The first time you step into a coaching conversation, the room feels empty. No framework on the wall yet. No proof that you belong there. Just you, another person, and the space between what is being said and what has not surfaced yet. But listen closely, that space is already alive. Every question you choose. Every pause you allow. Every moment you resist the urge to fill the silence.
Many aspiring coaches wait for graduation before stepping into this room. They believe confidence arrives with a certificate, that presence is granted once training is complete. In reality, coaching skills are shaped long before the diploma lands. They are built quietly, session by session, as you learn to trust your listening, refine your questions, and hold space without needing to perform.
Practising before you graduate is not preparation for coaching. It is coaching. And it is where your professional identity begins to take form.
At Erickson Coaching International, students are invited to step in early, to feel the tension, to embrace the uncertainty, and in doing so, discover that coaching doesn’t wait for a certificate. You do.
Moving from learner to coach means applying concepts with real people. It is about letting go of the idea that you have to get it right and embracing the identity of a developing professional. Early practice helps you navigate self-doubt, build presence, and translate classroom learning into practical skills.
Even simple exercises, such as listening deeply, asking powerful questions, or helping someone clarify goals, strengthen your coaching foundation. These experiences are invaluable for building confidence and developing your unique style.
Ethics and boundaries are crucial when practising as a student. Peer coaching with fellow students or structured role-plays guided by your instructors provide safe environments to apply your skills. Friends or colleagues can also serve as practice coachees as long as you clearly communicate that these sessions are for learning purposes and not advice.
Offering pro bono practice sessions with full disclosure and participating in guided exercises through your program give you hands-on experience without risk. Programs like High-Performance Team Coaching and Advanced Team Coaching provide structured ways to practice coaching while learning to manage team dynamics and collaboration.
A repeatable session flow helps you feel prepared and confident. Begin by setting the topic, clarifying the coachee’s focus, and agreeing on confidentiality and timing. Explore the issue using coaching techniques and reflect on insights as they emerge. Conclude by summarising key takeaways. Keeping sessions simple and focused ensures you can practice consistently and build skills steadily.
Early practice is the perfect time to strengthen essential coaching skills. Active listening, asking solution-focused questions, holding presence, supporting goal-setting, and summarising reflections are all critical. Beginner-friendly techniques, such as values clarification or perspective-shifting questions, help you experiment safely while learning to facilitate self-discovery for your coachees.
The focus at this stage is on skill development rather than mastery. Each session, feedback opportunity, and reflection strengthens your competence and your confidence.
Feedback is a vital part of early practice.Seek structured input from mentors, peers, or trainers, and use it to refine your approach. Reflect on what worked, what did not, and how you felt in the session without tying your self-worth to performance. Journaling and peer reflection turn every practice session into a stepping stone toward professional growth.
A powerful way to expand your feedback loop is through Erickson+, the global alumni community designed to support lifelong learning, connection, and practice. Erickson+ gives you access to peer practice opportunities with coaches from around the world, facilitated micro-trainings, monthly practical sessions on the business of coaching, and an ongoing stream of resources that elevate both coaching and business skills. It also offers networking, curated discussion spaces, and events that keep you connected to a vibrant, solution-focused community long after graduation. You can practise for your ICF exams, get mentoring advice on how to improve recorded sessions, explore questions about your coaching niche, and receive guidance on building and growing your coaching practice - all within a supportive, interactive environment.
Another innovative support is the Erickson AIAssistant, a 24/7 interactive tool trained on over 600 hours of real Erickson coaching content. Use it to role‑play coaching conversations, explore coaching tools in context, receive instant feedback on practice, and prepare for mentoring or ICF credentialing. The AI Assistant respects privacy and confidentiality - conversations are encrypted and not viewed by Erickson staff unless you choose to share them - so you can practise with confidence and security.
Apply coaching tools directly to your context, practise techniques in real time by role-playing with the assistant as your client, or experience tools firsthand with the assistant acting as your coach. With training based on 600+hours of applied coaching content, it offers rich, interactive learning tailored to your unique needs. You can also experiment with new approaches and test your style before trying them with real coachees.
Get instant feedback on your coaching from an AI mentor trained on 100+ real sessions. Use it between meetings with your human mentor to deepen insights, refine techniques, and accelerate your growth. You can analyse recorded sessions, explore what could be improved, and receive mentoring-style guidance on how to handle similar situations in the future.
Prepare for your ICF exams, explore sample questions, assess your answers, and identify areas for improvement. The assistant can simulate assessment scenarios or provide coaching challenges aligned to ICF competencies. While updates may lag behind the latest ICF revisions, it is regularly enhanced to stay aligned with evolving standards.
Upload your resume and let the assistant help you define your niche, craft your value proposition, set pricing strategy, and tailor pitches for different coachee segments. Ask questions about market positioning, client types, or building sustainable offerings. Leveraging expert coaching content and industry insights, it provides actionable guidance to support your professional growth and confidence as you step into practice.
Together, Erickson+ and the AI Assistant provide practical, accessible, and ongoing feedback channels that support your growth beyond the classroom and into real‑world coaching practice.
New coaches often try to fix coachees, over-explain, or stick rigidly to scripts. Others wait until they feel ready to practice, which slows progress. Confidence grows through experience. Practising early, ethically, and regularly helps you develop presence, adaptability, and resilience, which are essential qualities for any coach.
Early practice builds more than skills. It strengthens confidence, sharpens presence, and demonstrates competency in real coaching moments. And perhaps most importantly, it roots your growth in the gold standard of professional coaching: the ICF core competencies. Each practice session is a chance to live these international standards - from active listening and powerful questioning to ethical practice and holding the coaching container - long before your certificate is in hand.
By embedding ICF-aligned practice into your learning journey, you’re not just preparing for graduation. You’re stepping into a professional identity that’s globally recognised, credible, and ready to create meaningful impact for the coachees you serve. Explore Erickson’s programs to find the pathways that will guide your first steps as a confident,ICF-aligned coach.