Frequently asked questions

There are several ways to find out more about the coaching and counselling courses and modules offered by the Academy for Coaching and Counselling:

• You can sign up for our newsletter.
• Visit one of our free open days or online information sessions.
• Request our free study guide.
• Send an email to info@counselling.nl or call us on +31 (0) 85 06 06 023 and receive information and advice from our study advisor.

Are you wondering whether the coaching profession and/or a coach training programme would suit you? Take the test on our website and discover whether a career in this field suits you. Click here to take the test.

You can also send an email to info@counselling.nl or call us on +31 (0) 85 06 06 023 for information and advice from our study advisor.

If you are unsure which training programme would suit you best, there are several ways to explore the options:

• Visit one of our open days. During these events, it is possible to meet our teachers and former students and find out more about our programmes.
• Call us on +31 (0) 85 06 06 023 or email us at info@counselling.nl. One of our staff members will be happy to explore with you what training programme suits you best.

At the Academy for Coaching and Counselling (ACC), quality is of the utmost importance. This is reflected in the various certifications, accreditations and quality marks we hold.

The ACC is a member of the NRTO (Nederlandse Raad voor Training en Opleiding) and has been awarded the NRTO quality mark. This quality mark demonstrates that we are a reliable and professional training institute. We are also registered with the CRKBO, which means that our programmes are exempt from BTW (VAT). The combination of these registrations gives our students the assurance that they are studying with a recognised educational institute, while not having to pay VAT on their tuition fees.

In addition, the ACC is recognised by several professional associations, including the LVSC, NFG and IAC. You can have access to membership of one or more of these professional entities, as well as become an aspiring or student member during the training programme. In addition, it is possible to join other professional associations after completing our training programmes, such as the NOBCO, ICF and NOLOC.

The ACC has also successfully acquired an institutional accreditation with the SKB (Stichting Keurmerk Beroepsscholingen), where we were awarded the classification ‘excellent’. In addition, most of our training programmes have been independently accredited by the SKB. You can read more about it on this page.

Read more about accreditation and recognition on this page.

Participants are expected to have completed at least Secondary Vocational Education (Dutch MBO level 4), as well as sufficient life experience and motivation.

To take part in our specialisation programmes (e.g. Coaching and Counselling Year 2), it is required that participants have already completed a training programme in coaching and/or counselling (such as Coaching and Counselling Year 1) and meet the required coaching competencies. The specific entry requirements per training programme can be found in the ‘Details and prices’ section of that programme on our website.

Based on our experience, we believe that a certain level of life experience is important in order to guide clients in a meaningful way. For this reason, students must be at least 18 years of age to enrol.

If you have any further questions about this, please feel free to contact us.

Our coaching and counselling programmes are also accessible to people with physical disabilities. We have previously supported students with visual and hearing impairments, amongst others. Most of our locations are also wheelchair accessible. If you have a physical disability that we should take into account, please feel free to contact us to discuss the available options.

Coaching and Counselling Year 1
No exemptions are granted for individual parts of the Coaching and Counselling Year 1 programme. All participants are required to complete the full programme. This supports group dynamics and ensures that all participants achieve the same level upon completion.

Coaching and Counselling Year 2 and specialisation programmes
For Coaching and Counselling Year 2 or one of the specialisation programmes, it is possible to apply for exemption from following the compulsory Coaching and Counselling Year 1. An exemption may be granted if a participant has previously completed a coaching and/or counselling training programme in which the required coaching competencies were sufficiently covered and which was completed with a diploma or certificate. To apply for an exemption, you can complete our exemption request form and submit it to the ACC. This form can be requested digitally by sending an email to info@counselling.nl.

We ask you to complete a questionnaire as part of the admission process for our training programmes. We do this to ensure that you have made the right choice and to rule out any factors that might prevent you from successfully completing the programme. This benefits both your personal development and group dynamics.

Dutch consumer law applies to our courses. This means that you may cancel your enrolment free of charge up to fourteen days after registration. For more details about cancelling your enrolment, please refer to our Terms and Conditions.

