Second Nature

Second Nature is a 30-hour hybrid program designed to help healthcare professionals move from understanding a Coach Approach to using it with greater awareness, confidence and consistency.

Dive Into a Coach Approach® 2.0 | Relationship & Technical Mastery combines the power of Relationship Mastery with the precision of advanced coaching techniques. You’ll begin with the Relationship Intelligence (RQ) assessment, a scientifically validated tool offering insights into motivation, communication, conflict and how your strengths may become overdone under pressure. These insights will help you strengthen therapeutic connections, refine your use of self, and enhance your impact as a clinician, coach, or leader.

The 20-hour practice-based portion is built around eight live classes and eight peer-coaching sessions. It also includes a personalized RQ assessment and facilitated debrief, individualized Growth Feedback aligned with coaching competencies, and opportunities to explore how metaphors, mastery and motivation can transform coaching conversations.

Second Nature also includes 10 hours of self-paced learning: the 7.5-hour Level 2 Coaching Demonstration course and the 2.5-hour Integrating Mindfulness Into Coaching and Healthcare (opens in a new tab) course. These 10 hours are documented as additional coach-specific education toward an ICF ACC Portfolio Path application and are separate from the 20 ICF Continuing Coach Education hours.

Through demonstrations, practice, feedback and reflection, you’ll strengthen your coaching presence, relational agility and ability to apply the Dive Into a Coach Approach® framework in meaningful healthcare and leadership conversations.

Second Nature provides:

• 20 ICF Continuing Coach Education hours
• 2.0 AOTA CEUs
• 10 additional hours of coach-specific education designed to contribute toward an ICF ACC Portfolio Path application

This comprehensive approach blends online learning with real-world practice: helping you move from knowing to doing, and from doing to leading.

Educational Level: Intermediate; designed for practitioners with working knowledge of Coach Approach fundamentals gained through Dive Into a Coach Approach® - Level 1 - Core Fundamentals.

This course is designed for individuals who have completed Dive Into a Coach Approach® 1.0 Core Fundamentals and are ready to deepen their learning through Second Nature. The Coaching Tools for Healthcare Bundle (opens in a new tab) may be completed alongside the live Second Nature cohort; however, all Goal Achieved requirements must be completed before the Level 2 Coach Approach in Healthcare Practitioner Certificate and digital badge are awarded.

This course is for you if you want to:

• Move From Knowing to Doing: Deepen your coaching through live practice, peer coaching, individualized feedback and advanced techniques that help the skills become second nature.
• Strengthen Your Relationship Intelligence: Develop greater awareness of motivation, communication, conflict and how you use your strengths so you can build more effective therapeutic, leadership and team relationships.
• Develop the Human Skills AI Should Not Replace: Strengthen the presence, trust, relational awareness and adaptability that remain essential in an AI-assisted healthcare environment.
• Build Confidence in Real Healthcare Conversations: Feel more grounded and intentional when using a Coach Approach with clients, patients, colleagues, teams and interdisciplinary partners.
• Earn Your Next Stackable Certificate: Complete the requirements for the Level 2 Coach Approach in Healthcare Practitioner Certificate and digital badge, building on the Professional Certificate earned through Goal Achieved.
• Progress Toward ICF ACC Credentialing: Complete 20 ICF Continuing Coach Education hours plus 10 additional coach-specific education hours designed to contribute toward the education requirements for an ICF ACC Portfolio Path application.

This 8-session course blends live teaching, real-time feedback, and peer coaching. Can’t attend live? All classes are recorded and made available for two weeks after each session.

• Class 1: Preparing You to Dive In
  Meet your cohort, set your intentions, and explore how to make the most of this experience. You’ll connect with your Diving Partner, receive instructions for completing your personalized Relationship Intelligence (RQ) assessment, and learn how to use bonus tools in your workbook to deepen your learning.
• Class 2: Discover Your Mojo Type
  Uncover your personal motivation type through the Mojo assessment and explore the seven types of motivation. Learn how these insights can enhance your coaching conversations, therapeutic relationships, and team dynamics.
• Class 3: Prioritizing & Utilizing Relational Strengths
  Dive into your Strength Portrait and explore the 28 relational strengths. Learn to recognize which strengths you prioritize and how to apply the right strength at the right time to elevate coaching impact and team communication.
• Class 4: Mastering Conflicts
  Explore the dynamics of conflict in therapeutic and team relationships. Identify triggers, strengthen your conflict management skills, and gain strategies for transforming difficult conversations into meaningful change.
• Class 5: Laser-Focused Coaching
  Practice delivering a 15-minute laser-focused coaching dialogue using the Dive Into a Coach Approach® framework. Engage in peer practice and receive personalized feedback to refine your presence, listening, and focus.
• Class 6: Metaphors, Mastery & Motivation
  Discover how to use metaphors to unlock insight, apply advanced techniques that deepen client learning, and explore how mastery in the moment elevates motivation and impact in your practice.
• Class 7: Growth Feedback in Action
  Experience live coaching demos and learn to offer and receive structured growth-oriented feedback. This session is designed to build your confidence and capacity as both a coach and feedback partner.
• Class 8: Integration & Celebration
  Reflect on your journey, celebrate progress, and explore how to integrate your learning into clinical care, leadership, or team development. Final peer coaching sessions and feedback will help you anchor your growth.

