What is ethical practice in coaching?

Coaching should be perceived as a reasonable, respectful, and trustworthy partnership between coach and client, in which the coach acts for the client's benefit in terms of learning and results and without critical interference. The coach's ego must be kept secret. A coach who has an ethical practice is clear about what it means and is able to demonstrate it in all their professional interactions. On the client's side, working with an ethical advisor means that they are protected from negligence, harm or dishonesty on the part of the professional they trust.

They know that the coach will always act in their best interest, respect and recognize their identity, keep the content of their sessions confidential and avoid any conflict of interest. Ethics in professional coaching are one of the most important factors that make a difference in this wonderful service profession. When the coach is a member of a professional organization, they often have access to additional support and resources on the ethics of coaching, such as courses, FAQs, community of practice, and a contact email address. In a booming and unregulated sector such as coaching, it is difficult for both coaches and clients to understand the different practices, approaches and styles of coaching.

Therefore, it is important to always have a coach duly trained in accordance with these criteria and who practices the ethics of coaching while respecting the commonly established principles in this regard. The coach is the one who respects this principle through ethics in training and his own professionalism. In addition, I try to make appropriate use of the emerging and growing technological advances used in coaching services (technology-assisted coaching services) and to be aware of how various ethical standards apply to them. For this reason, coaching organizations such as the ICF (International Coaching Federation) lay the foundations of the coaching profession with very clear and demanding ethical codes.

Because of the personal nature of most coaching relationships, this Code of Ethics provides the framework and values on which professional coaches base their practice.