The following points will help you see the differences between consulting, mentoring and coaching:

• A coach is not an expert in a specific field. That is considered "consulting."
• A coach is not someone who guides another from their own experiences. That is considered "mentoring."
• A coach helps someone discover where they want to go, what they want to do, and how they need to get there. That is considered "coaching."  

There are three certifications of coaching required by the International Coaching Federation (ICF):

• ACC - Associate Coaching Certification: Requires 60 hours of coach-specified training and 100 hours of coaching experience.
• PCC - Professional Coaching Certification: Requires 125 hours of coach-specified training and 750 hours of coaching experience.
• MCC - Masters Coaching Certification: Requires 200 hours of coach-specified training and 2500 hours of coaching experience.