Instructional Methods: Live online group sessions, individual coaching practice with an assigned peer, recorded session review with personalized feedback, and online self-directed module.

• Earn the Coach Approach in Healthcare Practitioner Certificate and digital badge; complete Level 2 of the stackable certificate pathway, bringing your learning across Levels 1 and 2 to 50 hours of coach-specific education for healthcare professionals
• 30-hour hybrid program; includes 20 hours of live learning and peer-coaching practice plus 10 hours of self-paced coach-specific education:
  • 20 ICF Continuing Coach Education (CCE) hours and 2.0 AOTA CEUs
  • 10 additional coach-specific education hours designed to contribute toward the education requirement for an ICF ACC Portfolio Path application
• 8 × 1.5-hour live online classes; deepen your relational awareness and refine your coaching through demonstration, discussion and practice
• 8 × 1-hour peer-coaching sessions; practise with your assigned Diving Partner between live classes
• 10 hours of self-paced learning; complete the 7.5-hour Level 2 Coaching Demonstration course and the 2.5-hour Integrating Mindfulness Into Coaching and Healthcare course
• Personalized relational intelligence assessment and report
• Individualized Growth Feedback; submit one recorded coaching session and receive a detailed report aligned with coaching competencies
• Fillable digital workbooks; support and guide your learning throughout the program
• Private course website; access practical coaching tools and learning resources
• Curated reference library; deepen your learning and support continued application
• Class recordings; access recordings throughout the course-access period

Function First Coaching Inc. is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development. PD activity approval ID# 7377. This hybrid/blended activity is offered at 2.0 CEUs, intermediate level, professional development. The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA or indicate AOTA approval of a certification or other professional recognition.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Apply the Dive Into a Coach Approach® framework
  Engage in dyad or triad coaching sessions to practice and embody the framework. Demonstrate the ability to guide clients through structured, impactful coaching dialogues.
• Analyze personal dynamics using the Relationship Intelligence (RQ) assessment
  Complete the award-winning, scientifically validated RQ assessment to gain insights from four unique perspectives. Critically analyze results to strengthen your use of self and build more effective therapeutic and leadership relationships.
• Evaluate and prioritize 28 relational strengths
  Explore and assess the 28 relational strengths for their relevance across clinical, leadership, and interpersonal contexts. Learn to activate the right strength at the right time to enhance coaching outcomes.
• Utilize five new coaching tools
  Integrate five practical tools into your coaching approach. Apply them to real coaching scenarios and evaluate their effectiveness in supporting client insight, action, and accountability.
• Apply key core coaching competencies
  Demonstrate increased proficiency in foundational coaching competencies, such as active listening, powerful questioning, and goal setting, aligned with the ICF Core Competency framework.
• Practice and implement the 4-step coaching framework
  Use a structured 4-step process in coaching sessions to support client self-awareness, forward movement, and goal achievement. Apply this framework consistently in both peer and live demonstrations.
• Incorporate three new coaching techniques
  Gain hands-on experience with three advanced coaching techniques. Apply these to enhance versatility, depth, and impact in your coaching practice.
• Create customized coaching questions
  Create customized sample coaching questions that follow the Dive Into a Coach Approach® framework for review by your course instructor while completing the Level 2 Coaching Demonstration course.
• Establish a mindfulness practice plan
  Establish a plan to incorporate mindfulness practices that support your coaching presence while completing the Integrating Mindfulness Into Coaching and Healthcare course.

To earn your certificate of completion for this 30-hour course, participants must attend or view recordings of all classes, complete eight peer-coaching sessions with their assigned peer, submit one recorded coaching session for Growth Feedback, and complete all required learning and feedback forms and the course quiz.

Choose the plan that works for you:

• Pay in full
• Or split into 8 equal payments

Does Your Employer Offer Professional Development Funding?

Email us at info@functionfirstcoaching.com and our team will send you a handout you can share with your employer. It outlines the course value, time commitment, applicable continuing education approvals and relevance to your role to help support your professional development funding request.