Coaching Ethics & Professional Boundaries Statement

1. Purpose of This Statement

This statement sets out the ethical framework, professional boundaries, and working principles that guide the coaching practice of [Your Name] at [Business Name]. It is provided to all clients at the outset of the coaching engagement, and forms part of the coaching agreement.

Professional ethics are not simply rules — they are the expression of the values that underpin effective, safe, and respectful coaching. The Coach is committed to acting with integrity, transparency, and care at all times.

2. What Coaching Is — and What It Is Not

The coaching profession sits alongside, but is distinct from, a range of other helping relationships. Understanding these distinctions protects clients and helps set realistic expectations.

3. Professional Qualifications and Credentials

The Coach holds the following qualifications, accreditations, and memberships:

4. When Therapeutic Support May Be Needed

There are times in any coaching engagement when it becomes apparent — either to the client or to the coach — that the client would benefit more from therapeutic or clinical support than from coaching. This is not a failure; it is a recognition of the right support for the right need.

Where this arises, the Coach will:

• Raise the matter with sensitivity and care, framing it as an act of professional responsibility rather than rejection.
• Pause or conclude the coaching engagement if continuing would not be in the client's best interests.
• Where appropriate and with the client's consent, provide signposting to relevant services — such as their GP, a BACP-registered counsellor or therapist, or other specialist support.
• Not abandon the client without ensuring they are aware of appropriate next steps.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact your GP, call NHS 111, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, or in an emergency call 999.

5. Dual Relationships

A dual relationship exists when the Coach and Client have, or develop, a relationship outside of the coaching engagement — for example, as friends, family members, business partners, or romantic partners.

The Coach is committed to maintaining clear professional boundaries. The following policy applies:

• The Coach will not enter into a coaching relationship with close personal friends, family members, or anyone with whom they have a current significant personal or professional relationship, where this could compromise objectivity or create a conflict of interest.
• If a pre-existing relationship develops into something that could reasonably compromise the coaching relationship, the Coach will discuss this openly with the client and, if necessary, refer the client to another coach.
• Personal relationships or social interactions during the coaching engagement should not be initiated by the Coach, and clients are asked to be mindful of the professional nature of the relationship.

6. Gift Policy

The Coach appreciates kind gestures but operates a modest gift policy to protect the integrity of the professional relationship:

• Small, token gifts of [up to £10 in value] at the conclusion of a coaching programme may be accepted in the spirit in which they are given.
• Gifts that could reasonably be seen to influence the Coach's professional judgment, create obligation, or compromise impartiality will be respectfully declined.
• Cash gifts or financial benefits (other than agreed coaching fees) are not accepted.

7. Social Media and Digital Boundaries

To protect the professional boundary and the confidentiality of the coaching relationship:

• The Coach will not send, accept, or respond to personal social media connection requests from coaching clients during an active coaching engagement (e.g. Facebook friends, Instagram follows, LinkedIn connections on a personal basis).
• Communication outside of scheduled sessions should be conducted through agreed professional channels (email or the agreed contact method).
• Session content will never be referenced, alluded to, or discussed on social media, in any identifiable form.
• Clients are also asked to respect these boundaries: please do not publicly tag, identify, or describe coaching sessions in a way that could identify other clients or disclose the nature of the work.

8. Confidentiality in Group and Peer Coaching

Where the Coach facilitates group coaching sessions, peer coaching circles, or cohort-based programmes, all participants share a collective confidentiality responsibility. By participating, each client agrees:

• Not to disclose the identity of other participants to anyone outside the group.
• Not to repeat, share, or discuss what other participants have shared in sessions, in any form — in person, online, or in writing.
• To treat all content shared by fellow participants with the same respect and confidentiality they would wish for themselves.

The Coach will hold all participants to this standard and may address breaches directly if they arise.

9. Raising Concerns About the Coach

If at any point you have a concern about the Coach's conduct, professionalism, or the boundaries of this relationship, you are encouraged to raise it directly with the Coach in the first instance. If you are not comfortable doing so, you may contact the Coach's professional body:

[ICF Ethics Hotline: ethics.coachingfederation.org / EMCC Complaints process: emccglobal.org / AC: associationforcoaching.com]

All complaints will be taken seriously and handled with confidentiality and care.

10. Declaration

By signing below, both the Coach and the Client confirm that they have read and understood this Ethics and Professional Boundaries Statement, and agree to uphold the principles set out herein throughout the coaching engagement.