How Much Does Integral Executive Coaching Cost?

Last updated: May 2026

IHS does not publish a fixed rate card for Integral Executive Coaching (D2). The engagement is scoped per client after an initial consultation, reflecting duration, session cadence, the scope of the pre-coaching assessment, and whether a mid-engagement sponsor review is elected. For market context: ICF-credentialed executive coaches charge $150–$500 per hour; top-tier networks such as RHR International and Korn Ferry charge $400–$1,000 per hour; BetterUp enterprise contracts run $1,500–$3,000 per employee per year. This guide covers how D2 compares to those market rates, what drives engagement cost, and how to build a realistic budget by phase. Principal: Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, CCEP.

Why IHS Does Not Publish Fixed Pricing

Two structural reasons govern the absence of a public rate card.

Scarcity premium. Integral Executive Coaching is principal-delivered. Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, CCEP personally conducts every session. Tom accepts a limited number of executive coaching engagements per year to preserve that quality. A coaching retainer requires sustained relational investment across 24–48 sessions — scarcity is structural, not performative. Pricing reflects the actual constraint on availability, not a marketing posture.

Integrated quadrant rare-credential pricing. The engagement integrates four methodological quadrants — I/O psychology assessment grounded in SIOP Principles, neuroscience of embodied regulation drawn from Damasio and Porges, psychological-safety-aware relational field work, and vocational and meaning work — into one engagement delivered by one practitioner who holds all four competencies in a single credential stack (PhD, JD, CCEP) alongside forty-plus years inside U.S. healthcare at the operational level. No other coaching practice in the U.S. healthcare sector replicates that combination. The scope of any given engagement varies materially by duration, cadence, and assessment depth; a published rate card would either underscope complex engagements or overcharge simpler ones. Investment is established after the initial consultation, when the actual engagement parameters are known.

How D2 Cost Compares to Standard Executive Coaching

Published market-rate data provides the reference frame for how executive coaching is priced across the industry.

ICF-Credentialed Independent Executive Coaches

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) 2023 Global Coaching Study reports that executive and leadership coaches charge a median of $244 per session globally; North American executive coaches specializing in organizational and business coaching report median rates of $350–$500 per hour. A 12-month engagement at bi-weekly cadence (24 sessions at 60 minutes) with a mid-range ICF coach would run $8,400–$12,000 in session fees before assessment costs. These engagements are delivered by coaches whose credential is typically an ICF certification and domain-general leadership experience — not a doctoral degree in I/O psychology, a law degree with regulatory scope, or sector-specific operational tenure inside healthcare institutions.

Major-Firm Executive Coaching Networks

The large leadership advisory firms field coaching networks at premium rates. RHR International (founded 1945; long-standing healthcare and C-suite coaching practice) and Korn Ferry Leadership Consulting charge $400–$1,000 per hour for senior-executive coaching engagements. A 12-month Korn Ferry retainer at 24 bi-weekly sessions would run $9,600–$24,000 in session fees alone at the lower end of that band; at the upper end, $24,000–$36,000. CCL (Center for Creative Leadership) and Heidrick & Struggles fall within comparable ranges for C-suite-targeted engagements. Those engagements are typically delivered by associate coaches — the named firm principal who presents to the buying committee is not the coach who conducts the sessions. The instruments are proprietary and normatively calibrated; healthcare-sector fluency is generalist, not operationally grounded.

BetterUp Platform Coaching

BetterUp enterprise contracts run $1,500–$3,000 per employee per year (publicly reported enterprise pricing). The model is platform-mediated: executives are matched to coaches from a broad network; session frequency and coach continuity are variable by plan tier. BetterUp is designed for at-scale deployment across a workforce population. Integral Executive Coaching is designed for one senior healthcare executive working a specific four-dimensional developmental thread with one principal over 6–12 months. These are structurally different products serving different purposes.

Cost Comparison Summary

Factors That Affect Engagement Cost

Four variables determine the scope and investment of any D2 engagement. All are established at the proposal stage after the initial consultation.

