What makes Coaching different: How professional coaching works
Today, the global coaching industry is valued at over $15 billion. There are coaches for almost everything, which can be a positive development.
But most people still aren’t sure what coaching really is—or what it isn’t.
You might think you know what a fitness or sports coach does, but that can be very different from what professional coaching actually involves.
I’m sharing this from my own experience. I trained with the ICF, am working toward my ACC credential, and have learned a lot as a Mindset, Life, and Executive coach over the years.
Anyone can call themselves a "coach" without any training, credentials, or ethical standards. I’ve even seen so-called coaching training offered for almost nothing in just one day.🤯
You can also change your coaching focus. For example, my training was officially called "Life & Executive coaching," but I now call it Mindset & Life coaching. I have experience in Executive and ADHD coaching, but Mindset & Life coaching fits what I do best.
Today, I’ll explain what makes coaching unique, using the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Code of Ethics as the gold standard.
By the end of this post, you’ll learn:
What coaching actually is (and isn’t).
The 4 core values that define ethical coaching
The 5 ethical standards that protect clients
How to spot the difference between authentic coaching and everything else
Why ICF certification matters
Part 1: Defining Professional Coaching
The Official Definition
According to the International Coaching Federation (the world’s leading coaching association representing over 50,000 coaches globally) coaching is:
"Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximise their personal and professional potential."
So, what does this actually mean?
"PARTNERING" - Not leading. Not directing. Not fixing. This is a collaborative relationship of equals.
"THOUGHT-PROVOKING" - Coaching challenges your thinking patterns and assumptions through powerful questions.
"CREATIVE PROCESS" - There isn’t a single formula. Every coaching relationship is unique.
"INSPIRES" - The goal is intrinsic motivation, not external pressure.
"MAXIMIZE" - Not about "improving" or "fixing." The idea is that you’re already whole and capable.
"PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL POTENTIAL" - Coaching is about unlocking what’s already inside you, not taking on someone else’s advice.
Part 2: What Coaching Is NOT
Before we get into what coaching is, let’s clear up what it isn’t.
Coaching vs. Therapy
Therapy:
Focuses on healing past wounds and trauma
Clinical diagnosis and treatment
Licensed mental health professional
Often insurance-covered
Deals with mental health conditions
Coaching:
Forward-focused on future goals
No diagnosis or treatment
Professional certification (not clinical license)
Usually not covered by insurance (though in my case, it is)
Assumes client is "whole and resourceful"
Coaching vs. Consulting
Consulting:
An expert analyses your situation
Consultant provides solutions and recommendations
Based on the consultant's expertise and experience
Consultant tells you what to do
Creates dependency on expert advice
Coaching:
The client is the expert on their own life
Coach asks questions to unlock the client’s wisdom
Based on the client’s values, goals, and context
Client discovers their own answers
Builds the client’s independent problem-solving capacity
The main difference: Consultants solve your problems for you. Coaches help you find your own solutions.
Coaching vs. Mentoring
Mentoring:
Mentor has walked the path before
Sharing specific expertise and experience
Often hierarchical relationship
Advice-giving based on the mentor’s journey
Coaching:
Coach doesn’t need to have your specific experience
"Discover your own path"
Asking questions, not giving advice
Partnership of equals
Your journey is unique.
The main difference: Mentors share their own roadmap. Coaches help you create your own.
Part 3: The ICF Code of Ethics - What Sets Professional Coaching Apart
Most people don’t realize that ethics is the foundation of the entire coaching profession.
It's literally the first competency in the ICF Core Competencies framework:
"Demonstrates Ethical Practice."
The ICF Code of Ethics, updated April 2025, is composed of five main parts:
Purpose
Core Values and Ethical Principles
Commitments for All Within the ICF Ecosystem
Ethical Standards for ICF Professionals
The Pledge of Ethics
Part 4: The 4 Core Values That Define Professional Coaching
Every ICF coach—whether they're ACC (Associate Certified Coach), PCC (Professional Certified Coach), or MCC (Master Certified Coach)—must uphold these four core values:
Value #1: PROFESSIONALISM
What it means: "A commitment to a coaching mindset and professional quality that encompasses responsibility, respect, integrity, competence, and excellence."
