CAPP Institute (Valorie Burton)

About the CAPP Institute

The CAPP Institute (formally the Coaching and Positive Psychology Institute) is a United States-based coach training school founded by author, speaker, and certified coach Valorie Burton. ICF-accredited since 2010, CAPP is one of the few coaching education providers to have built its entire curriculum on the foundation of applied positive psychology, integrating evidence-based wellbeing science into every stage of coach training from foundational skills through to advanced practitioner development.

CAPP's name reflects its dual focus: professional coaching competency aligned with the ICF framework, and positive psychology, the scientific study of human flourishing, strengths, resilience, and wellbeing. CAPP's position is that these two bodies of knowledge are deeply complementary, and that coaching grounded in positive psychology principles is more effective, more client-centred, and better grounded in evidence than coaching that relies on general communication skills alone.

Founder

Valorie Burton is the founder and CEO of the CAPP Institute. A bestselling author, certified coach, and professional speaker, Burton has published more than 12 books on topics spanning coaching, resilience, purpose, and positive psychology. She has been recognised by Thinkers50 in the Coaches50 ranking, a distinction identifying the world's most influential coaching thinkers.

Burton's background reflects the dual focus of CAPP: she is formally trained as a coach, holds ICF credentials, and has spent two decades applying positive psychology principles in her writing, speaking, and coaching practice. The CAPP curriculum is built directly from this accumulated experience, designed to transmit not just coaching technique but the depth of applied positive psychology knowledge that Burton has developed over her career.

Programme Structure

CAPP offers three distinct programmes covering different levels of commitment, hours, and credential outcomes.

Coach Training Intensive (CTI) The CTI is a three-day immersive programme delivering 16 hours of coach-specific training. It is designed for professionals who want an introduction to coaching principles and the CAPP methodology without committing to a full credential programme. The CTI provides an overview of ICF competencies, an introduction to applied positive psychology in coaching, and foundational coaching skills suitable for use in professional and personal contexts.

Certified Personal and Executive Coach (CPEC) The CPEC is CAPP's ICF Level 1-accredited programme, delivered over six months and comprising 69 hours of training. The programme covers the full ICF core competency framework through the lens of applied positive psychology, developing coaches who can deploy evidence-based positive psychology tools and assessments in professional coaching engagements. Graduates of the CPEC are eligible to apply for ICF ACC credentialling upon completion of required coaching experience.

Advanced Professional Coach (APC) The APC is CAPP's ICF Level 2-accredited programme, the most extensive offering in the CAPP portfolio. The programme comprises 179.5 total hours, with a minimum of 125 hours of coach-specific training, meeting the educational requirements for ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential application. The APC builds on the CPEC foundation, extending the applied positive psychology curriculum into advanced coaching contexts, complex client dynamics, and coaching in organisational settings.

Applied Positive Psychology in Coaching

Positive psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the conditions and processes that contribute to flourishing in individuals, communities, and organisations. Pioneered by Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and colleagues in the late 1990s, it has developed into a rigorous empirical discipline encompassing the science of strengths, resilience, wellbeing, meaning, and optimal performance.

At CAPP, applied positive psychology serves as the foundation from which the curriculum is built rather than an add-on to it. This means that the tools, models, frameworks, and questions taught in CAPP programmes are grounded in positive psychology research and are designed to be deployed in client sessions with a clear evidence base.

Specific positive psychology elements woven through the CAPP curriculum include strengths-based coaching approaches, wellbeing models such as PERMA, resilience frameworks, hope theory and goal science, the science of motivation, and assessment tools validated in positive psychology research. Coaches who train at CAPP are equipped to discuss the scientific basis for their coaching methodology, a valuable differentiator in professional and corporate coaching contexts.

From Concept to Practice: CAPP's Integration Approach

A consistent feature of CAPP's pedagogical approach is its emphasis on application: not just knowledge of positive psychology concepts, but the development of practical coaching skills that use those concepts in real client conversations. The curriculum is designed to close the gap between understanding a research-based model and deploying it fluidly in a coaching session, under the conditions of real relationship and live responsiveness that define professional coaching work.

This integration focus is reflected in how the CAPP programmes are assessed and in the mentor coaching process embedded in the CPEC and APC programmes, where students receive feedback on their actual use of positive psychology tools in practice coaching conversations.

CAPP and the Broader Positive Psychology Community

CAPP operates at the intersection of two significant professional communities: the ICF-credentialled coaching world and the applied positive psychology research and practice community. This positioning gives CAPP graduates fluency in both contexts. They can speak the language of ICF competencies with other professional coaches, and the language of positive psychology research with organisational and academic audiences.

This dual fluency is a practical asset for coaches working in corporate, educational, or healthcare settings where evidence-based frameworks carry significant credibility. It also means CAPP graduates are well-positioned to engage with the growing body of research on coaching effectiveness, contributing to the developing science of what makes coaching work rather than simply consuming it.

Who Attends CAPP

CAPP attracts coaches and aspiring coaches who are drawn to the integration of science and practice in coaching education. The applied positive psychology foundation is particularly relevant for coaches working with corporate and executive clients who respond to evidence-based, research-grounded approaches; clients working through career transitions, purpose exploration, or identity development; organisations seeking coaching programmes grounded in wellbeing science; and coaches who want to deepen their methodology beyond general competency training.

The programme structure, from the three-day CTI through to the 179.5-hour APC, accommodates a range of starting points and commitment levels, making CAPP accessible to both those exploring coaching education for the first time and experienced coaches seeking advanced credential preparation.

ICF Accreditation and Credentials

CAPP holds ICF accreditation for both its Level 1 (CPEC) and Level 2 (APC) programmes, enabling graduates to apply for ICF ACC and PCC credentials respectively upon completion of required coaching experience hours. The organisation has held ICF accreditation since 2010, a duration reflecting significant institutional experience and consistent quality in programme delivery.

Recognition

Valorie Burton's recognition in the Thinkers50 Coaches50 list positions CAPP within the global conversation about influential coaching thought leaders. The applied positive psychology approach has given CAPP a distinctive identity in the crowded field of ICF-accredited coach training, attracting students who want their coaching methodology grounded in research as well as practice. Burton's extensive publishing history, spanning more than 12 books, has also created a broad audience of readers who encounter CAPP through her writing and speaking before seeking formal coach training.