The PROFESSIONAL GOAL-CENTRIC CERTIFIED COACH (PGCC) program combines a strong grounding in coaching with ongoing experience-based supervision. Its unique features provide root knowledge and experience in the critical areas of coaching theory and practice. The PGCC program is divided into theory and competency development modules aligned with coaching standards recognized internationally by the International Coach Federation (ICF). Through core learning modules and supervised practice, participants gain competence in the essential skills and models of coaching, as well as a perspective of coaching applications in various sectors of work and society.
Professional Goal-Centric Certified Coach
The PGCC program is ICF approved. As such, it enables you to master the ICF's core coaching competencies thereby equipping you to perform effectively as a certified coach. Through program work and supervised practice, it is anticipated that you will develop the requisite perspectives and skill sets to function effectively in coaching relationships. Practical coaching assignments will deepen your experiential foundation for working with future clients.
Successful completion of PGCC as an ICF-approved ACTP program qualifies participants for PCC-level accreditation from the ICF.
PGCC applicants must already possess:
· A high level of professional competency in a related domain of practice
· At least five (5) years full-time work or life experience
· A minimum of an undergraduate degree (exceptions may be made for applicants showing evidence of equivalency in education and relevant training)
- Length: 18 days in class + fieldwork requirements, offering 169 ICF coach training hours (134 synchronous/35 asynchronous)
- Structure: In-person on our Loyola Campus in Montreal (please bear in mind that, should the situation require it, we will switch to online delivery)
- Coach Experiences: 100+ hours coaching, mentoring, and being coached
- Program Dates: September 2023-May 2024
In order to be certified, participants must fulfill the following PGCC program requirements:
- Attendance at all training dates
- A minimum of 30 documented coaching sessions (minimum length 45 minutes) with pro-bono clients external to the program
- A minimum of 10 documented mentor coaching hours with a faculty-approved certified mentor coach
- Demeanor that demonstrates consistent adherence to ethical and professional standards of coaching.
*Please note: Fees for sessions with external mentor coaches are not covered by the program tuition. Please read "Frequently asked questions" for additional program costs.
- Successful completion of all assignments including:
- Personalized coaching documents
- External readings on coaching
- Presentation on personal development objectives
- Final report on coaching practice
- Written examination based on textbook and coursework
- Consensus agreement by facilitators that the participant has achieved a satisfactory level of coaching competency at the PCC level. *
*Please note: Program participants will have an opportunity to demonstrate their level of coaching competency at the PCC level, as determined by the ICF, during the formal assessment period (May/June 2024). Those who are not successful in their demonstration will have the opportunity for two (2) retakes (at a cost of $175 each).
If none of the retakes provide evidence of PCC level coaching, the participant will be given a Certificate of Attendance rather than a Certificate of Completion.
Upon having met all of the above-stated criteria, each participant will be certified as a Professional Goal-Centric Certified Coach (PGCC) by the John Molson Executive Centre, Concordia University.
Upon successful completion of PGCC, participants will receive a Certificate of Completion bearing the ICF ACTP logo. This allows application for the ICF PCC credentials following the ACTP path. It is to be noted that further requirements from the ICF must be fulfilled when applying for ICF certification.
Upon completion of the program, participants will receive the ACTP (Accredited Coach Training Program ) accreditation and a certificate bearing the ACTP logo.
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Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Sunday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
September 2023 |
September 9 |
September 10 |
October 2023 |
October 14 | October 15 |
November 2023 |
November 11 |
November 12 |
December 2023 |
December 9 |
December 10 |
January 2024 |
January 13 |
January 14 |
February 2024 |
February 3 |
February 4 |
March 2024 |
March 9 |
March 10 |
April 2024 |
April 6 |
April 7 |
May 2024 | May 11 | May 12 |
PGCC applicants must already have:
- Demonstrated professional competency in a related domain of practice relevant to coaching
- At least five (5) years full-time work experience
- A minimum of an undergraduate degree (exceptions may be made for applicants showing evidence of equivalency in education and relevant training)
Applicants must submit the following documents:
- A current CV including educational, work and other relevant (e.g. volunteer) experience
- A letter of intent (Please see ‘Supporting documents’ below)
Applicants must successfully complete an interview with the Coaching Coordinator.
Applicants are required to apply online for admission. A $115 non-refundable application fee applies. Receipt of payment with the application will start the admission process to determine acceptance into the program.
*Please note: Payment of the application fee does not guarantee admission to the program. Please review the admission requirements stated above before submitting your application.
Once your application for admission to the program is received you will be contacted to submit the following documents by email:
- A current CV including educational, work and other relevant (e.g. volunteer) experience
- A letter of intent (approximately 2 pages) addressing the following questions:
- What draws you to coaching?
- What do you think makes an effective coach? Tell us about some of the unique qualities you bring to the program.
- How do your past experiences complement coaching?
- What are you looking for in a coach-specific training? What might the program offer you? What skills do you wish to develop through the program?
Once your supporting documents have been reviewed, you will be contacted to arrange for an interview either via Zoom or by telephone. The completion of an interview with the Coaching Coordinator is necessary to determine your eligibility to enter the program. It is one of the criteria used by the Selection Committee in the final acceptance of applicants for PGCC.
Once the interview with the Coaching Coordinator is completed and the Selection Committee has rendered its decision, successful applicants will receive a letter of acceptance into the PGCC program. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified of their admission results.
Program Payment Requirements
- A non-refundable $115* application fee is required to apply to this program.
- The program fee is $9,995* (early bird rate for registrations between January 15, 2023 and March 15, 2023). $11,495 (regular fee, for registrations as of March 16, 2023).
- If you are accepted to the program, you will receive a Letter of Acceptance and will be required to pay 50% of the program fee within 14 days in order to hold your place in the program.
- The remaining payment (50% of the program fee) must be paid on or before the start date of the program (dates to be specified by the Program Manager).
- *Please note: Tuition Tax receipts (T2202A/Relevé 8) will be issued for the program fees.
- The John Molson Executive Centre reserves the right to dismiss any participant whose account is more than 30 days in arrears.
> Cancellation & Deferral Policy
Dates: September 9, 2023 - May 12, 2024
Delivery: In-person on our Loyola Campus in Montreal (please bear in mind that, should the situation require it, we will switch to online delivery)
Language: English (Documents may be submitted in French. The final assessment may also be taken in French)
Application fee: $115 CAD (non-refundable)
Program fee: early bird $9,995 (until March 31, 2023), regular $11,495*
Additional costs: Mentor coaching and books. Please read additional costs related to the program and ICF certification. Participants will have three months at the end of the program to send their documents in order to earn the certification. An administrative fee of $175 per month must be paid in order to submit the documents after the three months period (Maximum of two additional months after the final completion date of the program).
The program fee covers tuition, program materials and a Smart Certificate with the ACTP logo.
*Please note: Participants may pay the program fee in installments (schedule provided upon acceptance) or in one transaction (5% price reduction). The program fee covers tuition, program materials and a Smart Certificate with ACSTH accreditation.
*Participants may pay the program fee in installments (schedule provided upon acceptance) or in one transaction (5% price reduction).
Register for the 2023-24 cohort.
Experienced, passionate, innovative. The Professional and Personal Coach Certification faculty team members are leaders in their field.

