Coach Code of Conduct

• Represent yourself accurately. Only claim certifications, credentials, and training you genuinely hold. Credentials are subject to verification with issuing bodies. Misrepresentation results in immediate removal.
• Be honest about your scope of practice. Coaching is distinct from therapy, counselling, and medical treatment. Be clear with clients about what coaching can and cannot do. Do not diagnose, treat, or prescribe.
• Be honest about results. Do not guarantee outcomes or make claims about what clients will achieve. Coaching is a relationship and a process — results depend on the client's own effort and circumstances.
• Keep your profile current. Update your availability, pricing, and session types promptly. Do not accept bookings you cannot honour.

• Know when to refer. If a client presents with needs that exceed your competence or that require clinical support (severe depression, trauma, suicidality, psychosis, eating disorders), refer them to an appropriate licensed professional. Do not continue coaching when clinical support is clearly needed.
• Respect client autonomy. Your role is to support your client's goals, not to direct their life according to your values or judgment. Offer perspectives — do not prescribe outcomes.
• Do no harm. Do not use coaching relationships to exploit a client's vulnerability, to promote products or services unrelated to their goals, or to advance your own interests at the client's expense.
• Respond to crisis. If a client discloses immediate risk to themselves or others, always refer them to emergency services or a crisis line. Do not attempt to handle a mental health emergency through coaching.

• Keep sessions private. Do not share the content of coaching sessions, client disclosures, or client notes with third parties without explicit written consent from the client.
• Do not record sessions without consent. If you wish to record sessions for your own records, obtain explicit client consent before doing so.
• Handle data responsibly. Store any client notes securely. Do not retain client information longer than necessary. Comply with applicable data protection laws in your jurisdiction.
• Exception: mandatory reporting. Confidentiality does not apply where you have a legal obligation to report — for example, disclosure of child abuse or credible threats of serious harm.

• No romantic or sexual relationships with clients. Do not enter into romantic, sexual, or intimate relationships with current clients. These relationships involve a power imbalance that makes genuine consent impossible.
• No financial exploitation. Do not take advantage of a client's vulnerable emotional state to sell them additional services, packages, or products they do not need. Pricing should be transparent and agreed in advance.
• Manage conflicts of interest. Disclose any relationship, financial interest, or situation that could compromise your objectivity as a coach. Refer clients elsewhere when you cannot be objective.
• Maintain professional competence. Only coach in areas where you have the knowledge, skill, and experience to be genuinely helpful. Continuing professional development is your responsibility.

• Honour your bookings. If you accept a booking, attend the session. If you must cancel, notify the client as early as possible — with a minimum of 24 hours' notice except in genuine emergencies.
• No off-platform solicitation. Do not encourage clients to book sessions outside the platform to avoid platform fees during or for 12 months after a coaching relationship that began on Coaches For Everyone.
• No harassment or discrimination. Treat all clients, colleagues, and platform staff with respect, regardless of their background, identity, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, or any other characteristic.
• No false reviews. Do not solicit, incentivise, or fabricate client reviews. Reviews must reflect genuine client experiences.

Coaches For Everyone takes breaches of this Code seriously. Depending on the severity of the breach, consequences may include:

• A formal warning and required corrective action
• Temporary suspension of your profile from search results
• Permanent removal from the platform
• Reporting to relevant professional bodies (ICF, EMCC, etc.) where applicable
• Reporting to law enforcement where required by law

To report a concern about a coach, email trust@coachesforeveryone.com. All reports are treated confidentially.

This code cannot cover every situation you will encounter as a coach. When you face a situation not explicitly covered here, ask yourself: Is this in my client's genuine interest? Am I being honest? Would I be comfortable if my professional peers could see exactly what I'm doing and why?

If you can answer yes to all three, proceed. If you cannot, seek supervision or guidance before acting.

Questions about this Code of Conduct: trust@coachesforeveryone.com