When a client’s values clash with your own, the tension can feel like two tuning forks ringing in different keys. The goal isn’t to silence the dissonance—it’s to stay resonant within it. Coaching presence invites us to listen for understanding rather than agreement, to hold steady when our instincts want to correct or withdraw. True partnership begins when curiosity hums louder than judgment.

Your map and compass for the 2025 ICF updates: simple tools, clearer routes, better coaching. Coaching evolves; so do the rules of the road. In September 2025, the ICF gave the Core Competencies a tune-up —not a remodel, a refinement. Think sharper edges on a familiar tool. If you’ve been practicing inside the 2021 model, you’re still on home turf. The map didn’t change; the legends got clearer. What Stayed vs. What Shifted What didn’t budge first: the backbone. We’re still w

When clients bring up the past in coaching sessions, how do you avoid slipping into therapy territory? This article shows coaches how to honor stories from the past without analyzing them, staying focused on the present impact and future growth. Includes sample questions for ACC, PCC, and MCC levels, plus a checklist of red flags that signal when you may be crossing the line.

The ICF Code of Ethics continues to evolve—the 2025 update brings sharper standards, broader accountability, and guidance for modern coaching challenges.

Trust is the ultimate coaching currency. Without it, coaching is just empty talk. With it, transformation happens—because professionalism, collaboration, humanity, and equity turn words into real change.

On a movie set, every role matters. Coaching is no different. Here’s how to stay in role as coach—without drifting into consulting or therapy—and why it’s the foundation of ethical, empowering practice.

Integrity is about being the kind of coach your clients can trust because you embody the principles behind the rules.

Ethical practice is the load-bearing foundation of coaching. Without it, even the best skills can crack under pressure. Discover how the updated 2025 ICF Core Competency 1 strengthens trust, clarity, and integrity in every session.