Jim Gavin, PhD, ABPP, MCC, IMC, is a certified master coach and licensed psychologist who has taught and practiced over the past 45 years. He is deeply committed to the development of human potential and the evolution of human consciousness. His practice focuses on individual development and group learning experiences. He has been privileged to work in a variety of settings, notably in higher education, aviation, mining, tech, public safety, start-ups, and private practice.
Jim is a full professor in the Department of Applied Human Sciences, and co-designer of the internationally renowned Human Systems Intervention graduate program at Concordia. He also serves as the Director of the Centre for Human Relations and Community Studies at Concordia. He is a Master Certified Coach (ICF) and Integral Master Coach® (ICC). Along with his long-term friend and colleague, Dr. Madeleine Mcbrearty, he designed this ICF coach certification program which was first offered in 2007.
His passion for the practice of Aikido and Iaido link magically with his academic knowledge in personal and organizational change processes. Among his numerous publications, Foundations of Professional Coaching (Human Kinetics, 2022), is a classic and comprehensive work. Jim sees himself as a work in progress, and is often reminded of how much he yet has to learn by his five children and his life partner.

Madeleine Mcbrearty, Ph.D., PCC, CMC, is a fully bilingual (English and French) certified coach and an accomplished educator. With several decades of experience in education and in individual and organizational wellness, her focus is on leadership development and psychological safety at work.
Madeleine’s passion is to walk alongside those who seek to achieve professional and personal excellence. As a professional coach and consultant, she partners with clients to identify strengths and leverage resources to foster resiliency and bring about positive change. When working with organizations, her mission is to help foster the creation of a psychologically healthy work culture though the promotion of a coaching leadership style. Madeleine values collaboration and she has a deep appreciation for all aspects of diversity. In everything she does, she brings an intentional emphasis on enhancing self-awareness, empathy and resiliency.
In 2007, Madeleine partnered with Dr. Jim Gavin when they co-founded the ICF accredited Professional and Personal Coach Certificate (PPCC) now the Professional Goal-Centric Coach Certificate (PGCC) program offered at the John Molson Executive Centre. Currently, she is extensively involved in executive coaching and in delivering educational modules – in person and in virtual classrooms – on the topics of leadership and mental health.
Madeleine has taught in the department of Applied Human Sciences at Concordia. She received her doctorate, focused on individual behaviour change, and two master’s degrees also from Concordia University. She has a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) designation from the International Coach Federation and is a Certified Mentor Coach (CMC) as well as a certified Social & Emotional Intelligence Coach.

