Sage
A sage is not someone with all the answers, but someone whose presence helps others find their own. At this level, technique is no longer the point. Depth is. Over 90 hours of one-to-one work with a master coach, you move from doing coaching to being a coach: able to sit with the most complex clients, to work with power and the inner life, and to bring a presence that cannot be faked. This is the level that marks you out among your peers.
Who this level is for
- Architect coaches seeking genuine mastery
- Senior and executive coaches working with demanding clients
- Coaches ready to specialise and build real authority
Entry requirements
Hold the ICI Architect credential and demonstrate a substantial body of coaching practice.
Format and hours
Delivered entirely online and one-to-one with a master coach. Your 90 hours are structured as:
- 30 hours of one-to-one online coaching and advanced supervision with a master coach
- 60 hours of guided self-work and research, including case work and a specialism portfolio
- Total: 90 hours
What you will be able to do
- Coach from presence rather than process
- Work with shadow, projection and counter-transference in the room
- Coach senior leaders through power, ego and the loneliness of the role
- Work within systems and relationships, not just with individuals
- Hold complex and ethically difficult cases with maturity
Syllabus
The syllabus integrates the deeper psychology, leadership application and contemplative grounding that distinguish a senior coach.
Module 1: Mastery of presence
Coaching from being, not doing. The quality of attention that lets a client say the thing they have never said aloud. Practised, not just discussed.
Module 2: The deeper psychology
Shadow, projection, transference and counter-transference as they actually show up in coaching. Working with them ethically and to the client's benefit, while staying firmly within scope.
Module 3: Executive and leadership coaching at depth
Coaching power without being captured by it. Ego, fear, isolation at senior levels, and high-stakes decisions.
Module 4: Systems and relational coaching
Seeing the client inside their web of relationships and systems. Coaching teams, stakeholders and dynamics rather than isolated individuals.
Module 5: Contemplative practice and behavioural science
Bringing reflective and contemplative traditions into dialogue with modern behavioural science, so depth and rigour reinforce each other.
Module 6: Coaching the whole person
Meaning, identity, values and life transitions. Working with the questions clients bring when surface goals turn out to be about something larger.
Module 7: Advanced ethics and complex cases
The grey areas. Dual relationships, confidentiality under pressure, and the judgement to navigate situations no checklist covers.
Module 8: Building authority
Mentoring, thought leadership and contribution. Beginning to give back to the field, which is the bridge to Luminary.
Assessment
Assessment combines advanced coaching demonstrations, written case studies, and a specialism portfolio that shows depth in a chosen area of practice.
What you graduate with
- The ICI Sage Coach credential and the ICI-S post-nominal
- Recognised seniority and the fees that come with it
- A defined specialism and a portfolio that proves it
- Eligibility to begin the Luminary pathway
Details at a glance
- Level3 of 4 (Senior)
- Formatonline, one-to-one with a master coach
- Hours90 total (30 coaching, 60 self-work)
- Suggested durationup to 6 months