A persistent, low-level knowing that the way you are showing up in your work, in your relationships, in your own head, is not quite the full version of you. And no matter how much you achieve, or how much you know, that feeling does not go away.
That is not restlessness. That is readiness. This is a coaching education grounded in the science of positive psychology that does two things at once: transforms how you show up in your own life and gives you the expertise to create that same transformation in others.
The Real Reason You Are Here
Let us be honest with you for a moment.
Not about the programme. About you. About the things that might be quietly running in the background, shaping your decisions and your confidence in ways you have not fully been able to name yet.
Do you ever find yourself pulling back just as something good starts to happen? Undermining your own momentum, right at the moment it matters most?
Do you carry a quiet, persistent fear that one day the people around you will realise you are not quite as capable as they believe?
Do you speak to yourself in a way you would never, under any circumstances, accept from another person?
If you recognised yourself in any of those questions, notice what just happened. You saw yourself clearly. Not as broken. Not as unusual. As someone who is pattern aware. And we want you to know that moment of recognition is exactly where the real work begins. You are already closer than you think.
These are not character flaws. They are adaptive responses. Strategies your nervous system developed to keep you safe, that now cost you more than they protect you. They sit beneath your decisions, your relationships, your confidence, your career, shaping everything without your conscious awareness.
Here is what we want you to hear: knowing about these patterns does almost nothing to change them. You have probably already read about them. You have listened to podcasts. You have collected insights. The awareness has not moved the needle.
That is not your fault. It is because information does not change patterns.
Experience does.
Specifically, the experience of being guided through your own patterns by someone who has already walked that same path. Someone who understands it from the inside. That is what we offer, and that is the premise of everything here.
The Truth Most Coaching Programmes Never Tell You
Most coaching training operates at the wrong level.
It teaches you what to ask. What to say. How to structure a session. Which model to follow. And a lot of it is genuinely useful. But it almost never goes far enough.
Because real transformation does not happen at the behaviour level. It happens beneath that.
At the level of identity. Of the stories someone carries about who they are, what they deserve, and what is possible for them. Stories so old and so familiar that they have stopped noticing them.
And here is the truth we feel strongly enough about to build an entire programme around. If you have not done that work on yourself, you cannot guide anyone else through it. Not because you lack the desire. Because you have not yet been shown the depth.
You cannot take someone deeper than you have gone yourself.
This programme is built entirely on that principle. Your own transformation is not a side effect of training here. It is the curriculum. And we will hold that space for you with the same care and depth we ask you to bring to it.
A Note From Our Founder
We want to share something with you about why this programme exists.
Not the credentials. Not the accolades. The real reason.
We kept sitting across from coaches, from leaders, from people who had done every course, read every book, and collected every framework, and were still stuck. Not because they lacked knowledge. Because nobody had taken them into the deeper work first. They stayed on the surface. Not because they were not capable. Because no one had ever shown them the depth.
We also kept watching something else happen. People who were genuinely talented and genuinely called to this work, quietly talking themselves out of it. Convincing themselves they were not ready, not enough, not the right kind of person. We recognised that pattern. Because we have lived it too.
That is why this programme starts with you. Not as a student. As a whole person. Your transformation is not a side effect of the training. It is where the training begins. And we will be right there with you through every part of it.
Rise and Thrive Academy was built by Catherine Plano (PhD, MCC), one of fewer than 4% of coaches in the world to hold a Master Certified Coach credential and developed with one non-negotiable at its centre: you cannot teach transformation without first living it. We did not build a course. We built the programme we wished had existed.
And we genuinely believe you might be exactly the person we built it for.
Catherine Plano PhD, MCC | Founder, Rise & Thrive Global
You Have Felt This For A While Now
The sense that you are meant to be doing something more.
You want to make a difference. Not in the abstract, feel-good sense. In the way that changes how someone sees themselves after a single conversation.
You want work that matters. The kind where you wake up and feel a genuine pull toward what the day holds, not a quiet dread you have learned to push through.
You want to understand yourself. Not in the way you have been doing it, reading articles, listening to podcasts, collecting insights that never quite land. In a way that actually shifts something.
You want to help people in a way that most never experience. Not by solving their problems for them. By helping them see that they have always been their own greatest resource. That they have simply never had someone hold the space for them to realise it.