Jim Gavin, PhD, ABPP, MCC, IMC, serves as the Director of Education for the Professional Goal-Centric Coach Certification program, as well as being a co-founder of the program with Dr. Madeleine Mcbrearty. He has taught in the program since its inception in 2007. He is an ICF-Master Certified Coach and an Integral Master Coach. He has written numerous books and research articles on coaching; his most recent publication is Foundations of Professional Coaching.
His doctorate in psychology has given him solid foundation for appreciating the profound importance of the coaching field at this point in history. His love for coaching practice is fed by its forward moving and holistic nature. An invaluable source of inspiration in his work derives from his somatic practices in aikido, iaido, and qigong. But, in truth, he thinks the most important source of his understanding comes from being a parent to five robust and rambunctious children.
As a facilitator of learning, he honors the inherent and accumulated wisdom of those with whom he shares space in the classroom. Magic results when the strengths of novice coaches are valued within the learning agenda. He believes that the cycle of learning necessarily involves practice, reflection, and experimentation, coupled with empirically-based theories and models. As a lifelong learner, Jim sees himself as a work-in-progress.

Diane Fulton, M.A., PCC, is a part-time faculty member in the Department of Applied Human Science at Concordia University, as well as a faculty member for the Professional Goal-Centric Certified Coach program. Diane is PCC certified with the International Coaching Federation (ICF); she is a certified professional Coach.
Diane received her Bachelor degree from Concordia University with a double major in Psychology and Applied Human Sciences and her Master's degree in Educational Leadership from McGill University. She now has over 30 years of experience as both a practitioner and an educator.
As a practitioner, Diane works as a coach, process consultant, facilitator, trainer, educator and researcher across a wide range of industries such as education, manufacturing, service, and technology in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. As an educator and part-time faculty member at Concordia University, Diane uses adult learning principles in combination with an experiential learning approach and process facilitation to teach people how to use self as an instrument for change. Diane is a specialist in human systems intervention; creating self-sustaining entities - learning organizations and communities with self-managed individuals.

Benoit Desgroseillers, MA, PCC, is vice-president of talent development for the Finance Montréal industrial cluster; he is responsible for talent development and human resources challenges for the entire financial services industry in Quebec. He is also a faculty member for the Professional Goal-Centric Certified Coach program and an ICF PCC Certified Professional Coach.
A graduate of the PPCC program at Concordia University, the predecessor of the current program (PGCC), Benoit has been a mentor/coach in it since 2020. He has since continued his studies in coaching by completing NLP training, vertical leadership, Non Violent Communication (NVC), and integral coaching.
Former Executive Director of a University Career Centre, EMBA graduate and CHRP member, he is a privileged witness to HR trends and changes in the labour market and career management. He is the author of two books on career management and intervention in career transition coaching.

Isabelle Marin, PCC, is a bilingual (French and English) facilitator, trainer, mentor and certified coach. As a PCC accredited coach and active member of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) since 2013, Isabelle has worked with clients in the public and private sectors of journalism, broadcasting, health, security, public safety, finance, navigation, mining and government.
As well as a B.A. from the Department of Communication Studies and a Coaching Certification from Concordia, Isabelle has 20 years of international work experience in communication and media production sectors and 10 years of humanitarian disaster response work with the Red Cross. This experience developed her insight and understanding of stress management, leadership and working in highly complex and uncertain conditions and environments (VUCA).
As a professional and leadership coach, Isabelle helps leaders, managers, executives, and professionals to increase their capacity to perform in high stress environments and careers. Isabelle’s facilitation style is engaging and authentic, creating a safe environment for learning and sharing.

Niem Huynh, PhD, ACC is an Inquirer. Risk taker (calculated). Professional and Personal Life Coach. Trained as an educator (high school science and geography teacher) and geographer, Niem has explored diverse professional opportunities, from being a university professor to career advisor to graduate recruiter. Currently, she supports graduate students in the Master of Environmental Assessment program by connecting them to coveted internships and providing feedback on their submitted reports. Along this evolving journey, she worked in Canada and the U.S.A., as well as short-term collaborations with colleagues based in Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam. Niem’s curiosity and drive to learn has opened opportunities that complement her toolbox, including being co-founder of Grad Matters and presenter to a wide audience of students (FutureBound at Concordia) and employees (McGill, Algonquin College).
Niem completed Concordia University’s Professional and Personal Coaching Certificate program in 2018, honoured to be a student of professors James Gavin and Madeleine Mcbrearty. She received her ACC accreditation with the International Coaching Federation in 2022. Today, Niem offers a boutique coaching practice that serves graduate students as well as budding and veteran professionals who seek clarity in personal and professional topics.

Antonio Starnino, M.A., PhD (cand,), PPCC, is a facilitator, coach, consultant, entrepreneur, and service designer with over 15 years of experience in private and public sectors.
His practice focuses on process design, group facilitation, participatory design, organizational development, and design leadership coaching. He co-creates interventions with individuals, small groups, and larger communities to shift their goals, strategy, process, culture, products or services, and organizational structures in a way that aligns with their values and intentions.
He is co-founder of Studio Wé, a strategic design studio that helps organizations reshape their services and experiences. Antonio is a visiting lecturer at Concordia University, teaching advanced facilitation, and a Ph.D. candidate studying the connection between activist group process and design.