ICF Credentialing Exam (PCC/MCC) key terms

The written professional standards every ICF-credentialed coach agrees to follow. It sets expectations for confidentiality, conflicts of interest, honest representation of credentials, and respectful conduct toward clients, sponsors and colleagues.

The coach's commitment not to disclose what a client shares. Its limited exceptions, such as serious risk of harm or a legal requirement, are explained to the client before coaching begins.

Explaining to the client, in advance and in plain language, how coaching works, its limits, fees, confidentiality and use of information, so the client can freely agree to proceed.

A situation where the coach's personal, financial or other interests could distort their judgment or harm the client. It must be disclosed, avoided or resolved before or during the work.

Directing a client to a different professional when their needs fall outside the coach's training, competence or scope, for example when therapy or medical care appears to be needed.

The coach's ongoing noticing of their own reactions, assumptions, moods and triggers during sessions, so these inform rather than hijack the work with the client.

Regularly reviewing one's coaching (what happened, why, and what to do differently) alone, in supervision or with peers, in order to keep developing and reduce blind spots.

Recognizing the stereotypes, preferences and filters that shape how the coach perceives a client, and taking deliberate steps so those filters do not limit or distort the client's exploration.

Approaching the client with genuine curiosity and without assuming the coach already knows the answer, so the client's own meaning, values and solutions can emerge.

The explicit, revisable understanding between coach and client about purpose, goals, roles, confidentiality, logistics and fees, which frames everything that happens in the work.

A three-way contract among coach, client and whoever pays or refers, typically an organisation, clarifying who sets goals, what information is shared and how confidentiality is protected.

A brief, renegotiable agreement at the start of each conversation about what the client wants to focus on and how they will know the session was worthwhile.

The range of issues, methods and activities the coach is trained and contracted to work with; outside these limits the coach declines, adapts or refers.

The agreed limits that keep coaching distinct from therapy, consulting, mentoring or friendship, including what the coach will and won't do and when another professional is needed.

The client's confidence that the coach is honest, competent, discreet and acting in the client's interest. It grows through consistency, reliability and following through on commitments.

A climate in which the client feels able to speak openly, admit uncertainty and take risks without fear of judgment, embarrassment or negative consequences.

The ease and warmth between coach and client that makes frank conversation comfortable; it is built through attention, respect and matching the client's pace and style.

Holding back evaluation, approval and advice so the client can explore thoughts, feelings and choices without being graded as right or wrong.

Respecting that the client decides what to think and do. The coach supports the client's own choices and resists steering them toward the coach's preferred outcome.

Being fully available to the client in this moment, attentive, unhurried and aware, with the coach's own agenda, analysis and reactions set aside.

Noticing one's own emotions, thoughts and impulses as they arise and choosing how to respond, so the coach's reactions do not become the subject of the session.

Deliberately leaving space without speaking so the client can think, feel or find words. Used on purpose it deepens the work rather than signalling a gap.

Changing pace, direction or approach in response to what the client brings, rather than following a prepared plan, while staying aligned with the agreed purpose.

Listening for meaning, feeling and what is left unsaid, and showing the client they have been heard, instead of waiting for a turn to speak or planning the next question.

Restating the essence of what the client said in the coach's own words, to check understanding and to let the client hear their own thinking afresh.

Pulling several threads of the conversation into a short, accurate whole, often to confirm understanding, mark progress or bring a topic to a close.

Noticing and naming something the client has said, done or risked, such as effort, honesty or insight, without judging it as good or bad or turning it into praise.

Hearing the feelings, values, beliefs and recurring patterns implied but not stated directly, and offering them back for the client to confirm or correct.

Short, open questions asked from real curiosity that open up the client's thinking, rather than gathering information for the coach or pointing to a preferred answer.

Offering a different way to look at the client's situation so new options or meanings become visible, while leaving the client free to accept or reject it.

Sharing observations, intuitions or honest feedback clearly, respectfully and without ambiguity, in service of the client's awareness, not as a verdict on the client.

Respectfully drawing attention to a contradiction, assumption or gap in what the client has said, inviting them to examine it rather than simply accept it.

A hunch or sense about what might be going on with the client, offered tentatively as a question or observation for the client to confirm, reject or explore.

A new understanding the client reaches, such as a connection, recognition or shift in perspective, that changes how they see their situation; in coaching it comes from the client, not the coach.

Agreeing with the client a clear and personally meaningful outcome for the work, expressed in the client's own terms, so progress can be judged and effort directed.

Working with the client to define specific next steps (what, when and with what support) that fit their capacity and genuinely move them toward their goal.

The client's own commitment to follow through, supported by the coach asking about progress and inviting reflection, rather than checking up on or pressuring the client.

Helping the client connect what they discovered in the session to their everyday life and work, so a new awareness turns into durable change rather than a good conversation.

The coach's working assumption that the client already has, or can build, the capacity to move forward; it leads to drawing on strengths rather than fixing deficits.