Erickson Coaching International Receives ICF Advanced Accreditation in Coaching Supervision

Erickson Coaching International is proud to announce our new program, The Art & Science of Ericksonian Integrative Supervision, has received the Advanced Accreditation in Coaching Supervision (AACS) from the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

The accreditation marks an important milestone for Erickson and comes at a significant moment for the wider coaching profession. As coaching continues to mature globally, the conversation around professional development is expanding beyond the acquisition of coaching techniques toward deeper reflective practice, professional judgement, resilience, ethical awareness, and the ongoing development of the practitioner.

For Erickson, the accreditation also represents a continuation of a philosophy that has guided its work for more than four decades: our learning is never complete. And the newly accredited Erickson program is designed to provide the instructional hours and supervision required to support participants pursuing the ICF’s recently launched Coaching Supervision Specialization designation.

Supervision: The Next Stage of Development for Experienced Coaches

As coaches gain experience, they seek out ways to deepen their professional development, continue growing, and navigate increasing complexity. Coaching supervision creates a structured space for these needs.

Unlike coaching, where the client's development is typically the focus, and unlike mentoring, which involves guidance, advice, and sharing experience to support someone’s development, supervision focuses on the coach’s own practice. It explores the coaching relationship, ethical awareness, emotional responses, and professional development. It is not about fixing the coachee or improving technique alone - it’s about deepening how the coach thinks, feels, and engages in their work. 

Essentially, supervision places the practitioner in the position of learner. It creates an opportunity to step back from client work, examine complex situations and relational dynamics, broaden perspective, and develop greater awareness of the practitioner behind the practice.

“As coaches develop, their learning needs develop with them. At a certain point, growth is not simply about adding another tool or technique. It is about creating the space to reflect on how we are showing up, what we may not yet be seeing, and how we can continue serving our clients with greater awareness and maturity. Supervision provides that space.” - Richard Hyams, Erickson Faculty Lead

Rooted in Erickson's Solution-Focused philosophy, The Art & Science of Ericksonian Integrative Supervision combines reflective supervision with experiential learning.

Participants don't simply learn about supervision. They experience supervision themselves while developing the ability to facilitate reflective development for others.
The program supports practitioners in strengthening self-awareness, resilience, professional maturity and judgement, working with multiple perspectives, and navigating increasingly complex professional and ethical situations.

This dual emphasis on experiencing supervision and learning to facilitate it reflects Erickson's experiential approach to professional education.

The Pathway

The first stage of the pathway consists of Erickson Supervision Essentials and The Erickson Supervision Bundle.

Erickson Supervision Essentials includes 35 hours of live instruction, 10 hours of asynchronous learning through readings, videos and related activities, and 10 hours of practicum dedicated to practising supervision.

The Erickson Supervision Bundle provides a further five hours of receiving supervision, comprising three hours of supervision related to coaching practice and two hours focused on supervision-on-supervision. These hours may be completed through group and/or individual supervision.

Together, these components provide the instructional and supervision experience designed to support participants pursuing ICF's Coaching Supervision Specialization designation.

Building on More Than Four Decades of Solution-Focused Practice

The program has been developed under the leadership of Marilyn Atkinson, Founder of Erickson Coaching International, whose work has shaped Erickson's Solution-Focused methodology and influenced generations of coaches, leaders and helping professionals around the world.

In developing Erickson's approach to supervision, Marilyn was strongly inspired by both the ICF Supervision Competencies and the EMCC Competence Framework, while bringing Erickson's established Solution-Focused principles into the emerging field of coaching supervision.

“For more than 45 years, we have taught coaches to listen deeply, stay curious and trust in the capacity of the person in front of them. Supervision asks us to bring that same quality of curiosity to ourselves. When we can observe our own thinking, assumptions and patterns with openness, we create new possibilities for our own development and for the people we serve.” - Marilyn Atkinson, Founder, Erickson Coaching International

Supporting the People Who Support Others

Supervision offers a space to examine difficult situations, recognize patterns, explore different perspectives and continue developing without immediately searching for another technique or model.

It also addresses an often overlooked reality of experienced professional practice: the people responsible for supporting others also need spaces that support their own development.

This is why Erickson sees supervision as an important next conversation for the coaching profession.

The Art & Science of Ericksonian Integrative Supervision is designed for experienced coaches, mentor coaches, team coaches, facilitators, consultants, leaders and other professionals responsible for supporting the development of individuals and teams. Participants do not need to intend to become professional supervisors. The program can equally serve practitioners seeking deeper reflective practice, greater resilience and continued professional mastery.

Receiving the ICF Advanced Accreditation in Coaching Supervision represents an important recognition of this work and another step in Erickson's commitment to advancing professional coach education globally.

For more information on The Art & Science of Ericksonian Integrative Supervision, and to download the brochure, click here.