The 6 Best Executive Function Coaching Certification Programs for Former Teachers
- Sean G. McCormick
- Oct 21
- 10 min read
This article is brought to you by the Special Educator's 10-Minute Transition Toolkit.
Find your niche, run your first session, set your price, and grab a ready-to-use coaching contract. Designed for special educators exploring executive function coaching.
Former teachers already have the empathy, structure, and problem-solving skills that make great executive function coaches.
This guide explains why your classroom experience perfectly translates into EF coaching and helps you choose the best certification program to launch your next career chapter.
What You'll Learn in This Post:
As a teacher, you have unique superpowers.
It’s not reading people’s minds or being invisible (although, we’ll admit, those powers would come in handy from time to time, especially during those dreaded in-service training).
No, as a teacher, you have the ability to innovate.
To juggle lesson plans, manage a room full of diverse personalities, and explain the Pythagorean theorem for the fifth time, all before your first cup of coffee gets cold.
Now, what if you could take that superpower and turn it into a new, fulfilling career?
Transitioning from the classroom can feel like a huge leap, but your skills as an educator are a perfect match for the world of executive function coaching.
Executive function coaching is all about helping people build the mental skills they need to get things done.
These skills include things like:
planning
organizing
time management
emotional regulation
If those skills sound familiar, they should. That’s because you’ve been coaching them your entire career, whether you realized it or not.
Are you ready to take the leap into a fresh new career as an executive function coach?
We’ll tell you all about how to find the best executive function coaching certification programs for former teachers…and give you some of our top picks, too.👇
Why Former Teachers Make Great EF Coaches
You might not have realized it, but your classroom was a living laboratory for developing executive functions.
Every day, you:
guided students through complex tasks
helped manage their time
provided the structure they needed to succeed
Those experiences likely equipped you with a powerful set of transferable skills, ones that are in increasingly high demand.
So what are the key skills you bring to the table? Here are just a few:
Time Management and Organization
Remember creating color-coded schedules, setting up classroom routines, and juggling deadlines for grading, parent-teacher conferences, and faculty meetings?
You, my friend, are a master of organization.
And as an EF coach, you’ll tap into those organization skills to help clients who struggle with these exact challenges, whether it's a student trying to manage a heavy course load or a professional overwhelmed by project deadlines.
You can teach them the systems you used instinctively to bring order to chaos in your own classroom.
Communication and Empathy
You know how to explain a single concept in five different ways to reach every learner.
You also know how to listen and understand the unspoken challenges a student is facing.
This telltale blend of clear communication and deep empathy is the heart of effective coaching.
You can connect with clients, build trust, and help them feel seen and understood, which is the first step toward making real progress.
Problem-Solving and Adaptability
Let’s face it: lesson plans often serve as little more than “suggestions.”
When technology fails, a fire drill interrupts your flow, or a student has a breakthrough (or a meltdown), you adapt on the fly.
This flexibility and creative problem-solving are invaluable in coaching.
Each client is unique, and you’ll need to tailor your strategies to fit their specific needs and goals, just like you differentiated instruction in your classroom.
The Growing Demand for EF Coaches
The world is waking up to the importance of executive functions. Awareness of challenges like ADHD, and the general stress of modern life, has created a significant need for skilled coaches.
In the past 20 years or so, executive function skills have been a major focus of research across disciplines, including neuroscience, education, and psychology.
As research grows, more people than ever before are leveraging the services of EF coaches, and this demand shows no signs of slowing down.
For more on the EF coaching industry, check out this 2025 State of the EF Coaching Industry article based off of EFCA Graduates.
As you might imagine, this creates a wealth of opportunities.
You can work with a wide range of clients, including:
Students struggling with homework and test preparation.
College students adjusting to the demands of university life.
Professionals looking to improve productivity and work-life balance.
Families seeking strategies to create a more organized and harmonious home environment.
To figure out who you'd want to work with, it's important to determine your unfair advantage as an EF coach.
