Client Selection for Coaching Feedback Sessions
To ensure that all recorded or live Practicum sessions (including Coach Development Labs, Mentor Coaching, and Observed Coaching) serve the intended educational outcomes of ICF-accredited coach training, and provide an appropriate, ethical, and psychologically safe environment for the coach, the client, faculty and peer observers.
1. Suitable Topics
Students are encouraged to choose sessions that reflect real-life coaching contexts without ethical or relational complications. This would be sessions where the client explores topics such as
- Work–life balance
- Career transition or confidence
- Leadership development or team challenges
- Time management or motivation
- Lifestyle or wellness goals
- Clarifying values or next steps in a project
- Relationship challenges
2. Topics to Avoid
To protect learning outcomes and uphold ethical standards, students cannot present Coaching sessions in any ICA class, lab or forum where the client is being coached on any of the following:
- Issues relating to the ICA program, assessments, trainers, or fellow students
- Issues relating to personal grievances, complaints, or conflicts within the student community
- Any situation where the coach, client, trainer, or students are personally involved in the topic
When in doubt, choose a topic that creates space, not entanglement.
3. Why This Matters
Compromises neutrality and the coaching dynamic
When a coaching topic centres on ICA, its students, programs, or anything connected to your learning journey, the coach (and even the trainer listening) can no longer remain fully neutral. This changes the power balance and the authenticity of the session.
Places trainers in an ethically conflicted position
Trainers assessing or observing a session that criticises or references ICA must stay silent to preserve the integrity of the coaching process, even if the information is inaccurate. This creates an ethical dilemma where they cannot clarify or defend, yet must still evaluate the session objectively.
Distracts from skill demonstration and assessment focus
When the topic is program-related, attention naturally drifts from how the coach is coaching to what is being said. The learning moment becomes about the issue itself, not the competencies being practised.
4. Boundaries in the Coaching Classroom
Coaching requires clear boundaries - both professional and emotional - to create safety, trust, and effective learning. In a Practicum context, these boundaries include:
- Role clarity: The trainer’s role is to assess coaching skills, not to resolve student issues.
- Confidentiality and containment: Student experiences within ICA can be shared in learning forums, or directly with Support, not in coaching sessions.
- Emotional safety: Coaching on topics directly related to the program can unintentionally affect other students, especially when concerns or frustrations are voiced in front of peers.
- Ethical professionalism: Respecting the difference between coaching, supervision, and support ensures the learning environment remains grounded in ICF ethics and best practice.
Peer Coaching
Peer Coaching is a private session between coach and client and as such, this policy does not apply. Instead, each peer coach should have their own contract and confidentiality agreements that best support themselves and their client.
Feedback and Support
It's important all students and members of the ICA Community feel supported and valued. Please refer to our support and feedback policy.