Adler Graduate School

Adler Graduate Professional School (ADLER) is a Toronto-based graduate institution founded in 1998 that offers coaching certificate programs and psychology degrees. Its coaching program is grounded in Alfred Adler's individual psychology and was the first in Canada to receive ICF accreditation, earning that recognition in 2002.

ADLER is headquartered at 890 Yonge Street, 9th floor, in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It also has international affiliates in Europe, the United States (New York), and Turkey, and offers online delivery to students globally.

Yes. The Professional Coaching Certificate Program has held ICF accreditation continuously since 2002, the first program in Canada to earn that designation. The program meets ICF Level 1 education requirements (formerly ACTP), and graduates are eligible to apply for the ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential after completing the required coaching hours.

The full six-part program typically takes around 12 months to complete. It includes three coursework modules (roughly 92 hours of coach education), a practicum (46 hours), mentor coaching (10 hours), and a final performance evaluation. Parts can be taken sequentially at the student's pace.

The three core coursework modules are each CDN $1,995 + HST. The practicum is CDN $2,900 + HST and mentor coaching CDN $2,500 + HST. The full certificate program therefore runs approximately CDN $11,385 + HST before any additional fees. Prices reflect the current public schedule; custom organizational deliveries are priced separately.

The Adler Certified Associate Coach (ACAC) is ADLER's own credential, earned by passing Part 6 of the certificate program, a performance evaluation involving recorded coaching sessions and transcripts. It is ADLER's internal benchmark for graduate readiness, distinct from ICF credentials. Graduates who also complete the required independent coaching hours can then apply to the ICF for the ACC credential.

Adlerian coaching draws on Alfred Adler's individual psychology, emphasizing three principles: social interest (the belief that well-being requires contribution to others, not just personal achievement), encouragement (reconnecting clients with their sense of capability), and holistic understanding (treating the person as an integrated whole rather than a bundle of behaviors). In practice, sessions tend to explore patterns of meaning and motivation alongside more conventional goal-setting.

Despite sharing a name and Adlerian lineage, these three institutions are entirely independent of one another. Adler University (Chicago) and Adler Graduate School (Minnetonka, MN) focus primarily on counseling and psychology degrees. ADLER in Toronto began explicitly as a coach training organization in 1998 and remains the coaching-specialist school in the Adlerian tradition.

Yes. The certificate program is currently offered in both English and Turkish, reflecting ADLER's partnership with Adler Central Europe. International affiliates in Turkey and across Europe run their own cohorts in local languages, all using the same ICF-accredited curriculum.

Ask which ICF credential level they hold (ACC, PCC, or MCC). The ACAC is ADLER's internal designation, whereas ICF credentials are independently verified. Also ask how many total coaching hours they have logged, what client populations they have worked with most, and how they describe their coaching approach. The Adlerian framework tends toward depth and pattern-exploration, so if you prefer a more structured or goal-focused style, clarify that upfront.

An ADLER-trained coach has completed a psychologically grounded, ICF-accredited program that goes considerably deeper into theory than most coach training schools. The Adlerian framework of social interest, encouragement, and holistic understanding shapes both how they listen and what they pursue in a coaching conversation. The ICF accreditation confirms that the program met independently reviewed standards for training hours, mentor coaching, and competency coverage. The ACAC is ADLER's own internal credential; the more meaningful signal of independently assessed competence is whether the coach subsequently earned an ICF credential (ACC, PCC, or MCC). One important scope note: coaching is not therapy. ADLER-trained coaches work within a non-clinical scope, helping clients with goals, transitions, and development rather than treating psychological conditions. When a client's needs require clinical support, a well-trained coach recognizes those limits and refers appropriately.