This is when you hone in on your unique strengths and specialize in specific area to set you apart as an EF coach.
Most importantly, your background as a teacher gives you immediate credibility and a deep well of experience to draw from, making you an ideal candidate to fill this growing need.
What to Look for in an EF Coaching Certification Program
While your teaching experience is a fantastic foundation and can help you get your foot in the door, a formal certification will give you the structure, tools, and confidence to launch your new career successfully.
But not all programs are created equal.
When you're researching certifications, look for these essential components:
Comprehensive Curriculum
The program should cover the neuroscience behind executive functions, evidence-based coaching strategies, and practical tools you can use with clients immediately.
Hands-on Practice and Mentorship
Theory is great, but practice is what builds competence.
Look for programs that offer real-world case studies and ongoing support from experienced mentors.
Flexibility for Working Professionals
Transitioning careers often means juggling your current job while you train.
A good program will offer flexible, online learning options that fit into your busy schedule.
Accreditation and Credibility
Choose a program that is recognized and respected in the field.
This adds to your credibility and assures clients they are working with a well-trained professional.
The 6 Best Executive Function Coaching Certification Programs for Former Teachers
If you want to build a solid business as an EF coach, certification is a must.
It builds trust with potential clients, showing them you have invested in your professional development.
It also provides a structured path to success, equipping you with a proven framework so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
With many options available, choosing the right certification can feel overwhelming.
We’ve done the research for you, with a special focus on programs that value the skills you already have as an educator.👇
1. Executive Function Coach Certification Course at EFCA (Our Top Pick)
Not to toot our own horn, but the certification program at EFCA repeatedly stands out as the premier choice for former teachers.
Our founder is Sean McCormick, an executive function coach with a with a Master's in Education and founded his own EF coaching business, Executive Function Specialists.
It’s a program designed with teachers in mind, recognizing that you aren’t starting from scratch and focuses on helping you reframe your existing skills for a coaching context.
The curriculum consists of six masterclasses designed to prepare you for coaching middle, high school, and college students.
You’ll learn everything from finding the right clients, how to work with students & families, to launching your practice.
The program even includes live Q&A sessions with Sean, ready-made business templates (like intake forms and service terms), a listing on their exclusive global directory of EF coaches, and access to the Skool community filled with other aspiring EF coaches like yourself.
And, the program is self-paced so you can get certified on your own timing while juggling your teaching schedule.
Our graduates have gone on to run thriving and profitable EF coaching businesses.
For example, Alison Eber was a classroom teacher who got certified at EFCA and started her EF coaching business that now includes group coaching, workshops, and a team of coaches serving over 40 students.
An additional resource and great starting point EFCA offers is the Special Educator’s 10-Minute Transition Toolkit, which walks you through how to translate your teaching background into a new, profitable career.
If you're wanting guidance on your next best step at EFCA, you can book a discovery call here with our admissions coach, Christal.
JST Coaching & Training is a fantastic option if you want to specialize in coaching individuals with ADHD.
This program is highly respected and is a required training provider for coaches at the Edge Foundation.
JST offers two main tracks:
Empowering Students Through Coaching
This is for those without prior coaching experience and leads to an ICF Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential.
It equips you with strategies for working with students aged 8 and up.
Coaching Neurodiverse Learners
For experienced learners, this course offers a deeper dive into neurodiversity and its impact on the coaching process.
JST’s direct path to ICF credentialing is a major advantage, lending significant credibility to your practice.
Its specialized focus on ADHD provides deep, targeted knowledge that is highly sought after.
However, it’s important to recognize that not all people who seek EF coaching are those with ADHD.
Unless you’re seeking to specialize, you may want to consider a program that is a bit broader.
3. Seth Perler’s The Executive Function Coach Blueprint
Seth Perler is a well-known pioneer in the EF coaching world.
A former struggling student himself, he brings a unique and innovative perspective to his training.
Perler’s main offering is The Executive Function Coach Blueprint, an intensive workshop that covers his unique methods for helping children who struggle with executive function.
