Professional Christian Coaching Institute PCCI COACHING FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING, INC. The Deceptive Practices of Professional Christian Coaching Institute (PCCI) Edgar Springs MO

SUMMARY: 

They claim they are a 'destinctly Christian' school, but they also teach occult practices. They also have a financial deal with an International Coaching Federation (ICF) complaints review board member. 

The founder of PCCI (Christopher McCluskey) has a publishing company called Mount Tabor Media. The review board member (Michael Marx) of ICF has a conflict of interest, so how can a student file a complaint with the ICF and have a fair and just review given? 

(See the very last email at the bottom of complaint for the email I sent to Michael Marx)

Michael Marx receives royalty checks from Mount Tabor Media and at first he denied having any dealings with McCluskey, but then admitted he gets checks.

If you question their practices and ask about the potential conflict of interest with the ICF, they first attempt to silence you, then they ban you and shun you and keep your money, even though you didn't get to finish the coaching credential path for their school. Thousands of dollars has been kept by this school that lied about their 'destinctly Christian' claim. 

They started scrubbing their site of the occult teaching after I complained, but a lot of it is still there. I have asked for a refund but I've been given the silent treatment by all staff members. It's as if I don't exist to them.

 This is not the behavior of a Christian school. It's the behavior of a cult.

It doesn't appear to matter how much you paid for your classes either, or that you are still a student.  They ban you and ignore your complaints. This sounds more like a cult, not a Christian coaching school.  So, let me explain what led up to this complaint being filed so I can  warn others.

If you are considering getting coaching creditials, you need to be aware that the International Coaching Federation mixes their staff and volunteers among those whom they are suppose to review complaints against, should their be a need for a student to file a complaint.

It appears to be a good ole boy network of some sort, by people setting themselves up to monitor coaches even though the coaching industry is not regulated.

DETAILS:

The coaching industry is not a regulated one like counseling is.  You can pretty much call yourself a coach for whatever you want your niche to be in, and there is no governing body that will oversee your coaching practice.

When I started my coaching journey, I would be teaming with a counselor to provide coaching services, and since counselors have a governing body that oversees their practice, I also wanted credentials.   

There is a dominant, self-appointed credential standard entity called the International Coach Federation  (ICF) that is commonly used by coaches to gain credentials and certifications.    (https://coachingfederation.org/)

Their requirements for certification is that you obtain a certain number of hours from an ICF approved training program, plus you take an exam and pay the certification fee.  You also have to keep up continuing education units, much like counselors have to.

In fact, it follows a lot of the requirements a counselor would have to follow, except that, like I said, certification is not required, and not regulated.    

As a Christian, I wanted to choose a training program that is Bible-based, and so I chose the Professional Christian Coaching Institute (PCCI).  (https://professionalchristiancoaching.com/)

They are an ICF approved school and they state this on their site:

"Every course at PCCI is aligned with ICF standards. All of our instructors are successful ICF-certified coaches. And all of our courses are pre-approved by the ICF as ACSTH: Approved Coach-Specific Training Hours.

Our CPLC credentials do double-duty, enabling you to exceed course requirements for the first level of ICF certification, the Associate Certified Coach (ACC). 

Combining our four Core Courses with our business-development course (The Successful Coach) and any other single course of your choosing enables you to exceed the course requirements for the ICF’s advanced level of certification, the Professional Certified Coach (PCC)."

They require four core classes before you can get their first certification, for a total of 104 training hours.  They also require 5 hours of 1:1 mentor coaching, plus 50 hours of compensated coaching experience.

The four courses include:

1. The Essentials of Life Coaching $2,000

2. Coaching Skills Development  $1,250

3. Ethical Practice and Risk Management $500

4. Coaching Skills Mastery $1,250

The two elective classes I chose in order to get the PCC advanced certification are:

1. The Successful Coach $1,000

2. Developing Emotional Intelligence Through Coaching. $1000

By May 2nd, I had completed all but one class, which is the Coaching Skills Mastery class.  I paid more than the posted fees because I chose the payment plan method.   I had paid the deposit plus two payments and my last class would start May 26, 2022.

