The Coaching Institute
Reviews and Complaints

The school mainly sucks in the vulnerable people who are looking to help themselves, people who are easily manipulated and brainwashed. The school revolves around worshiping the founder of TCI and whatever she says becomes the part of the studies at TCI.

Anyone who may speak negatively about TCI is ridiculed and ostracized in the community. All the gossip and the opinions students expressed about TCI and the trainers go straight to the team.

Anything that does not fit in the frame of SP thinking is negated and ridiculed.

The fact is that the main goal for this school is to make profit at any cost possible.

Life coaching is a great discipline but the way it is delivered at TCI is manipulative, disrespectful and dehumanizing.

TCI is going into damage control after the SBS TV station released a documentary about TCI and its leader Sharon Pearson who also goes by he names Theresa and Remi

All over TCI Facebook pages she is getting students to post live testimonials about how wonderful TCI is. I wonder how many did that for a few minutes of fame or in the hopes of getting paid clients from it. Who knows maybe it its a condition of going to her live training. I regret ever signing up with TCI and having to endure the potty mouthed Narccisst that runs it.

Please think long and hard before signing up with TCI - there are better coaching courses you can do and still have change left to have a decent holiday at the end of training. None of the recognised Coaching Bodies will have anything to do with TCI - so they have made their own Coachng bodies up of which TCI is the only member.

Do not ever sign up for this institute. Their contract is a trap!!!

Spread the word to all your loved ones who may be in harms way.

Be extremely cautious if you're attending free workshops. Don't believe anything any of their staff say when they sell (in their words "when they are rooting for you to live your dream" :D) All their staff are responsible to sell and they are encouraged to say or do anything to sell. Don't fall for their cult mindset. For persuasion they play every single trick in the book.

If you sign up and then want to leave that is when their professional/caring facade start to vanish and you see the true colours.

They will tell you, you have to pay 12k or 20 k $$$. They will manipulate you, hassle you and threaten you. They will put debt collectors on you and chase you for upto 5 years (yes- will make you feel like a criminal). But don't cave- don't believe them.

You are protected by the Consumer Law in Victoria. You don't have to pay a single cent to them unless you are getting value. You don't have to pay for their ridiculously priced online courses that they sneakily push down on you the moment you sign up(its part of the trap). Just go to the local court: Tribunal (VCAT).

One hearing; you can represent yourself(don't need a lawyer- but your local council will have free legal consultation you can access), will take 20-45 minutes and you will be free.

Judge will rule in your favour as they have all the details of all of the unethical pactices of TCI in their file. Tell them you don't feel you are getting value for your money and say you feel you do not owe any more money (regardless of their contract which they never give a copy to students- another part of their trap) Mention all of their unethical practices.

And finally leave a Google review (be anonymous if that makes you comfortable) That way less people will get victimized in future

So The Coaching Institute, also known as 'the international coaching guild' is really annoying and left a really bitter taste in my mouth.

I would like to pursue legal proceedings to get a full refund.

This circus has cost me dearly in not only fees for the course it self, I flew in for a so called training course which was a 2 day sales pitch for 'essential' add on sales ***.

Believe I may be able to get a sue them for my flights, and expenses incurred for a misleading event.

If anyone has contact with those who are taking legal action how can we connect?

Cult, business Sharon Pearson and her staff are just fake and such bad coach! They take your money and they brainwashed vulnerable people!

Government should do something now to stop them! Its a shame for Australia!

They never refund me and they put me in a very bad financial situation! Be really really careful read reviews before and go to another coaching school in Melbourne they are so much better and professional than TCI .

I was invited to a FREE event where there was a sales pitch to join a "school" to learn about Human Behavior & Coaching. The company were so good at the sales pitch that they got you hooked on the program despite your concerns about finance or personal capabilities, they made it feel like you didn't value yourself if you didn't invest in yourself.

I joined the program at a mid level, still somewhat reluctant but it was so convincing so I did it. I was clearly looking for something. Upon joining they were very quick to contact you to try and up sell you, again hitting the emotions and making you want to upgrade to there higher package/program. So I did.

They also like to avoid giving you the small print details and heavily focus on the emotions and you hopes and dreams leaving you somewhat concerned about what decision you just made. When I joined, I signed a form but never had the small print or terms and conditions read out or available to me. It was at an event which had everyone crying and quite emotional so, it almost wasn't something you took into account. They explained they were a supportive and flexible school.

So it felt like you could trust them and that no matter what, they would assist in making it a decision you wont regret. After about a year, I had my own personal issues in my life and just ignored that fact that I had about $250 coming out of my account every week as I was so caught up in my own personal issues I couldn't focus on the program. I worked full time also. Upon coming back to the program and seeing it for what it was I began to realise, I was sold perceived value.

Promised a whole lot and it didnt seem as though they cared anymore after they had upsold me. It was hard getting a hold of them and when you expressed your concerns about that they had promised, they would respond with very vague things like "If you want something, you will make it work, you will find a way". But never addressing the real issues; Some of my concerns include but not limited to;

- Instead of having joined a school to learn Human Behavior - it became sales driven.

- They promised that it was a course to suite everyone and that working mothers could achieve it with a busy lifestyle. But when I told them I work full time and cannot always access the live classes due to time difference etc - they responded with, if it was important you will make time, find a way.

Note: In order to be accredited and pass the course, you not only need to have been through the prerecorded classes, but also the live classes - which was not doable in my circumstances. I then raised this, and their response was - why cant you be one of those coaches who aren't accredited?

Alot of the videos and products werent of good quality, some vieos on membership page were corrupt and didnt work.

Responses and contact became less and less and support follow up calls became less and less after you upgraded to their top program. They focused more on obtaining new students. Sales Sales Sales!

They didnt make terms and conditions clear or available to you when your all "emotioned" up in the event room while they pitch to you, and tell you that you dont value yourself, if you dont invest in yourself".

They dont tell you that if you withdraw, you still need to pay the full balance. They dont tell you that you're actually not buying a course thats yours forever and that actually its a membership set up and if you need more time after its run out, you need to pay more.

They tell you its an accredited course and governed by a body called the ICG. Which they created!

Do your research first!

Dont get caught up in the pressure sales at their event. Trust me!