Engagement Duration: 6 vs. 12 Months

A 12-month engagement at bi-weekly cadence delivers 24 sessions across a full annual cycle — the standard format for most C-suite engagements where the work benefits from longitudinal tracking across four seasons of the executive's calendar. A 6-month engagement at weekly cadence delivers 24 sessions at higher frequency — appropriate where conditions warrant more intensive contact over a compressed period. A 12-month engagement at weekly cadence delivers 48 sessions and is the highest-scope structure; it is uncommon and reserved for exceptional circumstances. Duration is the primary cost variable.

Pre-Coaching Assessment Scope

Every engagement begins with an assessment. The baseline assessment covers validated I/O psychology instruments (personality; somatic and nervous-system baseline) and a structured intake conversation. An extended assessment adds cognitive-ability measurement where diagnostically relevant and 360-degree behavioral feedback coordination — the latter requires designing the 360 protocol, identifying raters with the executive, administering the instrument, and synthesizing the results into the coaching working map. The 360 component adds substantial pre-engagement work and is the primary assessment cost variable.

Mid-Engagement Sponsor Review

At the 3–6 month mark, a 60-minute review with the commissioning CHRO or Board member is available at the executive's election. The review covers developmental themes and observable progress — not session content. It requires the executive's explicit consent and is an elective component, not a default. When the engagement is Board-commissioned for CEO development or succession preparation, the sponsor review is typically elected; when the executive self-commissions, it typically is not.

Optional 90-Day Post-Engagement Check-In

A single session at engagement close is available to surface what has held, what has not, and what the next stage of the work requires. This is the lowest-cost elective in the engagement and the one most consistently elected by executives who want continuity of the developmental thread without a full retainer renewal.

What the Executive Receives

Every D2 engagement includes the following deliverables, regardless of duration or elective components.

• Pre-coaching individual assessment report — personality profile, somatic baseline narrative, and (where elected) cognitive-ability summary and 360-degree synthesis. The executive's working map for the engagement.
• 24–48 principal-delivered coaching sessions (60 minutes each), tracked across four dimensions: embodied regulation under load, relational coherence, judgment under cognitive load, and vocation and moral source.
• Targeted between-session work after each session — somatic practice, structured reflection, behavioral experiments, or assigned reading calibrated to the executive's specific developmental thread.
• Post-engagement integration plan — a written document co-produced at engagement close naming practices established, developmental threads completed, conditions for continued regulation, and forward commitments. Belongs to the executive; not shared with any sponsor.
• Mid-engagement sponsor review (elective) — 60-minute substantive review with the commissioning CHRO or Board member at the 3–6 month mark, at the executive's election.
• Optional 90-day post-engagement check-in — one session at the executive's election, available within 90 days of the formal engagement close.

The Cost of Not Engaging

The investment in executive coaching is most accurately evaluated against the cost of the status quo in senior healthcare leadership.

Healthcare CEO and C-Suite Turnover

Healthcare CEO turnover runs 15–20% annually (American College of Healthcare Executives CEO Survey, 2023). The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) estimates that replacing a C-suite executive costs 200% of annual salary when recruiting, onboarding, and institutional-knowledge loss are included. For a CMO or COO at a mid-size health plan with a $400,000 base salary, the replacement cost is $800,000 in direct and indirect costs before the successor produces equivalent output. Burnout and leadership-sustainability failure are among the primary drivers of voluntary C-suite exits.

Executive Burnout as a Clinical-Outcomes Variable

Trockel et al. (JAMA Internal Medicine, 2018) found that organizational factors account for approximately 70% of physician burnout variance. The executive is the primary variable in organizational factors. The AMA 2023 National Physician Burnout Survey finds 48.2% of U.S. physicians reporting burnout symptoms — up from 38.2% in 2018. The executive who cannot regulate their own nervous system under load is producing the organizational conditions that drive that number. Coaching that addresses the executive's regulation capacity operates directly on the workforce-sustainability determinant that burnout research identifies.

Healthcare M&A Integration Failure

70–90% of M&A deals fail to deliver projected value (MIT Sloan Management Review). Only 14% of healthcare M&A reaches successful integration (Bain, cited in VALUWIT research). 65% of acquiring companies cite cultural and leadership integration issues as hampering operations post-close (PwC). The executive's regulation capacity and relational coherence are the primary leadership variables in integration success. Coaching during the 0–36 month post-close window is the most consequential deployment of the engagement.