I lined up my mentor coach for the required 1:1 mentoring hours, and I was planning to further my education with PCCI for classes that would continue my education for years to come.  

Recently, the ICF began rebranding itself to One ICF, and the detailed direction of their standards are not entirely posted yet.  Some of the information will apparently be disclosed in the Fall of 2022.    They have so many Web sites, and so many branches running in different directions that it's hard to tell what they're doing as they rebrand.

If you go look at some of the resources they mention, then you can find out 3rd party information, such as the UN 2030 agenda, and Paris agreement about climate change.   

I wanted to do more research about where the ICF stands before I get creditials through them.   They are not a Christian-based organization, so I started researching who they are.

It is operated by a for profit entity, Associations International, Inc.  (https://associationsinternational.com/people/).  This firm has the authority to hire, fire, and set standards.

The ICF has already, or is in the process of adopting the Charter of the United Nations.  Until they complete their site, the ICF is not being clear what this will mean for Christian coaches. Even their credentialing process is unclear, and under construction.   They are transitioning to levels, and not all the levels are clear, yet. 

I wanted to do more research on what this means to Christians before I alligned myself with the ICF standards for certification, due to their rebranding, and finding out that they are actually not one organization, but a conglomerate of entities.   It appears control of them is in the hands of a for profit entity that manages a multitude of firms.

I withdrew from the Coaching Skills Mastery class for the May starting date so I can learn more about who I was aligning myself with.  However, I continued to be a PCCI student, making regular monthly payments, participating in their PCCI Family Facebook group, and their PCCI main Facebook group.  I also still have my class files and records in their student dashboard area.

I am specializing in emotional intelligence and brain profile assessments and was researching the various assessments.  My main consideration is DiSC.  I ruled out the Enneagram because of its cult roots.  The Enneagram got its foundation from a mystic, and through divination practices.

As a Christian, I am Bible based and we are forbidden by God to be involved in divination and similar practices.  (See Deuteronomy 18:9-12) 

On May 13, 2022,  I wrote to PCCI staff explaining I didn't want to be governed by the ICF, and that I wanted to be full on, 100%, leading people to discover about the good works God prepared beforehand for them to walk in. 

PCCI students are encouraged by staff to ask questions and get feedback from staff and fellow students in their Facebook groups.  I wanted to know where coaches and staff stood on their understanding of the Enneagram.  I asked the following in the PCCI Family group.

"I have a question about coaching with the Enneagram.

Is it true this teaching was first started by an occultists who designed the logo without personalities in mind, and then it was passed on to another occultist, who add the 9 personality types, then adopted by Christians and changed to the Biblical meaning?

Much like Christmas and Easter begining in pagan rituals, then adopted by Christians and changed..."   

This began a very civil and much needed discussion among staff and students.  One staff member, Emily Eichstadt, ACC (Community Coordinator) sent me to a link on the Enneagram, published on the PCCI site.  It had a podcast presented by:

Christopher McCluskey, founder of PCCI

Kim Avery, a PCCI instructor, and

Teresa McCloy, a PCCI staff

All three of them brought up the concerns about the enneagram, but then suggested we "live with it a while" and see that we can use it as a tool in our coaching.

This concerned me because this is supposed to be a Christian school.  They even state on their site that they are a 'distinctly Christian' school, but this is deceptive if they are teaching us to "live with it" concerning the enneagram.

Because of my post in the Facebook group, other students of PCCI were bringing up the occult links to the enneagram, and their concerns.   McCluskey interrupted our disccussion and attempted to silence us, not only within the group, but to silence us outside of PCCI.

This is not a tactict that shows evidence of a Christian caught in wrong doing, and wanting to make corrections.  Instead, it shows how cult leaders, guilty people, and corrupt people behave to silence those who oppose what they are doing.

