New Ventures West

(Translated by Google) The quality, precision and requirement of this coaching school are simply exceptional. (Original) La qualit, la prcision et l'exigence de cette cole de coaching sont simplement exceptionnels.
Sep 22nd, 2020

Sep 28th, 2019

I am writing this as a warning to anyone looking to join this program. This is not what you think it is. This is a program posing as a coaching program trying to do therapy, or at least attempting to do what therapy is intended for. This is MALPRACTICE. The only reason for the 2 stars is because of some of the friendships I made in the program and I think there are some faculty coaches with good intentions in this program, they’re just led astray by the cult-like mentality of the place. However, the faculty coaches don’t have the qualifications or merit to do what they are trying to do with students and clients. They think that by reading some books, engaging in a few practices, and completing a program that meets only four times a year ran by other “coaches” prepares them for handling the issues that years of rigorous psychology training is supposed to handle. One coach I would really stay away from is ADAM KLEIN. Don’t let his seemingly calm demeanor fool you. This man is as pretentious as they come. Adam was the head instructor of my year-long PCC program and I had one particularly negative experience with him during my certification process. On the ICF webpage it clearly states, “ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. Coaching focuses on visioning, success, the present and moving toward the future. Therapy emphasizes psychopathology, emotions and the past to understand the present, and it works more with developing skills for managing emotions or past issues than does coaching.” The present and future were not focused on in regard to my practice client nor me by Adam during my certification process, or really for much of the entire program, which is the direction I wanted to focus on. When I tried to do actual coaching (focus on the future and goals and where to go from the present situation), I was ridiculed for it. I was criticized for not doing therapy, which is what they are trying to do with students and clients in this program. Adam was clearly going deep into emotions and past issues with me, and telling me to do that with my client. I have the videos to prove it. Beware of this place, specifically ADAM KLEIN. He is dangerous. Go to the New Ventures West Yelp page for a more full review, and I urge you to read through the other reviews on there, something is severely off about this organization.
May 12th, 2021

I certified with NVW back in 2002 and it's been more than ten years since I've been engaged with them.  Overall, I think the program is a solid one; you just have to move through James' ego to appreciate it and that is sometimes a difficult hill to climb.  There are some odd dynamics at play in this organization and at the end of the day, I found that I offered more to the world through other experiences in learning about coaching.  There are better, more cost-effective programs.  I would say it's best to find a school that also speaks to building a business as many of the instructors I worked with had no clue as to how to create a thriving income outside of working with students. What I will say is that in 2019, the most valuable thing that contributes to your success is having a model for coaching and the expertise and capabilities to deliver on it. There are lots of great books on coaching; you don't need certification unless you want to work with companies who require it for you to work there. People buy from people they like and trust.  People hire consultants with expertise.  Find a way to brand your coaching and write a great blog if you want clients. You don't need to walk around and hang your potential on a coaching certification.  A lot of the coaches in my class had no common sense, much less the ability to build a business around their skills. I've had a Masters in OD since 1995 and that education offered me the best way to work as a consultant. NVW is a great program; do your research and find one that resonates with you.  There's a lot of ego at NVW and some of the instructors are not necessarily helpful (see other reviews here). I just decided a long time ago that I did not want to be part of this community and I don't miss it, nor do I have the want or need to reconnect.
Nov 28th, 2019

I am writing this as a warning to anyone looking to join this program. This is a program posing as a coaching program trying to do therapy. This is MALPRACTICE. The only reason for the 2 stars is because of some of the friendships I made in the program and I think there are some faculty coaches with good intentions in this program, they're just led astray by the cult-like mentality of the place. However, the faculty coaches don't have the qualifications or merit to do what they are trying to do with students and clients. One coach I would really stay away from is ADAM KLEIN. Don't let his seemingly calm demeanor fool you. This man is as pretentious as they come. I have had the privilege of knowing some real healers in my life, Adam is not one among them.I had one particularly negative experience with Adam. Adam was the head instructor of my year-long PCC program. For our certification process we had to record a video of an interaction with a practice client. We then watched the video with faculty members and classmates. During the feedback of my recording Adam lost his emotions in a completely unprofessional manner. His face severely contorted, he choked up, and he looked like he was about to break down completely. His intense anger was clearly visible and I felt it. He told me that I wasn't attending to my client enough when she got emotional during my coaching conversation and it triggered him in a maniacal way. It was visible to me that my client was getting emotional, and I did check in with her. From previous sessions I understood why she was getting emotional and I could tell that she didn't want to go deeper and I decided it was best to not keep pushing her. Adam saw this as me not being able to feel what my client was feeling, and since I didn't check in with her multiple times he classified that as not being able to react to her in real time. From the initial onset of the feedback Adam could clearly not keep his emotions together. He continued with belittling comments and supreme arrogance, making me feel like I was nothing and he knew everything. Adam then went on to dig into my past and forced me to reveal what was coming up for me. Adam even made the audacious assumption that I was transmitting my own pain to my client, simply because I didn't pester my client about where her emotion was coming from after sensing that she didn't want to go deeper after already checking in. In his words, "If we don't transform our pain, we transmit our pain to our client." That is THERAPY language. He made comments that only a trained psychologist could have the ability to decipher in a professional setting. He is looking to replace the traditional role of a psychotherapist, with no formal training in psychology or the moral grounds to do so. I have had two experienced licensed therapists review the recorded videos of Adam's feedback and they are in agreement that Adam is CONDUCTING THERAPY. However, his therapy is harmful, in fact damaging. He asks the same basic repetitive questions over and over, and then frequently pauses for an extended period of time, which is cold and awkward. He eventually takes you to a place to reveal something deep and emotional, and then just leaves you there because he doesn't really know what to actually do with it. Adam was doing therapy and I have the videos to prove it.Keep in mind that this was meant to be a learning opportunity since I was merely a beginner coach. It turned out to be one of the most emotionally abusive moments of my life. They stress empathy and sensitivity here, yet when I shared something personal in my feedback session I wasn't met with any empathy by Adam. His handling of the entire situation was one of the most insensitive experiences I've ever been a part of. Adam has some deep, disturbing issues of his own that he has not worked through and I don't believe should be in any position in dealing with someone's internal state. He actually transmits his own suffering to students, and I'm sure to his clients as well. Adam Klein should not be in the position he is in for the sake of students' well-being and the integrity of coaching itself.Regardless of the way Adam conducted himself in the final session, I signed up for a course in coaching, not therapy. New Ventures West puts a vague label on their "coaching" calling it the Integral Method, which is about opening someone up and seeing all aspects of a person and attending to their deep psychological issues, precisely what therapy is intended for. Essentially these people are trying to do speed group therapy without a license. Beware of this place, specifically ADAM KLEIN. He is dangerous. It's places like this that give coaching the reputation of illegitimacy in mainstream culture. They could be getting shut down soon the way they are going. I urge you to read through the other reviews on here, something is severely off about this organization.
May 10th, 2021