To obtain a diploma for one of our programmes, the following requirements must be met:

• All tuition fees must have been paid in full;
• A passing result must have been obtained for the trainer assessment;
• If the programme includes a theory exam, a minimum grade of 6 must have been achieved;
• A passing result must have been obtained for the portfolio;
• If the programme includes a practical exam, a sufficient result must have been obtained;
• The minimum attendance requirement for the class days must have been met.

The attendance requirements and specific diploma requirements are listed on the webpage of the relevant programme.

You will receive your certificate or diploma by post no later than four weeks after passing your exams and having your portfolio approved.

A professional association consists of a group of people with a similar educational background or profession who have joined forces to organise certain matters collectively. Professional associations represent the interests of their members and take on a variety of responsibilities. For example, they may assess the quality of training programmes, maintain contact with health insurers and help raise awareness and recognition for a profession. They may also organise information events and meetings for their members. In addition, most professional associations have a complaints officer and a disputes committee that members can make use of. You can read more about the benefits of joining a professional association on this page.

The ACC training programmes are recognised by various national and international professional associations. This means that our diplomas may provide access to membership of one or more of these professional associations, and it can already be possible to become an aspiring or student member during the training programme. Read more about this here.

There are many professional associations within the field of complementary healthcare, and each association has its own admission requirements. We therefore recommend checking directly with the professional association of your choice to find out which requirements apply.

With a diploma from the ACC, it is possible to:

• Start an independent coaching or counselling practice. Please refer to our pages on professional associations and legal requirements for more information.
• Further your professional development or broaden and deepen existing knowledge as a coach or therapist.
• Work as a coach or counsellor within the business sector.
• Provide personal guidance and tailored support to patients within healthcare institutions, including nursing homes, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, clinics and hospices.
• After completing the Addiction and Recovery Coaching and Counselling programme, support individuals directly or work for organisations within the addiction care sector. For those already working in addiction care, this programme offers valuable practical knowledge and additional professional development.
• Specialise further or continue professional development within a current role.

Coaching is generally not reimbursed by health insurers. This means that clients usually pay for coaching themselves, or that the costs are covered by an employer.

Counselling may be reimbursed by some health insurers through supplementary health insurance policies. To qualify for reimbursement, counsellors must be registered in the VPMW Register of the NFG. Read more on this page about the requirements for joining the NFG.

Our training programmes are included on the UWV’s preferred supplier list. This means that UWV-staff (e.g. career coaches and reintegration advisers) can arrange for their clients to study at the ACC. Are you currently receiving unemployment benefit (WW) or sick leave benefit (ZW/WIA), and could you be eligible for a funded training programme? We then recommend contacting the UWV to explore the available options. If you qualify, you are welcome to enrol at the ACC. Click here for more information.

If you would like to start your own practice as a coach or counsellor, there are a number of legal obligations to take into account. We have outlined the most important requirements on this page.

Since January 1, 2017, the Healthcare Quality Complaints Act (Wet Kwaliteit Klachten Geschillen Zorg, in short: WKKGZ) has been in force in the Netherlands. This legislation requires every healthcare provider to offer clients access to both a complaints officer and a dispute resolution body.

Are you a healthcare provider, such as a counsellor working as an independent practitioner? If so, you must be affiliated with an organisation that offers a complaints officer and a dispute resolution body. If you fail to do so, you do not comply with the WKKGZ and are no longer authorised to practise as a healthcare provider (counsellor). Read more about this on our page about legal obligations.

In May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force. This legislation concerns the protection of personal data. If you work with clients as a self-employed coach or counsellor, you will be processing personal data. It is important that this is handled with due care. The website of the Dutch Data Protection Authority explains what is expected in this regard. For more information, we refer you to this website.

Since May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been in force. This European legislation governs the protection of personal data. We strictly comply with the requirements of this legislation. You can read in our Privacy Statement how we handle your personal data.

If you have a complaint or are dissatisfied about something, we will work together with you to find a suitable solution. We always take complaints seriously and carefully investigate the situation. In some cases, it may not be possible to reach a solution together. If this happens, you can submit your complaint to the independent disputes committee of the NRTO. You can read more about our full complaints procedure here.