I wrote to McCluskey outside of the PCCI Family group, and explained my concerns after I started researching him and his network.  I didn't understand why he wasn't denouncing the enneagram.

McCloy has this information for her staff bio:

"Teresa is Founder and CEO of the REALIFE Process®, LLC. She is a CPLC and ACC Credentialed Life and Leadership Coach through Professional Christian Coaching Institute, consultant, speaker, and trainer. Teresa is a certified Spiritual Director through Sustainable Faith and is also certified with ©iEnneagram Motions of the Soul."

I began researching McCluskey and found out he has a financial link to an ICF complaint board member, who also was listed as an instructor for PCCI.  I asked McCluskey about this link and the potential conflict of interest.  He didn't respond back to me.

I asked why he shut down a much needed conversation about occult teachings within a Christian school, and the potential conflict of interest he has with ICF.   

He tried to refund the deposit and some of the money for the last class I cancelled as a "gift" to me, but rather than discuss his and his staff's affiliation with the occult teaching, and potential conflict of interested with the ICF complaints board member, he hid behind his staff member, and she sent me the message about him giving me a gift for the ethics class I was still making payments on, by not requiring any more payments.

I responded back to Jessica Fall, the Dean of Admissions, the following:

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"I don't need a financial blessing from Chris, Jessica. I need a response from a Christian leader, as about the occult rooted teachings going on in a Christian school I trusted would be Christian.

Instead of a response, he's sending you as the messenger? I still want a response.

What are PCCI plans going forward when you all know where the enneagram plan came from. 

Again, please apply the balance to what I owe, and let me know how much I still owe on the ethics class. If you blind cc'd him in your response to me, thank you. I'll add him as well. 

Where does PCCI stand on enneagram teachings? He said he was going to remove it from the site, but it's still there, in two podcasts.

This issue is not resolved right now. I paid you guys thousands of dollars with the integrity belief that you are Christian, but you dabble in darkness. That's a lot of money you received. You broke that trust and integrity.

I think it's fair that I hear it from him as to what standing you are going to take. Are you going to give up the enneagram teachings as a Christian school?"

---

She sent me another email asking me to confirm my correct address.  I responded:

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"Yes, you have the correct address.

I'm not done with this, though. If your school doesn't denounce the occult teaching, I will be requesting a full refund for all classes, or I will begin the official complaint process. This is very troubling, because I need to know where your leaders stand on this issue.

I was one class away from working on my PCCI certification, but the Bible is very clear about aligning ourselves with those who practice darkness. I can't even use the Trained by logo on my site, or have it as my credentials because ALL of us have to stand before God.

The reason I am having you put the money over to my ethics class is because I am fulfilling my obligation as a student. I am still considered a student, and a part of the PCCI family right now, pending the outcome of your decision to denounce the occult teachings.

I expect to be allowed to stay in the Facebook groups as well, until I hear back from Chris as to what he plans to do. Since this is a serious issue, I don't want it delayed because I need to know where we stand in choosing between God's kingdom, and the kingdom of Satan.

Have I wasted my money with your school? That's fine if you want to continue the direction you're going, but I will request a full refund so I can go after certification thought a Christian credential process.

I will also go public, because I feel like this is deception in the worst way, considering Chris, Kim, and Teresa knew the origin of the teaching, but told their students to live with it so they can see it as a tool for coaching.

I'm not going to pay money to a school that dabbles in darkness, and I will fight this unless Chris denounces it, removes it from the sites like he said he was going to do, and stops teaching it. You can't serve God and Satan. Pick one!"

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Even though I was emailing staff privately, and not disclosing this in the Facebook groups, I was banned from both of the groups, and shunned.   

The staff refused to address my concerns about the occult teachings, the appearance of an ICF conflict of interest, and my request for a refund since I couldn't finish my certification process.