ICF Coaching ROI Research

ICF and PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Coaching Study (2009, replicated in findings from the 2023 Global Coaching Study) found that 86% of companies reported positive ROI from executive coaching, with a median reported return of 7x the initial investment. The Manchester Consulting Group study found average ROI of 5.7x. Both studies measure outcomes across communication, team performance, productivity, and organizational results — not only the presenting developmental objective.

The Cost of the Mis-Promoted Executive

Lore International Institute and the Center for Creative Leadership both report that approximately 40% of C-suite executives fail within their first 18 months. The primary failure mode identified across studies is not technical competence — it is the inability to regulate the relational and cognitive demands of the new role at the speed and complexity level the role requires. The cost of that failure — replacement, team disruption, strategic discontinuity, and reputational damage to the organization — is the risk that a well-structured coaching engagement is underwriting.

How the Engagement Is Structured

The D2 engagement runs in five phases. The sequence is standard; the content of each phase is calibrated to the specific executive and their organizational conditions.

Phase 1: Pre-Engagement Assessment

Before the first coaching session, Tom conducts a structured individual assessment using validated I/O psychology instruments. The baseline assessment covers personality and somatic baseline. The extended option adds cognitive-ability measurement and 360-degree feedback coordination. The assessment produces the working map for the engagement — the executive's regulation patterns, relational tendencies, decision signature, and developmental priorities from which the 6–12 month thread is constructed.

Phase 2: Bi-Weekly or Weekly Sessions (60 Minutes)

The core cadence. Bi-weekly is standard for 12-month engagements; weekly for 6-month engagements or where organizational conditions warrant higher-frequency contact. Sessions track four dimensions simultaneously: embodied regulation under load, relational coherence, judgment under cognitive load, and vocation and moral source. The executive does not need to maintain the longitudinal continuity — that is Tom's responsibility.

Phase 3: Targeted Between-Session Work

Each session closes with specific between-session work: a somatic practice, a structured reflection on a relational or decision pattern in scope, a reading or listening assignment where the intellectual layer needs expanding, or a behavioral experiment where the work needs to move from session into action. Between-session work is where the coaching either lands in the executive's actual leadership or stays theoretical.

Phase 4: Mid-Engagement Sponsor Review (Elective)

At the 3–6 month mark, a 60-minute review with the commissioning CHRO or Board member is available at the executive's election. The review covers developmental themes and observable progress — not session content. No session content is disclosed without the executive's explicit consent.

Phase 5: Post-Engagement Integration Plan

At close, Tom and the executive co-produce a written integration plan naming the developmental threads worked, the practices established, the conditions under which the executive is most and least regulated, and the commitments carried forward. The plan belongs to the executive. An optional 90-day post-engagement check-in is available.

Budget Planning by Phase

The following framework reflects how executive coaching investment is typically allocated across the engagement lifecycle. IHS does not publish specific dollar figures; this framework uses market-rate context for budget planning purposes.

Pre-Engagement Phase

• Assessment: Baseline (personality + somatic intake) vs. extended (adds cognitive-ability measurement and 360-degree feedback coordination). The 360-degree component is the primary cost variable in this phase — it involves instrument design, rater identification, administration, and synthesis that precedes the first session.
• Engagement letter and confidentiality terms: If the engagement is Board- or CHRO-commissioned, the confidentiality structure requires explicit documentation before the first session.

Core Engagement Phase (Sessions)

• 12-month bi-weekly: 24 sessions at 60 minutes — the standard structure for most C-suite engagements.
• 6-month weekly: 24 sessions at higher frequency over a compressed period — calibrated for engagements where conditions warrant more intensive contact.
• 12-month weekly: 48 sessions — the highest-scope structure; uncommon; reserved for exceptional circumstances.
• Mid-engagement sponsor review (elective): One 60-minute session with the commissioning CHRO or Board member at the 3–6 month mark.

Post-Engagement Phase

• Integration plan: Co-produced at engagement close; included in the standard engagement scope.
• Optional 90-day check-in: One additional session, electable within 90 days of engagement close, for executives who want continuity without a full retainer renewal.