In practice, ICF coaches commit to:
Ensuring conduct aligns with humanity in all professional interactions
Being authentic and accurate in statements
Committing to lifelong professional learning and personal development
Supporting clients’ ongoing development
Delivering on commitments
Being aware of ethical dilemmas and responding appropriately
Adding to the knowledge base of the profession
Being resilient when faced with challenges
Behaving with respect and transparency in business dealings
Making clear and accurate representations about coaching
Committing to honesty, courage, and ethical practice
Value #2: COLLABORATION
What it means: "A commitment to developing social connection and community building."
In practice, ICF coaches commit to:
Promoting professional coaching through joint creativity
Partnering with others across multiple social-identity groups
Being mindful and intentional in participation
Cooperating with other professionals working with clients
Communicating with related professions and associations
Why it matters: Coaching isn’t just about the coach and client. Clients are part of complex systems, and sometimes working with other professionals—like therapists, doctors, or other coaches—is best for the client.
Value #3: HUMANITY
What it means: "A commitment to being humane, kind, compassionate, and respectful towards others."
In practice, ICF coaches commit to:
Accepting imperfection and using it to spread openness
Knowing they always have more to learn
Creating authentic relationships supporting honesty and transparency
Continuously developing self-awareness
Acknowledging and owning mistakes
Accepting responsibility and learning from actions
Being modest about achievements
Avoiding behaviours suggesting superiority
Committing to inclusivity, dignity, self-worth, and human rights
The idea of "avoiding any behaviours or communication that suggest superiority in any way" is important. That’s why you’ll never hear an ICF coach say "I'm more evolved than you" or "I have it all figured out."
Value #4: EQUITY
What it means: "A commitment to using a coaching mindset to explore and understand the needs of others so I can practice equitable processes at all times that create equality for all."
In practice, ICF coaches commit to:
Recognising and respecting all identity groups
Treating everyone with dignity and fairness
Bringing awareness to systemic patterns of conscious and unconscious biases
Exploring social diversity, systemic equality, and systemic oppression
Maintaining equality and partnership in all coaching relationships
Part 5: When to Choose Coaching (And When to Choose Something Else)
Choose THERAPY when:
You're dealing with past trauma
You have mental health symptoms
You need a clinical diagnosis or treatment
You need to heal emotional wounds
You're struggling with mental illness
Choose CONSULTING when:
You need expert analysis
You lack specific technical knowledge
You need industry insights
Time is critical and you need fast solutions
You want someone to solve a specific problem
Choose MENTORING when:
You want to follow a specific path someone has walked
You need industry-specific guidance
You want to learn from someone's experience
You value that person's specific journey
Choose COACHING when:
You have goals but aren't sure how to achieve them
You know what to do but aren't doing it
You're facing a transition or decision
You want to maximize your potential
You need to develop self-awareness
You want to build problem-solving capacity
You have the answers inside but need help accessing them
You want to create YOUR path, not follow someone else's
Sometimes, you might need more than one approach, and that’s perfectly fine. That’s why Section 3.1 of the ICF Code says coaches should be aware of and talk about multiple relationships.
Conclusion: The Power of Partnership
Here’s what I hope you remember from this:
Professional coaching, real, ethical, ICF-standard coaching, is fundamentally different from anything else in the personal development space.
It's not about the coach having the answers.
It's about YOU having the answers.
It's not about following someone else's path.
It's about discovering YOURS.
It's not about being fixed.
It's about being empowered.
The ICF Code of Ethics exists to protect this model.
To ensure that when you work with an ICF-certified coach, you're getting:
A true partnership of equals
Strict confidentiality
Clear agreements
Ethical boundaries
Ongoing value assessment
Respect for your autonomy
Commitment to "doing good"
If you enjoyed this post, let me know!
Cornelia