I sent the following email to the staff:

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"Chris,

I have copied everyone on this that has been communicating with me, regardless of their role in your organization. I have also included [name removed], because he was the person I was was going to get my mentor hours in with for certification.

I have included Kim Avery and Teresa McCloy, because of the enneagram podcast.

I would like to approach this with the assumption that none of you know where the enneagram came from, and so that's what I want to share with all of you.

It was invented by a mystic (Gurdjieff) who summoned the spirit world, and the information given to him was not for personalities. It was for knowledge of all things. The emblem you are using came from a mystic. The Bible is very clear that we are forbidden to do that. 

It entered psychology through personality typing, specifically, overlaying Gestalt therapy on top of Gurdieff's spirit world symbol. 

Oscar Ichazo admits to lying about the roots of the enneagram, and admits that he got the information from automatic writing. This is an occult practice where You can hear it from his own words on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb07cBIxar4

You, as Christian leaders CAN NOT say that what you are teaching your students is from God! Did you know this before you created the podcast? Chris, Kim, and Theresa, I am asking you a point blank question right now, that I deserve an answer to.

Did you know that divination was used to create the enneagram?

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 tells us we are not use any form of divination / contacting the spirit world and yet you are teaching what was revealed through a mystic (early version) and a liar (psychology version) and !

Do you know the roots / history of the ennegram? At what point did you decide in your hearts that it's a tool you wanted to introduce to your students, and create a podcast on it suggesting to your students (and anyone else that finds the podcast) that we should "live with it for a while" and see it as a coaching tool? 

What point was your breaking point where you ignored the truth and tried to gloss it over with Christianity?

Do know that another round of introduction was created specifically to bring it into Christianity? Don Riso and Richard Rohr "Christianized" it, and cut out the role of the Holy Spirit, and put self-awareness at the focus instead of teaching God's word that we are to transform into the image of Christ, NOT ourselves. But they glossed over the truth and overlayed it with Christianity.

Oscar Ichazo and Claudio Narano were involved the demonic practice of automatic writing, and came up with the personality type version of it. This is a trance-channeling of demons, and the person involved in the practice automatically writes without consciousness. Hence.. automatic writing.

You are teaching and promoting demonic knowledge, not Godly wisdom.

Are you doing this out of ignorance of what the enneagram is? If so, then I will ask you that now that you know, will you denounce your error and do away with the teaching from your school?

All of you are on notice now. You have to choose God, or Satan. You can no longer conduct a so-called Christian coaching school and include demonic activity and ICF standards that go against God because I, through the boldness of the truth, am calling you out.

You are also on notice about the ICF. You are grooming God's children to go under the governance of the ICF, and not the Bible! Chris, you told me that I should be able to see that Bible verses are used in your school even though other people's writings are issued for class assignments.

Not once did we open the Bible as an assignment! Yes, you see Bible verses in other people's books, but you see people applying the Bible over the top of the enneagram as well! 

You can also see that you, Kim, and Teresa have attempted to give God's approval on the enneagram teaching by "Christianizing" it. 

I want an answer by close of business day tomorrow what you say about the enneagram, and the direction the ICF is taking coaches, and if you will continue to integrate it in with PCCI. 

I also want an answer as to why you are grooming your students to be certified through the ICF, who is ungodly, and has set itself up with standards they oversee in order to maintain certification.

Chris, you are an intelligent person. You have the ability to set up your own credentials that line up with the Bible. Coaching is an unregulated industry and if the ICF can self-proclaim them as credentialing standards, then you can also create a set of standards that pleasing to God.

You have a platform already. Why have you aligned yourself with an ungodly credentialing industry?

What you have done is subjected me to a standard that mixes Christianity with the occult and with ungodly authority over my coaching credentials. I will not be groomed in a manner that changes the way God set up His kingdom!

I spent two years working towards what I thought was a Christian school! God showed me what you are teaching, and who you are grooming me to be governed by. That's why I dropped the last class, pending the outcome of this awareness I got, and what you will choose to do about the occult teaching.

