Mentalskolen: Where coaching meets academic depth

By Celina Tran | Photos: Karina Lange

Standing at the forefront of coaching education in Norway, Mentalskolen unites the classical hands-on coaching approach with the academic depth it so often lacks. Offering multi-level certifications, specialised programmes, and a strong learning community, the school equips students with the skills, insight, and credibility required to excel in modern coaching.

As coaching becomes an increasingly recognised tool for personal growth, leadership development, and organisational transformation, the demand for education that blends rigorous theory with hands-on practice has never been greater. Yet in many Western countries, coaching has long existed in a fragmented space celebrated by practitioners, questioned by academia, and often misunderstood by the public.

This is the gap that Norway’s Mentalskolen has committed to closing. With nearly 100 students per semester, a multi-level certification structure, and a growing reputation for scientific integrity, the school has established itself as one of Norway’s most forward-thinking centres for coaching education.

Jeanette teaching.

A marriage of practical and theoretical

Coaching has evolved dramatically over the last few decades, influenced by research in positive psychology, motivation studies, neuroscience, and behavioural science. Yet education within the field often falls into one of two extremes: theory-heavy academic programmes with limited practical tools, or highly practical coaching schools with insufficient grounding in research.

Mentalskolen was created to offer a third option, namely a place where these two worlds strengthen one another rather than compete.

“Academic psychology offers decades of research into well-being, motivation, and human behaviour, but little in the way of real-world coaching tools. Meanwhile, coaching schools provide strong practice-oriented training often with too little focus on research. When this all comes together, we can develop the best coaches. That’s what we at Mentalskolen aim to do,” says founder Jeanette Sleveland.

Mentalskolen: Where coaching meets academic depth

Mentalskolen’s curriculum is designed to be practical enough to be applied in real life situations, while working towards a point where it can both collaborate with and withstand academic scrutiny.

Operating both online and from its base in Ski, Mentalskolen educates around 100 students each semester. Its five-tier structure includes four core levels leading to certification, and an advanced tier for specialisation, with more paths on the way.

Each level of education draws on research in psychology, neuroscience, behavioural science, and communication. Students learn how thoughts and emotions develop, how habits take shape, how the nervous system regulates behaviour, and how change can be facilitated safely and ethically.

“We’re myth-busters, and we’re highly critical of what we teach. We’re always looking at the things we say, and if we feel we don’t have the evidence to claim something, we replace it with something that has better evidential and scientific grounds.”

This has helped Mentalskolen become one of only four institutions in Norway approved under the new Norsk Bransjestandard for Coaching, a national quality stamp that outlines what professional coaching competence should look like, and it now aims for the international ISO certification.

Mentalskolen: Where coaching meets academic depth

A diverse, ambitious community of learners

While coaching still suffers from cultural stereotypes, often imagined as something wishy-washy, the reality inside Mentalskolen’s classrooms looks entirely different. “Most of the people with us are goal-oriented, successful individuals who’ve already achieved a lot and see more potential in themselves. They’re ambitious people,” Sleveland says.

Students span across all ages and come from HR, leadership, health, sports, business, education, the public sector, and more. Many use the training to strengthen their professional roles; others aim to build coaching practices focused on performance development, youth support, behavioural change, and organisational growth, especially with a great number of students coming from leadership roles.

This diversity enriches classroom dialogue and gives students exposure to real-life perspectives they can later draw upon in coaching sessions.

Mariann coaching. Photo: Monica Helle

To match the field’s development, Mentalskolen is adding several new programmes. Corporate coaching is already established, and a brand-new performance coaching programme has just started earlier this year, with an expanded line-up of international guest lecturers to follow. In response to increasing demand for support in lifestyle, resilience and well-being, a programme for health coaching is coming later in the year.

These additions reflect a broader trend and demonstrate that coaching is no longer just about motivation, but is a sophisticated, multi-disciplinary practice.

“The best part is following our students’ development and seeing the massive change, not just professionally but in their own lives. It’s lovely to see how they take the acquired skills and apply them to their coaching jobs or leadership roles, how they challenge themselves and in turn make a difference in other people’s lives,” says Sleveland. “Our goal as a school is to educate Norway’s, and the world’s, best coaches. We want to give the best of both worlds.”

Mentalskolen: Where coaching meets academic depth