Sponsor and Procurement Considerations

• CHRO or Board commissioning: When the engagement is organizationally commissioned, procurement typically requires a formal proposal, engagement letter, and invoice structure. IHS provides all three. Multi-executive commissioning (e.g., three C-suite leaders through a single procurement) is available; contact IHS for a coordinated proposal.
• Budget cycle alignment: The initial consultation is no-cost and no-obligation. The formal engagement scope and investment are established in the proposal. For organizations on annual budget cycles, scheduling the consultation in Q3 for Q4 approval and Q1 start is the standard planning sequence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the executive coaching engagement be expensed or deducted?

Executive coaching fees paid by an organization for an employee's professional development are generally deductible as ordinary business expenses under IRC §162. Self-commissioned executives may be able to deduct coaching fees as unreimbursed business expenses depending on their employment structure. Consult your tax advisor for guidance specific to your organization's structure and jurisdiction.

Is a payment schedule available?

IHS structures engagement billing to align with the commissioning organization's procurement requirements. Typical structures are quarterly billing aligned to the engagement timeline or milestone-based billing. Payment structure is established in the engagement letter before the first session. Contact IHS to discuss options specific to your organization's budget cycle.

What if the executive's conditions change mid-engagement?

Executive conditions — organizational restructuring, role change, acquisition, departure of a sponsoring CHRO — are regular features of the healthcare leadership environment. The engagement structure is designed to adapt. If material organizational changes affect the scope or feasibility of the engagement, Tom discusses a revised structure with the executive. The engagement letter documents the terms governing scope changes and early termination.

How does the IHS engagement compare to a fractional coaching model?

Fractional coaching models — a few sessions per quarter with a generalist coach — address acute presenting issues without building a longitudinal developmental thread. The D2 engagement is a structured retainer with a working map built from the pre-coaching assessment and tracked across four dimensions over 6–12 months. Executives who have tried fractional models and found them insufficiently integrated or insufficiently healthcare-fluent are a common entry point for D2 conversations.

Can multiple C-suite executives from the same organization engage simultaneously?

Yes, with appropriate confidentiality structure. When multiple executives from the same organization are engaged simultaneously, Tom works with each executive independently; no session content from one executive is brought into another's sessions. Sponsor-level coordination (e.g., a shared CHRO review at the organizational level) is available only with all engaged executives' explicit consent. Contact IHS to discuss coordinated engagement structures.

Is this engagement available outside the United States?

The engagement is designed for senior executives in U.S. healthcare organizations. Tom's sector fluency — the regulatory bodies, payer structures, and organizational conditions referenced throughout the engagement — is specific to the U.S. healthcare context. Executives in Canada, Australia, or the UK whose organizations have substantial U.S. healthcare operations may be appropriate candidates; the initial consultation will surface fit. The engagement is delivered by video; geography is not a scheduling barrier.

How does the D3 Quarterly Check-In relate to D2 in terms of cost?

The D3 Integral Quarterly Leadership Check-In is a standalone 90-minute quarterly session for executives who have completed a D2 coaching engagement or a B1 cohort engagement and want continuity without a full retainer. It is the lowest-cost ongoing structure in the Integral Workforce and Leadership Sciences suite. Contact IHS for the D3 engagement structure and investment.

What is the process for getting started?

Schedule a no-obligation initial consultation with IHS. The consultation covers your current leadership conditions, what the engagement would address, and whether D2 is the right structure for this stage of your work. The formal proposal and engagement letter follow if there is mutual fit. Availability is limited; consult early relative to your intended engagement start date.

Related Resources

• Integral Executive Coaching (D2) — Service Page
• Integral Executive Coaching vs. Standard Executive Coaching — Comparison
• Integral Embodied Leadership Cohort for the Healthcare C-Suite (B1)
• Integral Board Human Capital Advisory (D1)
• Integral Leadership-Team Regulation Assessment (A2)
• Integral Quarterly Leadership Check-In (D3)
• Integral Workforce & Leadership Sciences — Practice Line Overview

Ready to Get Started?

Schedule a no-obligation consultation with IHS. We will discuss your current leadership conditions, what a D2 engagement would address, and whether this is the right structure for this stage of your work. Availability is limited.

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