The Robbins-Madanes Training Center is the official coach training school of Tony Robbins and Cloe Madanes. Their six-month programs can prepare you to start a career as a Strategic Intervention coach focused on transforming your clients’ relationships.

But are these certifications as effective as their marketing?

Here’s how the programs at the Robbins-Madanes Center are built up and what real coaches say about them in their reviews.

What Is the Robbins-Madanes Life Coach Certification?

The Robbins-Madanes Training Center is a life coach certification provider that sells courses based on the work of celebrity coach Tony Robbins and Cloe Madanes, a renowned family therapist.

Their methodology centers around strategic intervention to help clients overcome their mental limitations. Graduates of the Robbins-Madanes Training Center can apply for a Board Certified Coach credential if they have a college degree.

Who Are the Founders of the Robbins-Madanes Life Coach Certification?

The Robbins-Madanes Life Coach Certification runs under the names of two influential figures in the field of coaching and therapy: Tony Robbins and Cloe Madanes.

Tony Robbins is a renowned life coach, author, and motivational speaker. He’s known as a celebrity coach with decades of experience coaching individuals through live seminars. He’s celebrated for his bestselling books on personal development and his charismatic appeal.

Cloe Madanes, the other expert the course content is inspired by, is a family therapist, author, and educator. She has trained under renowned intervention expert Milton Erickson and contributed to developing the strategic intervention approach. Madanes is known for her expertise in family therapy and innovative strategies for facilitating transformative change in couples and families.

Though the live classes in the program aren’t facilitated by these two professionals, the curriculum is based on their methods used in coaching.

How Is the Program Built Up?

The Robbins-Madanes Training Center offers three different certification paths, each held online. These training options include:

• The Core 100 Training: A six-month program based on the strategic intervention method.
• The Core 200 Training: A supplementary training centered on relationships you can include as a part of your Core 100 program.
• The Total Breakthrough Training: A five-month program that uses case studies of real-life family stories to teach additional techniques in live online training sessions. You’ll also get a custom life coaching website as a bonus.

These programs follow a hybrid model so you can complete your video lessons at your own pace and join the live lectures at the scheduled times from anywhere in the world. You can also participate in practice labs to try the techniques with other students.

The training center doesn’t specify who facilitates these live sessions and practice labs during the program.

How Much Does the Robbins-Madanes Certification Cost?

Currently, the tuition fees at the Robbins-Madanes Training Center are only specified for the Total Breakthrough program at $4,990.

A few blogs and reviews mention pricing for the other two programs. However, these fees don’t match. This is because to enroll in the program, you’ll need to have a discovery call with the team running it first and get a custom quote.

According to the Robbins-Madanes team, they tie enrollment to individual assessment, and that’s why they don’t disclose the pricing for the other two programs on their website.

If you want to receive an updated offer to enroll in the program, get in touch with their team. If you decide to accept their offer, you can pay in full or as part of their three-month or ten-month payment plans.

Real Reviews About the Robbins-Madanes Training Center

If you want to evaluate the quality of a certification program, it’s best you read reviews from independent sources where former students talk about their experience. While some graduate coaches have raved about the Robbins-Madanes Training Center, others shared some controversial stories. Let’s look at what’s behind their ratings.

Note that we haven’t taken this particular program ourselves. We simply curated independent reviews written by students and experts to give you an unbiased view of the program.

Quality Content

Several coaches have proudly shared their certificates on Facebook after completing one of the programs at the Robbins-Madanes Training Center.

They called it a life-changing experience that gave them a deeper sense of meaning and purpose, and they said that they couldn’t wait to launch their coaching programs and start using the strategies they’d learned. They described the training as insightful and full of wisdom.

Some Google reviews also vouched for the quality of the training content.

On the other hand, one of their past students highlighted on Reviewopedia that although the content was great, it was poorly structured. He felt confused about how he should implement it, so he didn’t complete his training.

This review was posted in 2017, so we’re hoping that the structure and action items of the certification programs have been given a facelift since then.

False Advertising

Another student called the program a scam because she was given false information about the tuition fees, the course duration, and the refund process on multiple occasions. With thousands of dollars at stake, her frustration is understandable.

Another coach submitted a review on Google a few years later, stating that the internal issues of the team behind the program seemed to be fixed.

Ethical Issues

Tony Robbins doesn’t have an ICF certification and it’s not just because, being a worldwide celebrity, he obviously doesn’t need it. He couldn’t get certified by the ICF (even if he wanted to) because he had breached their code of ethics on multiple occasions.

In this blog post, Master Coach Julia Stewart explains that Tony Robbins:

• Often coaches people who are suicidal.
• Sometimes does most of the talking instead of practicing active listening with his clients.
• Often makes rude jokes about his clients, sometimes at a time when they are deeply suffering.

Another viral blog post by licensed therapist Jason Connell dissects the coaching process Tony Robbins uses in his famous seminars.

He explains how the nuggets of wisdom he shares and his magnetic charisma often gloss over his manipulative techniques to create an emotional effect for his audience. As a result, attendees at his seminars who are trauma survivors experience short-term change that proves unsustainable in the long run, if not worse.

If you research the work of Tony Robbins, you’ll find a lot of praise for his books but also many disillusioned reviews from coaches and mental health practitioners about his seminars. Although he has worked with presidents and celebrities one-on-one, that side of his work remains behind the curtain.

One thing’s for sure: Tony Robbins’s work is regarded as controversial. Most people either love it or hate it. However, if you believe in the ethical standards set by the ICF, it’s likely not for you.

Is the Name Drop Worth It?

Many people are mesmerized by Tony Robbins and want to learn from him. However, he doesn’t lead the live classes of the programs personally at Robbins-Madanes, and the video lectures with him are pre-recorded.

Some students also mention in their reviews that they were told not to use Tony Robbins’ name when promoting their services, even though it’s the main reason many coaches want to get certified by the organization associated with him.

Another student highlighted that Tony Robbins uses coaching techniques like neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and hypnotherapy with clients but these methods aren’t covered by the course curriculum.

So the question is: Are the coach certification programs at Robbins-Madanes as unique as they sound? And is it worth taking them over other courses with similar content that aren’t sold by the team of a worldwide celebrity?

Conclusion

Tony Robbins and his programs have raving fans worldwide who claim their lives and careers have improved because of his teachings. On the other hand, several coaching and mental health professionals criticize his methods and his disregard for ICF ethics.

It’s also important to note that just because you participate in a program associated with Tony Robbins, it doesn’t mean you can’t follow ICF standards and get certified by the organization. If you feel that his content inspires you and want to use the methods contributed by him and Cloe Madanes, studying with the Robbins-Madanes Center can be a great option for your continued education.

No matter how you decide, one thing’s for sure—if you want to change lives, it’s important you free up as much time and attention for your clients as you can without getting bogged down into admin tasks. Paperbell can help you do that by running your business processes for you.

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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in February 2024 and has since been updated for accuracy.