I can not finish my certification under a leader who dabbles in the occult, so I'm asking you to denounce it, or refund all of my money so I have not wasted my income in a demonic setting. Please, let me have my money back if you want to go the direction you chose.

If you denounce it and set up a credentialing process that is pleasing to God, I will stay with your school.

That's all I'm asking. If you choose not to denounce it, but are willing to refund my money, I will part ways with PCCI and you go your direction, and I'll go mine. 

If you do not denounce it, and do not refund me, then I need to file a formal complaint, because you deceived me into thinking I was getting a Christian education and a certification after I completed my mentoring and the four core classes.

I need an answer by tomorrow at 5 pm, or I file a complaint. You know the truth about the enneagram, and I know this because you brought up the concerns in the podcast, but you glossed right over it. God has commanded that we come out of the world, but you, Teresa, and Kim told us to "live with it awhile".

Chris, this is your company. What do want to do with this issue between you and me? "

---

I find it interesting that PCCI removed the enneagram podcast.  They have not yet denied my claims are true.  They have not addressed my concerns about the ICF and potential conflict of interest.  In fact, I am completely shunned.  

They are refusing to tell me what rules I broke that would cause them to ban me!  I had just one class left to get my first certification and they won't tell me what rules I broke that they would be silent when I bring to their attention my concerns.

Still no answer from them, so I sent this email:  

---

"Request for full refund

Since you have chosen to try to silence me when I brought up the occult teaching and the potential conflict of interest concerning the ICF, and then banned me, rather than talking about these concerns, I will now request a full refund.

I will give you until 10 AM (EST) Monday morning to respond to my request via email, or else I will file a complaint that will be public. I won't be going through the ICF because of your book deal with their complaints review board member.

I was learning what the ICF really represents and I withdrew from the CSM class until I could find out more. I was not withdrawing from PCCI. I planned on getting my certification from your school, and then going into the elective classes so I can coach groups, do strengths assessments, and do the coaching for the brain class. 

I also had an arrangement with [name removed] to manage the brain profile assessments for my clients until I could be certified for what she does.

It wasn't until you shut down the occult teaching in PCCI Family group that I started suspecting PCCI. Not only did you want us to be quiet there, but you also didn't want us to bring up the issues outside.

If there is nothing wrong with what you're doing, then why did you attempt to silence your students? I'm not getting message in private, and you have lost two other students, and a third one is questioning me.

If there is nothing wrong with what you're teaching, then why are you scrubbing your site of enneagram teachings if you are convinced that's a Christian practice that God would be pleased with? Scrubbing your site while banning me is proof you know of wrongdoing in the site of God. It also shows you resort to cowardly behaviors instead of allowing a civil discussion on such a very important matter.

Since you are scrubbing your site, I'll let you know you missed one. So if you are going to scrub your site of evil, don't forget the encore section. I'm glad you at least have the decency to remove the demonic influence from your site. Whether or not you, Kim, and Teresa continue on your enneagram journey is between you and God. 

My journey has now become to get my money back, or else expose your tactics to the public so other students aren't deceived about how you handle opposition concerning God.

We are now beyond a conversation, and I either want my full refund, since you have ruined my chance of getting a Christian coaching certification, or I will be filing a full report that will also be very much public. 

By the way, you lost two more students because your ICF networking, and/or because of what you did in the PCCI Family forum, and/or because of how you have shut down my certification opportunity and kept my money. 

I learned from my past experiences that God does not expect us to be a door mat. Chris, you should not have told me to be quiet about this, because that's what cult leaders, guilty people, and corrupt people do. They want to silence people and hide the internal workings of their organization. It was a worthy conversation to have and you shut down your students and then tried to tell us to be quiet EVEN on the outside.

