Certified Generative Mentor Coach (CGMC)
inviteCHANGE's mentor coaching certification — 45+ learning hours over 6 months, live online cohort; prepares coaches for the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS).
- Provider
- inviteCHANGE
- Format
- Live online cohort
- ICF hours
- 45+ learning hours
- Duration
- 6 months
- Tuition
- Contact inviteCHANGE at invitechange.com for current pricing
- Prerequisites
- Any ICF credential level; open to practicing coaches.
About
Program overview
The Certified Generative Mentor Coach (CGMC) from inviteCHANGE is a 45+ learning-hour program, delivered live online over 6 months, for practicing coaches who want to develop proficiency as mentor coaches (coaches who provide structured feedback and supervision to other coaches). It prepares coaches for the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS), with eligibility for ICF's Prior Learning and Standard pathways, and is fully aligned with the 2024 ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies.
The program teaches the inviteCHANGE mentoring methodology, grounded in the Generative Wholeness™ framework: how to listen for what is present and absent in another coach's sessions, how to provide competency-based developmental feedback aligned with ICF standards, and how to build a mentoring relationship that accelerates growth without creating dependency.
Cohorts run live online. Current start dates are listed at invitechange.com.
Faculty
Taught by Janet M. Harvey, MCC, ICF Past Global President, with MCC-credentialed and MCS-qualified mentor coaches.
Who it's for
Coaches at any ICF credential level who want to develop mentor coaching as a specialty or professional service
Coaches who provide peer supervision within organizations or coaching schools
Those preparing to meet the ICF's mentor coaching requirement for credential application or ACC renewal
Coaches building a supervision or mentor coaching practice alongside client coaching
What you'll learn
The inviteCHANGE mentoring methodology
Mentor coaching at inviteCHANGE is built on Generative Wholeness™, the foundational framework developed by founder Janet M. Harvey, MCC, that treats coaching as the practice of helping people access full capacity rather than correcting deficits. Applied to coach development, this means the mentoring relationship orients toward what is already present and effective in a coach's practice, and how to generate more of it. Students learn to deliver competency-based developmental feedback aligned with ICF standards, in a way that builds confidence rather than performance anxiety, and to build a mentoring relationship that accelerates a coached coach's development without creating dependency on the mentor's perspective.
Listening for what is present and absent
Mentor coaching demands a qualitatively different quality of listening than coaching clients. Where coaching listens for the client's world, mentor coaching listens to the coached coach's session at two levels simultaneously: what the coached coach is doing with the client, and what the coach appears not to see or not to access. Students learn to track the session's coaching patterns, language precision, presence, and the moments where competency is demonstrated versus avoided, and to articulate those observations in a way that develops the coached coach's awareness rather than substituting the mentor's judgment for their own.
Feedback structures that build coaching capacity
A mentor coach's feedback lands differently depending on how it is constructed. The program teaches specific feedback structures: how to ground observations in what was actually said or done rather than in general impressions; how to invite the coached coach's own reflection before offering a perspective; how to distinguish between a competency marker that was present and one that was absent; and how to close a feedback session in a way that activates the coached coach's next step rather than leaving them oriented toward the mentor's assessment. Students practice these structures throughout the program.
Ethical dimensions and professional boundaries
Working with another professional's coaching involves boundaries that client coaching does not. The program covers the distinction between mentor coaching and supervision (and when each is appropriate), how to contract clearly for the mentoring relationship, how to handle disclosures from a coached coach about client situations, confidentiality in a mentoring context, and the scope-of-practice boundary around the coached coach's own personal development. These issues come up regularly in a working mentoring practice.
Credentials and accreditation
45+ learning hours delivered as a live online cohort over 6 months. The CGMC prepares coaches for the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS), with eligibility for ICF's Prior Learning and Standard pathways, and is fully aligned with the 2024 ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies. ICF sets mentor coach eligibility; ICF's formal recognition is the MCS, which the CGMC prepares coaches for. Open to coaches at any ICF credential level.
Format and cost
Live online cohort; 6 months
Contact inviteCHANGE at invitechange.com for current pricing
Questions about Certified Generative Mentor Coach (CGMC)
Q.01What is mentor coaching and how does it differ from coaching clients?
What is mentor coaching and how does it differ from coaching clients?
Mentor coaching is the professional practice of coaching other coaches: providing structured observation, feedback, and developmental support on their coaching sessions rather than serving as their personal or professional coach. The [ICF](/organizations/icf) distinguishes mentor coaching from supervision: a mentor coach evaluates coaching competency against ICF standards, while supervision addresses broader practice concerns. ICF requires mentor coaching hours for all credential applications and for ACC renewal.