As of now, it is waitlist only.
The intent of this course will be to provide powerful insights into why certain strategies work, as well as guidance on building and marketing your coaching business.
This program will be less about formal certification and more about learning a specific, proven system from a leading expert.
The approach is practical and deeply rooted in Perler’s own experience.
For those just beginning their EF coaching journeys, Connections in Mind offers a five-week course covering the basics of neuroscience and neuroplasticity.
Its signature coaching model, Connect, Collaborate, and Support, blends traditional EF strategies with motivational interviewing.
This program is perfect for beginners looking to build a strong foundation while connecting with a community of like-minded professionals.
However, it doesn’t offer as much for those who are further along in their journeys and simply sticks to the basics.
PESI’s program is an excellent choice for experienced professionals seeking advanced tools and interventions.
Fully online and self-paced, it focuses on cognitive-behavioral interventions to improve cognition, emotional regulation, and task sequencing.
A stark contrast to the last program, PESI is not the best choice for beginners since it covers more advanced techniques and may be more challenging to those who are new to the field.
This is a recorded, self-paced course. However, if you prefer to attend live, you can learn more about the live version here.
The Seeds of Learning® Online Education Community, founded by Tera Sumpter, offers a global network for parents and professionals who want to deepen their understanding of childhood executive function and learning.
Built around the Seeds of Learning® Executive Function Framework, this program focuses on uncovering and addressing the root causes of learning challenges rather than surface-level symptoms.
Participants progress through three learning phases—Root, Leaf, and Flower Skills—each blending on-demand lessons with hands-on tools and practical strategies that can be applied immediately.
While enrollment runs in cohorts, learners can move at their own pace or follow the group’s schedule for added accountability and support.
The next cohort starts January 2026.
With a strong community and holistic approach, this program empowers educators to create meaningful, lasting change in student success.
The Bottom Line
Your next chapter is waiting, and you’re more prepared for it than you think.
Here’s a quick recap of the 6 best programs to get your EF coaching career started:
Hope this helps! 🤙🏻
FAQs
Do I need a teaching credential or degree to become an executive function coach?
No. While your teaching experience gives you a strong foundation, most certification programs do not require a teaching credential.
What matters most is your ability to connect with clients and apply structured coaching strategies effectively.
How long does it take to get certified as an executive function coach?
Most certification programs take between 6 weeks and 6 months to complete, depending on the program’s depth and pace.
Many are self-paced and designed to fit around your current teaching or work schedule, like the certification program at EFCA.
Can I start coaching while I’m still teaching full-time?
Yes, definitely. In fact, EFCA graduate, Sarah Zeilstra, is someone who does just that.
She got certified at EFCA and now runs her coaching practice while working full-time as a college professor.
This article is a part of the larger category of:
Related Articles:
5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Was Transitioning From Teaching (2025)
Why I Quit My Career As A Special Education Teacher And What I Do Now (2025)
How To Find Your "Unfair Advantage" As An Executive Function Coach
How Sarah Zeilstra Built Her Executive Function Coaching Business While Teaching Full-Time
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About Me
Hey! I'm Sean 👋
I'm a former public school special education teacher who realized that executive function skills are more important than knowing when George Washington crossed the Potomac.
Since then, I've made it my mission to teach anyone who will listen about how to develop these key life skills.
In 2020, I founded Executive Function Specialists to ensure all students with ADHD and Autism have access to high-quality online executive function coaching services. We offer online EF coaching and courses to help students and families.
Realizing I could only reach so many people through coaching, in 2021 I started the Executive Function Coaching Academy which trains schools, educators, and individuals to learn the key strategies to improve executive function skills for students.
In 2023, I co-founded of UpSkill Specialists, to provide neurodivergent adults with high-quality executive function coaching services.
When not pursuing my passions through work, I love spending time with my family, getting exercise, and expanding my brain through reading. You can connect with me on LinkedIn.