Certificate in Coaching & Mentoring Foundations

An introduction to coaching for people who want their work to make a difference.

You already support people.

Perhaps you lead teams, facilitate groups, mentor colleagues, teach, advise clients or help people navigate change, transition and uncertainty.

You care deeply about people and outcomes, yet may find yourself carrying more responsibility than you would like, stepping in too quickly with advice, or wondering whether there is a more effective way to help people move forwards.

You may also be beginning to ask a deeper question:

What comes next for me?

The Foundations programme introduces coaching as a practical and deeply reflective way of working with people, helping them think for themselves, take ownership and create meaningful change, whilst giving you space to explore what else might be possible in your own work and contribution.

Who it’s for

You don’t need to know where this will lead

Some participants join because they want practical coaching skills for their current role. Others are curious about whether coaching might become part of a portfolio or coaching career, a new chapter of work, or a deeper form of contribution.

You do not need to have the answer when you start. Many people arrive simply wanting better conversations and leave with fresh clarity about what matters, what comes next, and how they want to contribute.

Our Promise to You: If, after completing the first two days of the programme in full, you feel Wise Goose isn’t the right fit for you, we’ll refund your programme fees. We trust you to know what’s right for you. We also trust you to engage with us in good faith. Simply let us know within five working days of the second taught day.

Why Learn Coaching?

Most of us have been taught that being helpful means having the answers.

Coaching offers a different approach. We believe the most valuable thing you can offer someone often isn’t a faster answer, it’s the willingness to stay with them in the question until real clarity emerges. Rather than solving problems for people, you’ll learn how to help them think for themselves, find clarity and take ownership of what happens next.

The more ownership other people take, the less you need to carry alone.

What You’ll Develop

Coaching presence
Grounded awareness, deep listening and the ability to stay with whatever emerges. You cannot offer someone more steadiness or self-awareness than you’ve found in yourself, which is why this training goes beneath technique, not just through it.

Powerful questioning skills
Ways of asking that open up insight rather than directing or advising.

Ethical foundations
Considered, values-based practice at the heart of everything we do.

Tools to structure conversations
Simple, adaptable coaching frameworks you can use immediately.

Confidence and clarity
A growing sense of when and how coaching fits into your work or relationships.

Reflective practice
Time and space to explore your own patterns, assumptions and strengths.

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How the Course Works

Over five days of facilitated training (a blend of in-person and online) you’ll experience teaching, live demonstrations, discussion, observed practice, peer learning, real-world coaching experience with plenty of feedback, and personal study, all designed to help you build a grounded, confident foundation.

Coaching doesn’t happen in a vacuum. All our trainings integrate professional and personal development within wider social, organisational and environmental contexts, in a supportive cohort that values honesty, diversity and inclusion.

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2026 Foundations Programme at a Glance

Total Learning Hours: 60

40 hours of live training with expert trainers. Independent Study & Practice: Approximately 20 hours

Option 1: 4 days in person (London: 2 + 2 days) plus 1 day online

Option 2: Findhorn Ecovillage Scotland: 4 days intensive in person plus 2 half-days online. This is a pilot partnership with the Findhorn Ecovillage community and Growing2Gether, marking our return to Findhorn. We don’t yet know whether future Foundations programmes will run there, so if learning in this setting matters to you, this is the cohort to join.

Both London & Scotland are Non-Residential: You can choose accommodation based on your needs and resources.

Internationally recognised training accreditation

The Foundations offers a pathway for ongoing development, around 90% choose to continue onto our Advanced pathways, a sign of how valuable and meaningful they find the learning.

Real voices

“It transformed the way I approach my work and clarified how I want to offer coaching in the contemporary arts field.”

Alumni Caroline Bergvall – award winning poet, sound artist & writer

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“I felt like I could manage leading better by holding the space more for people and moving away from being ‘that’ expert.”

Daniella Vega Global Senior Vice President Health & Sustainability

“The course helped me shift my mindset and start my own business from rural mid-Wales.”

Alumni – Julia Forster – writer, creative entrepreneur, founder ‘Write Within’

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Ready to begin?

Start wherever feels most comfortable. Download our brochure, or contact us if you have questions, or would like to book an exploratory conversation to discover what coaching might make possible for your work and next chapter. You are welcome to join one of our free taster sessions, no hard sell, no obligation.