And maybe, underneath all of that, you want permission to take yourself seriously. To invest in your own growth the way you have always invested in everyone else's.
That is what brought you here.
Is This For You?
Let us talk directly to the conversation you are having with yourself right now.
Because that question, is this for me, is the most important one you can ask. And we want to help you answer it honestly.
You Might Be
A corporate leader or executive
You have watched talented people plateau and felt the frustration of not knowing how to help them break through. You want frameworks that go beneath surface-level management techniques. And you are beginning to suspect that understanding your own patterns of leading is the starting point. You want to be the leader people remember as pivotal in their careers, and you know that requires more than another leadership model.
You Might Be
An entrepreneur or business owner
You built something. The hardest part has never been the strategy. It is the patterns you keep repeating. The way you take over when you should trust others. The decisions you make under pressure that you later regret. You are ready to understand what is actually driving those patterns and to shift them, in yourself and in the people around you. You also see coaching as a natural extension of what you already do, and potentially a significant new revenue stream.
You Might Be
A psychologist or mental health professional
You feel the pull toward coaching. But every time you consider it seriously, something holds you back. The worry that it might feel like a step down from your clinical depth. The uncertainty about whether your years of training will translate or whether you will have to start from scratch. That tension is real, and it deserves a programme that respects it. The positive psychology foundation here will feel like home. The coaching methodology will take what you already know into territory your clinical training was never designed to reach: future-focused, resource-oriented, and directly applicable in corporate and organisational settings.
You Might Be
Building a coaching career
You play over in your mind three questions that never seem to go away. What if I invest in this and still do not feel ready? What if I still feel like I am not enough? What if I am not the kind of person who can do this? That is not a sign you should wait. It is exactly the kind of pattern this programme is designed to help you work with. You will learn to recognise it in yourself and in your future clients. And you will start your career on genuinely different ground, with a certification and methodology that most coaches simply do not have.
If any of those descriptions landed, keep reading. This programme was built for exactly where you are.
What Becomes Possible
Picture the version of you on the other side of this.
Imagine waking up and genuinely loving what your day holds. Not performing enthusiasm. Actually, feeling it.
Imagine sitting across from someone and knowing, with real confidence, that you have the skill and the depth to help them see themselves differently. Not because you had the right answer, but because you had done your own work well enough to hold their entire story without flinching.
Imagine being part of a community that actually understands what you are going through. Not a network. Not a mailing list. A group of people from across the world who are doing the same deep work you are, and who support you at every step, including long after the programme ends.
Imagine having a methodology grounded in science, not opinion. A positive psychology foundation that lets you coach at the identity level, reach beneath behaviour change, and work with the patterns that actually drive people's decisions.
Imagine stepping into your professional life holding a credential that organisations, corporate buyers, and global coaching platforms recognise immediately.
PCC is the credential corporate clients, organisations, and leadership platforms look for when engaging coaches for serious work. It does not just validate your training. It opens rooms that most coaches never get access to.
And you will not figure out what comes next on your own. Our Coach and Grow platform connect certified Rise and Thrive coaches with individuals and organisations actively seeking positive psychology coaching. We step out of the programme with you, not just wave you off at the door.
Before You Scroll Past This
A year from now, one of two things will be true.
A.
Either you will have done this work, and something in you will be fundamentally different. The way you lead. The way you think. The way you hold space for the people around you.
B.
Or you will be in exactly the same place you are right now. A little more frustrated. A little more certain that something needs to change. Still waiting for the moment to feel right.
We say this gently and honestly: the right moment does not arrive on its own.
It is built. And it starts here, when you decide to begin.
Choose Your Pathway
Whether you are building the foundation or going deeper, there is a pathway for where you are right now.
Level 1 - ACC
Positive Psychology Coaching Programme
The foundation. The fundamentals. The core competencies that every serious coach needs.
- 70 training hours
- 10 hours of 1:1 mentor coaching with credentialed senior coaches
- 3 foundational modules
- Observed coaching practice with detailed ICF competency feedback
- 100% online and flexible
This is where you build a solid, confident starting point. You learn the science of positive psychology, develop your coaching skills through observed practice, and do the personal work that transforms how you show up. Level 1 is a complete programme in its own right, with a clear pathway to Level 2 when you are ready.
