responsible considerations
• Case discussion, clinical examples and applied skills development
• Professional boundaries, scope of competence, supervision and referral pathways
• Formal Skills Assessment: live online fishbowl-format demonstration of applied coaching, mentoring and course-specific skills, evaluated by two examiners
Mandatory Component
Skills Assessment
The skills assessment is a mandatory component of the programme and must be completed to qualify. The assessment is conducted live online in a fishbowl-style format and is evaluated by two examiners for quality assurance, moderation and academic standards. Students will be paired for the assessment, and each student will be required to demonstrate their applied counselling, psychotherapy, relational and course-specific clinical skills for approximately 25 minutes. The skills assessment is designed to assess the student's ability to integrate the full content of the course into ethical, reflective and professionally appropriate practice.
The fishbowl skills assessment will be recorded for quality assurance and moderation purposes. Students must sign and agree to the recording of the fishbowl skills assessment before taking part. The recording is used only for legitimate academic, quality assurance and moderation purposes in line with College requirements and relevant policies. Successful completion of the skills assessment is mandatory for qualification from the programme and, where applicable, for entry or progression toward registration or accredited membership pathways with the ICPHAA.
Where a student is required to repeat a failed skills assessment examination, a repeat assessment fee of €285 applies. This repeat fee reflects the high professional fees paid to lecturers and examiners for the delivery, examination, review and moderation of formal skills assessment examinations. Students who keep up with the learning material, attend classes, engage with the Moodle LMS resources and practise the required skills throughout the course should be well prepared for the official skills assessment examination.
Live Delivery
Zoom Delivery
All live online classes are delivered via ICPS College's secure enterprise Zoom platform, providing a stable, professional and confidential environment for lecturer-led teaching, discussion and skills practice. Students are expected to engage fully with live sessions, including breakout room discussions and applied skills practice, to gain the maximum benefit from the programme.
Given the personal and reflective nature of some of the material covered in this course, students are encouraged to attend live sessions from a private, confidential space and to take breaks or seek support where needed. Students experiencing technical difficulties should contact the College promptly so that alternative arrangements can be made where possible.
Learning Platform
Moodle LMS
Students are provided with access to the College's Moodle Learning Management System, where lecture notes, reading materials, module resources and assessment guidance are made available throughout the course. The Moodle LMS supports independent study and allows students to revisit key concepts, review recorded material where applicable, and prepare thoroughly for assessment.
Students are expected to engage regularly with the Moodle LMS as part of their self-directed learning hours. The platform is updated throughout the course to reflect the content covered in live sessions and to support consistent, structured academic progression.