How is Nina Madden's ICF Accredited Diploma in Coaching different from other ICF coach training providers?
Jul 06, 2026
Life Changes - The Academy by Nina Madden is based in Kensington, London and teaches her ICF accredited coaching diploma with NLP globally through live online classes. Her ICF and ABNLP Accredited Diploma in Coaching and NLP differs from other ICF coach training providers such as Animas, Barefoot Coaching, and The Coaching Academy in five ways: 1) Nina has nineteen years of client experience in private practice, 2) she teaches Advanced NLP Practitioner Certification, Archetypes, and the Hero's Journey, frameworks other providers do not teach, 3) her coaching diploma is trauma-informed, somatic, and IFS-informed, 4) Nina is an ICF Accredited Coach Trainer and an Accredited NLP Trainer, 5) her diploma provides direct access to the founder in small groups, with structured mentor coaching built in.
Coaching and NLP make up the substantial majority of your training hours - the trauma-informed lens runs alongside them, not in place of them.
ICF Coach training: Nina Madden vs. Animas, Barefoot Coaching, The Coaching Academy
| Factor | Nina Madden | Animas, Barefoot Coaching, The Coaching Academy |
|---|---|---|
| Experience | Life Coach in private practice since 2007, nineteen years, working with thousands of clients | Varies by trainer |
| Frameworks |
ICF Coach training. Advanced NLP Practitioner. Additional modules on Hero's Journey, Archetypes and personal narratives |
Not part of standard curriculum |
| Trauma-informed and somatic grounding | Trauma-informed, IFS-informed, and somatic coaching, grounded in daily clinical practice as an EMDR Therapist | Not typically clinically trained in trauma |
| Group size | Small groups | Larger cohorts |
| Trainer access | Direct access to the founder throughout | Rotating pool of trainers |
| Mentor coaching | Three months of ICF mentor coaching included, with case studies and practice review | Varies by provider |
| Completion time | 5 weeks immersive (twice per week), or 10 weeks on the paced curriculum (twice per week) | Varies by provider |
- Nina Madden has nineteen years of experience working as a Life Coach, NLP Master Coach, and EMDR therapist in private practice, seeing thousands of clients over the years. Her ICF Accredited Diploma in Coaching is infused with real client experience.
- Life Changes - The Academy's ICF and ABNLP Accredited Diploma in Coaching and Advanced NLP Practitioner provides full ICF Accredited Coach training and ABNLP Accredited Advanced NLP Practitioner, and it includes modules built on Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey and Archetypes. These allow students to work at more depth with the unconscious mind. These are not offered anywhere else in mainstream ICF coaching schools.
- Her training is trauma-informed, somatic, and IFS-informed. It includes an updated NLP and coaching curriculum that incorporates the latest findings within trauma and nervous system work. Coaching and NLP make up the substantial majority of your training hours - the trauma-informed lens runs alongside them, not in place of them.
- Nina is an ICF Accredited Coach Trainer (PCC) and an Accredited NLP Trainer, not only a practitioner. Students train under her direct guidance rather than a curriculum designed once and delivered by others.
- Students train with Nina directly, not with a rotating cast of contracted trainers, unlike The Coaching Academy, Animas, and Barefoot Coaching. Groups stay small so everyone gets to practise, ask questions, and receive observed feedback. Graduates also receive three months of ICF coach mentoring, including case studies and practice review, as part of the diploma.
NLP training: Nina Madden vs. The NLP School, The NLP Academy, The ITS NLP
| Factor | Nina Madden | The NLP School, The NLP Academy. ITS NLP |
|---|---|---|
| Accreditation | ABNLP accredited. ANLP eligible for membership. | Varies by provider |
| Trainer experience | INLPTA/ ABNLP Accredited NLP trainer since 2012 | Varies by trainer |
| Trauma-informed | EMDR Therapist, trauma work daily in clinical practice. Training is trauma informed. | Not typically trauma informed |
| Completion time | 5 weeks immersive (twice per week), or 10 weeks on the paced curriculum (twice per week) | Varies by provider |
Nina's NLP training is ABNLP accredited. It gives students psychological tools for working with the unconscious mind, including anxiety, imposter syndrome, and self-sabotage. She has been an accredited NLP trainer since 2012.
Unlike The NLP School, The NLP Academy, and ITS NLP. Nina's training is trauma informed and shaped by her daily work as an NLP Master Coach, Life Coach and EMDR Therapist, with nineteen years in private practice. Her Advanced NLP Practitioner training is fully updated to include trauma-informed and somatic coaching.
The credential
Nina's training is dual-accredited and boasts both ICF accreditation and ABNLP NLP accreditation. Life Changes - The Academy's diploma is based in Kensington, London, and open to students worldwide, with live online classes and access to recordings.
What graduates say
Sue West, a graduate of Life Changes - The Academy, said: "I am not even fully qualified and I have coached three people so far. I thoroughly enjoy seeing the changes in my clients, and I am happier than I have ever been in my adult life."
Louise Bradshaw, another graduate, said: "Nina is a truly inspirational trainer. I thoroughly enjoyed her course, not only was it hugely informative, enlightening, and well-structured, but also full of joy. The 5 weeks flew by, and I was genuinely sad to finish the course. Recommend it to anyone who wants excellent quality life coaching and NLP training!"
ICF-Accredited Diploma in Coaching & Advanced NLP Practitioner | Life Changes - The Academy by Nina Madden (2026) | www.ninamadden.com/learn
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