Level 1 prepares you to apply for your Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential with the International Coaching Federation.
No obligation | 20 minutes | We will help you choose the right pathway
Level 2 - PCC
Positive Psychology Coaching Programme
The deeper work. Advanced methodology. Evidence-based frameworks and identity-level psychology.
- 125 training hours
- 10 hours of 1:1 mentor coaching
- 4 advanced modules
- Masterclasses and Community Coaching Labs
- Observed coaching sessions with individualised feedback
- Psychological archetypes methodology (available in no other ICF programme)
- 120+ proprietary client-ready tools and frameworks
- 100% online and flexible
This is where the work goes to the identity level. You will work with proprietary frameworks, narrative coaching approaches, and methodology drawn from depth psychology and neuroscience. You will graduate able to support clients through complex transitions and high-stakes decisions with complete confidence.
Level 2 positions you to apply directly for your Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential - the standard that organisations and corporate buyers look for when engaging coaches for leadership work.
No obligation | 20 minutes | We will help you choose the right pathway
Level 1 vs Level 2 at a glance
| Level 1 | ACC | Level 2 | PCC | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Leaders, career-changers, new coaches | Advanced coaches, clinical professionals, career coaches |
| Training hours | 70 hours | 125 hours |
| Mentor coaching | 10 hours (1:1) | 10 hours (1:1) |
| ICF credential | Eligible to apply for ACC | Eligible to apply for PCC |
| Earning potential | Professional coaching rates | Access to corporate, executive and organisational markets |
| Modules | 3 foundational modules | 4 advanced modules |
| Extras | Observed coaching practice with detailed feedback | Masterclasses + Community Coaching Labs | Coach and Grow Platform Access |
| Delivery | 100% online, flexible | 100% online, flexible |
Not sure which pathway is right for you? That is exactly what the clarity call is for. In 20 minutes we will map your experience, goals, and timing, and give you a clear recommendation.
What You Receive
This is not a course. It is a complete professional transformation.
Every element has been designed so that by the time you hold your certification, you are not just qualified. You are genuinely ready.
i.
1:1 Mentor Coaching
Not group feedback. Not a recorded webinar. Private sessions with an experienced, credentialed coach focused entirely on your development as a practitioner. This is the investment in your competence that most programmes skip entirely.
ii.
Multiple Observed Coaching Sessions With Individualised Feedback
You will be assessed in practice, against ICF competencies, with detailed feedback on what you are doing well and where your depth can grow. You graduate feeling ready because you have already done it under expert eyes.
iii.
120+ Proprietary Client-Ready Tools and Frameworks
You own these from day one. Proprietary tools, psychological archetypes frameworks, and session guides you can use in your very first client conversation. No starting from scratch. No figuring it out alone.
iv.
Psychological Archetypes Methodology
This is available in no other ICF coaching programme in the world. Psychological archetypes are the recurring identity patterns that govern how people think, lead, and perform under pressure. Learning to identify and work with them is what takes your coaching from competent to transformational.
What Happens After You Certify?
Most programmes hand you a certificate and wish you well. This one hands you an ecosystem. Client access, business-building support, a global alumni community, and ongoing development are designed for the specific challenges coaches face after graduation.
The certification is the beginning. What comes after is what makes it last.
Something No Other Programme Offers
Once a student, a student for life.
Most coaching programmes have an end date. You complete the curriculum, receive your certificate, and find yourself on the other side of a door that quietly closes behind you.
We do not believe that is how growth works. And we do not believe that is how a genuine learning community should operate.
When you graduate from Rise and Thrive, you do not leave. You grow into a different relationship with us. And that ongoing relationship is one of the things that makes our graduates different from coaches who trained elsewhere.
Here is what that means in practice.
i.
Return to Masterclasses as many times as you need
Your understanding deepens as your practice grows. A concept that seemed abstract in year one will land completely differently in year three, because you will have lived it with clients. We want you to come back and learn it again at a deeper level.
ii.
Repeat Community Coaching Labs whenever they run
These live, interactive sessions are where theory meets practice in real time. Graduates are welcome back not just as participants but as a presence that lifts the learning of everyone in the room. The longer you have been practising, the more you bring.
iii.
Stay connected to a community that keeps growing
New cohorts join. New graduates add their experience. The conversation keeps evolving. You are not frozen at the point of your certification. You grow with the community around you.
iv.