Q.02Does completing this program fulfill ICF's mentor coaching requirement for credentialing or renewal?
Does completing this program fulfill ICF's mentor coaching requirement for credentialing or renewal?
The program provides 45+ learning hours preparing coaches for the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS), with eligibility for ICF's Prior Learning and Standard pathways. For credential applications and ACC renewal (which have their own mentor coaching hour requirements), confirm the current ICF specifications at icf.org before enrolling.
Q.03What is the Generative Wholeness™ framework and how does it apply to mentor coaching?
What is the Generative Wholeness™ framework and how does it apply to mentor coaching?
Generative Wholeness™ is [inviteCHANGE's](/organizations/invite-change) foundational methodology, developed by founder Janet M. Harvey, MCC, that treats coaching as the practice of helping people access their full capacity rather than correcting deficits. Applied to mentor coaching, it means feedback is competency-based and developmental, aligned with ICF standards, and delivered in a way that builds confidence rather than performance anxiety. The approach develops coaches' self-trust and internal authority alongside technical competency.
Q.04Who is this program open to?
Who is this program open to?
The Certified Generative Mentor Coach (CGMC) program is open to coaches at any ICF credential level: ACC, PCC, or MCC. It does not require completion of an inviteCHANGE certification program first, though familiarity with the inviteCHANGE methodology is helpful. It suits coaches who already provide informal peer feedback to other coaches and want to formalize and develop that practice.
Q.05How is the program structured and delivered?
How is the program structured and delivered?
The program runs as a live online cohort over 6 months, totaling 45+ learning hours. Cohorts run live online; current start dates are listed at invitechange.com. Contact inviteCHANGE at invitechange.com for current scheduling and pricing.
Q.06Can completing this program help me build a paid mentor coaching practice?
Can completing this program help me build a paid mentor coaching practice?
Yes. Coaches who hold the Certified Generative Mentor Coach (CGMC) designation from inviteCHANGE are positioned to offer mentor coaching as a professional service, whether independently, within coaching schools, or inside organizations supporting internal coach development. As ICF credential requirements have continued to emphasize mentor coaching hours, demand for qualified mentor coaches has grown alongside the profession.
Q.07What credential does completing this program earn?
What credential does completing this program earn?
Graduates earn the CGMC designation, practical tools for group and individual mentor coaching, and eligibility for ICF's MCS pathways.
Q.08What should I ask a mentor coach before working with them?
What should I ask a mentor coach before working with them?
Ask whether they hold a recognized mentor coaching certification and what methodology they use. Ask how they structure feedback, and whether they evaluate against a competency checklist or use a more developmental, generative approach. Confirm they have experience at or above your credential level: a mentor coach working with PCC candidates should ideally hold a PCC or MCC. Ask whether they are qualified for the ICF Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS) and familiar with the 2024 ICF Mentor Coaching Competencies.
Q.09What is the difference between mentor coaching and coaching supervision?
What is the difference between mentor coaching and coaching supervision?
Mentor coaching and coaching supervision are related but distinct services. The ICF defines mentor coaching as coaching practice feedback against the ICF Core Competency markers. This is the specific, structured support used to fulfill ICF credential application and ACC renewal requirements. Supervision is a broader, ongoing professional practice: it addresses the coach's whole practice, including the relational dynamics of client work, ethical dilemmas, the practitioner's wellbeing, and personal blind spots. Supervision doesn't necessarily evaluate against a competency framework. Coaches working with complex presentations or at senior credential levels will often want both: a mentor coach for competency development and a supervisor for broader practice reflection. The Certified Generative Mentor Coach (CGMC) program from inviteCHANGE is focused on the mentoring function specifically.
Q.10How does this certification prepare me to mentor coaches within organizations or coaching schools?
How does this certification prepare me to mentor coaches within organizations or coaching schools?
Coaches who work inside organizations often informally advise or support internal coaching programs, whether giving feedback on coaching sessions, evaluating coaches in training, or leading peer reflection groups. This program formalizes and deepens that work. ICF sets mentor coach eligibility, and ICF's formal recognition is the Mentor Coach Specialization (MCS), which the CGMC prepares coaches for. For internal organizational roles, the program's feedback structures and ethical frameworks strengthen a practitioner's ability to develop coaching quality across a team or program without the dependency issues that can arise when an informal mentor lacks training in the discipline.