I'm not going through the ICF at all. What's the point? You have a board member on your staff that could be handling any complaint I try to submit, however, I do have a call in to the ICF to find out what I should do about the potential conflict of interest. But, I will not be filing a formal complaint with them. The public is a better place because you can't shove this under a rug in the public domain like you did in the PCCI Family group, and through private emails.

I tried to deal with this privately, and every one of you have shunned me and not responded.

All of your names (with the exception of xxxxx) will be listed on the complaint. 

It will be on https://www.ripoffreport.com/ because their organization won't hide my complaint. You will have opportunities to respond to me on their site, and their site only. I'm not playing around with a leadership that silences their students when a student finds issues that need a proper discussion.

You will have to log in to their site to communicate with me and their team.

I will also be disclosing your financial relationship with the ICF complaints board member and your book deal with them. That will be a warning to potential students that going to the ICF to file complaints is just like the government good ole boy system.

All I asked you for was a refund, if you didn't want to denounce the demonic teaching, and since you shunned me, I can clearly see you don't care about this matter. This will be the last email I send in private. All other communication with any of you will be fully in public via that site.

Now, I want promise of refund by Monday morning when you open for business, or I go public on the ripoff site, and that's where you will be able to go in there and have a discussion with me since you are too much of a coward to do it here in private. "

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As of Monday, May 23, 2022, there still has been no communication from PCCI about their link to the ICF board member, Michael Marx, or their occult link they brought into the Christian school.  

I am still banned from the forums.   Today, I wrote to the ICF complaints board member, the following:

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"Attention: Michael Marx: I am now writing the complaint

Michael,

Thank you for our brief conversation today, and for answering me that you would like a copy of the emails I sent to PCCI staff. I have sent all of them to you now.

I have not heard back from any PCCI staff member, and have been completely shunned. They also have not responded to my request for a refund, so I am taking this public, because they refused to discuss this in private.

I have been transparent in all of my concerns, and so I called you today letting you know your name has been brought up by me because of the appearance of a conflict of interest. 

At first, you told me you have not had any dealings with Chris McCluskey in a while, but then you stated you receive checks from Tabor Media. I reminded you that it's his publishing company, and you agreed.

So, I reminded you that you still have dealings with him if you are receiving checks from his publishing company. You agreed.

I also reminded you of the ICF ethics concerning the appearance of a conflict of interest, and explained to you that it's the appearance of conflict of interest I see in your relationship with Chris McCluskey if I were to file a complaint through the ICF, against PCCI.

You mentioned you are one of three that would review any complaint brought to the ICF and that you would be removed from the review. However, on information and belief, you would have influence in the matter because of the royalty checks you receive from McCluskey.

A reasonable mind would fairly conclude that you have financial gain coming from McCluskey and that any student bringing a complaint to your ICF board would not be treated fairly.

As a student, this does not appear fair to me, which is why I am choosing a 3rd party to go public with this matter.

I am copying this email to all the people I have been copying in the string of emails, so they are kept in the loop. I will now be writing my complaint and will post all of these emails in a public forum, since PCCI staff refuse to address my concerns in private.

I find it very revealing PCCI is deep into the occult practices and yet claims to be Christian. This is deceptive and the fact they banned me from their groups and tried to silence me shows they are choosing darkness and the money it brings them."

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MICHAEL J MARX:  https://professionalchristiancoaching.com/051-dr-michael-marx-ethics-risk-management-christian-coaches/

ICF Global Independent Review Board (IRB)

Apr 2016-Present

Michael J. Marx reviews complaints against against ICF members and credential holders.

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All I am asking is that Chris McCluskey refunds the thousands of dollars I paid him, only to have him tell me to be quiet about his occult teaching and possible conflict of interest with the ICF review board.   He can go his way, and I'll go mine.

Not once did they respond to my requests for clarification on my concerns.  They just banned me and kept my money and now I can't get my certification as a coach.

At least ripoffreport will give me a forum to address my concerns without McCluskey and his staff interferring by silencing me, and having an insider on the ICF complaints board.