Access updated content as coaching science evolves
Positive psychology is a living field. New research changes how we understand resilience, identity, and human flourishing. Your platform reflects that. Your practice stays at the frontier, not anchored to what was known when you graduated.
We know of no other ICF-accredited coaching programme in the world that offers its graduates this level of ongoing access, community, and continued development. This is not a feature. It is a philosophy. We believe the best coaches are always in formation.
What You Will Be Able To Do
By the time you complete your pathway.
As a coach
- Coach at depth around patterns like self-sabotage, impostor syndrome, burnout, and identity shifts using evidence-based positive psychology frameworks
- Hold space that is both compassionate and rigorous, helping clients see themselves more clearly and make aligned decisions
- Work confidently with leaders and professionals in high-stakes contexts without defaulting to advice-giving or surface-level problem-solving
In your career
- Position yourself for roles such as internal coach, leadership development partner, wellbeing lead, or independent practitioner with globally recognised ICF credentials behind your name
- Speak the language of organisations by connecting positive psychology principles to performance, engagement, and sustainable outcomes
- Set professional fees with confidence, grounded in the depth of your training and the rigour of your accreditation
In your business
- Design high-value coaching offers and programmes rooted in clear outcomes and ethical practice
- Build a network that leads to referrals, collaborations, and corporate engagements
- Access the Coach and Grow platform to find clients and accumulate ICF-required coaching hours from day one
In yourself
- Recognise and transform your own patterns of holding back so you stop self-sabotaging at the moments that matter most
- Develop a more compassionate, grounded inner voice that supports your work instead of undermining it
- Trust yourself to take up space as the coach, leader, or practitioner you know you are meant to be
From People Who Have Been Where You Are
The words that matter most are not ours.
Sarah Russell
CEO, Technology Sector
I came in thinking this was leadership training. Within the first module I realised something I had not been willing to see: I had been leading my team from fear, not from strength. Twelve months later, two people I had privately written off as too difficult have become my most trusted leaders. My board commented unprompted on the shift in team culture. I did not change my strategy. I changed how I showed up. That is what this programme does.
Dr. Jennifer Lee
Clinical Psychologist and PCC
I spent fifteen years in clinical practice before I admitted I was ready for something different. I came to this programme as a sceptic. I left with a completely different framework for working with high-functioning clients who do not need therapy but need something clinical work was never designed to offer. Within four months of completing Level 2 I had built a separate executive coaching practice alongside my clinical work. The ICF credential opened that door. The depth of the methodology gave me the confidence to walk through it.
Michael Shepherd, PCC
Former Finance Executive
I had a thirty-thousand-dollar problem. I had spent that much on marketing courses, sales training, and business coaching before Rise and Thrive. I had the knowledge. I had the systems. Every time I got to the edge of signing a client, I found a reason it was not the right moment. This programme named exactly what was happening. Three months after certification I had six paying clients. Six months in, I handed in my notice. I was fifty-two years old. The return on investment took six weeks. The return on twenty years of waiting happened all at once.
Is This Right For You?
This programme is not for everyone. And that is intentional.
This is for you if
- You are ready to do the inner work, not just acquire more knowledge
- You want methodology grounded in science, not motivational technique
- You are committed to your own transformation as part of your professional development
- You want a globally recognised ICF credential that opens real professional doors
- You are willing to invest in a programme that goes far deeper than a weekend certification
This is not for you if
- You want a quick certificate to add to a bio without doing genuine work
- You believe reading about coaching is the same as becoming a skilled coach
- You are not open to having your own patterns examined
- You want surface-level skill delivery without the personal development component
Common Questions
The questions most people ask before they say yes.
YOUR NEXT STEP
You do not have to have it all figured out to begin.
None of us do. You only need to take the next honest step, and we will take it with you.
If something in this page named something you have been quietly carrying, that recognition matters. We would love to sit with you in a no-obligation clarity call and help you work out whether this is the right fit, at the right time, for where you are right now.
In 20 minutes together, we will:
Explore where you are now and where you are trying to go. Help you find the pathway that genuinely fits your experience, goals, and timing. Answer every question you have, honestly, without any pressure
No obligation | 20 minutes | Available globally
The version of you that does this work is already in there.
We will help you find them.