Judit Ábri von Bartheld MA, MCC, ACTC’s Post

💚 ICF Core Competency 4: Cultivates Trust and Safety 💚 At the heart of every powerful coaching engagement is trust. Without it, clients may hold back their true thoughts, fears, or desires, and transformation remains out of reach. Competency 4 calls on coaches to: 💚 Create a supportive environment where clients feel safe to explore openly. 💚 Show genuine respect for the client’s identity, perceptions, style, and language. 💚 Maintain confidentiality and integrity, building a relationship grounded in reliability. 💚 Demonstrate empathy, curiosity, and non-judgment. Why does this matter? Because when clients know they are fully seen and heard without judgment, they access deeper awareness and feel more empowered to take ownership of their journey. In practice: 💚 A client admits they are afraid of failing — instead of offering solutions, the coach listens deeply, acknowledges the courage it takes to share this, and creates space to explore what lies beneath. 💚 A coach notices the client’s energy shift during a tough topic and asks permission to check in, respecting the client’s boundaries while gently opening the door to insight. 💚 The coach consistently upholds confidentiality, which allows the client to bring vulnerable or sensitive material into the session. Cultivating trust and safety is not a “soft” part of coaching, it is rather the foundation on which all meaningful growth is built. #ICF #Coaching #CoachingPractice #NatureCoaching #CoreCompetencies #Thebirthofacoach #intuitivecoach #ecosystemmastercoch

💚 ICF Core Competency 4: Practical Examples for Coaches 💚 Here are some practical examples of the competency: 💚 Confidentiality in Practice: A client asks, “Can I share something personal that I don’t want anyone else to know?” The coach reassures them of confidentiality (within professional and legal limits), making it safe for the client to go deeper. 💚 Respecting the Client’s Pace The coach notices silence after a powerful question. Instead of jumping in, they allow space. The pause becomes a moment of reflection, showing respect for the client’s process. 💚 Cultural Sensitivity A client uses metaphors rooted in their cultural background. Instead of replacing them with the coach’s own, the coach leans in with curiosity, asking, “What does that mean for you?” 💚 Normalising Vulnerability When a client expresses fear of failure, the coach acknowledges the courage it took to share that and validates that it’s a normal part of growth — creating safety for further exploration. 💚 Boundaries and Consent The coach notices the client’s body language shift when a sensitive subject comes up. Instead of pressing forward, the coach asks, “Would you like to explore this now, or shall we park it for later?” 💚 Consistency and Reliability The coach always starts and ends on time, follows through on agreements, and demonstrates reliability. This consistency builds trust over time. 💚 Empathy and Non-Judgment A client shares a decision they regret. The coach resists advice-giving and instead asks, “What have you learned about yourself from this experience?” — turning judgment into growth. #ICF #Coaching #CoachingPractice #NatureCoaching #CoreCompetencies #Thebirthofacoach #intuitivecoach #ecosystemmastercoch

Coaching can be one of the most rewarding professions there is — but also one of the most quietly demanding. You hold space for your coachees: their goals, doubts, transformations, and tears. You help them make sense of things that feel messy. But who holds space for you? Supervision isn’t about checking your work or proving competence. It’s about creating a reflective, restorative partnership that helps you keep learning, stay grounded, and protect your wellbeing while you serve others. If you’ve been wondering whether it’s time to find that kind of space, here are three signs that you’re ready... ✨ 3 Signs You’re Ready for Supervision ✨ #1 You’re Holding More Than You Realise Even when sessions go well, a coachee’s story can linger. You replay conversations, second-guess an intervention or question, or wonder if you did enough. It’s natural — but it can also be draining. Supervision includes providing a confidential place to: ✅ unpack what you’re carrying, ✅ notice patterns you’ve developed, or are developing, ✅ and process emotions that might otherwise build up quietly in the background. In my experience, coaches often leave a supervision session lighter, clearer, and more resourced for their next client. They realise just how much weight they’ve been holding. 👀 Read the full post via the link below. #CoachingSupervision #ReflectivePractice #ProfessionalGrowth #CoachDevelopment

Two weeks ago, the ICF updated its core competencies. Some things remain unchanged. But two additions stand out: → The invitation to include supervision for coaches as part of their ongoing development. → The option to share knowledge with clients, when it can spark new awareness. The first feels like an important step forward. Supervision deepens reflection, strengthens maturity, and keeps the coaching profession anchored in integrity. The second calls for discernment. Knowledge can be useful, but only if it opens space for the client’s wisdom rather than replacing it. This is where we slow down before we act. Competencies may evolve, but the essence of coaching remains the same: to hold space in service of the client’s growth. As a community, our invitation is to meet these changes with awareness. Because the deeper we go within, the clearer our choices become. P.S.: How do you see the “knowledge” piece shaping the future of coaching?

🌱 Reflections on Coaching Supervision through the Lens of Action Reflection Learning (ARL) 🌱 Yesterday, I joined a coaching supervision session offered by ICF Singapore for volunteer coaches supporting C4C program. Facilitated by Choy Kiew Ho (Cheong), the session created a safe space for connection, reflection, and growth. Thank you, Choy Kiew! As someone who practices Action Reflection Learning, I found the supervision experience deeply aligned with ARL principles: Action: We brought real coaching cases to the table — moments of challenge, uncertainty, and growth. Reflection: We paused to examine our coaching approaches, assumptions, and emotional responses. Learning: Through shared insights and peer dialogue, we gained new perspectives and affirmed our development as coaches. 💡 Key takeaway: If your coachee is not ready or shows less ownership, don’t blame yourself. Treat it as an opportunity to stretch and learn. And don’t forget to affirm yourself more — growth starts with self-compassion. ✨ Supervision is not just about solving coaching challenges — it’s about deepening our awareness, sharpening our practice, and nurturing our growth as coaches. I encourage fellow coaches to embrace supervision as a vital part of our professional development journey. #CoachingSupervision #ActionReflectionLearning #ProfessionalDevelopment

One aspect of growing an ethical coaching practice that took me a while to realise: the need to be selective about clients. In the NHS, we served everyone who needed care. In coaching, I've learned that ethical practice sometimes means recognising when: • A client needs support beyond my expertise • Their goals require different approaches • Our working styles aren't well matched • The timing isn't right for coaching This selectivity isn't about rejection, it's about ensuring clients get the right support, even when that isn't me. If you want to explore this topic more thoroughly, I highly recommend "Cultivating Coachability" by Clare Norman MCC .

Supervision is a cornerstone of ethical, reflective coaching practice — but more than that, it’s a rich, relational space where insight and learning are co-created. So, what do coaches actually bring into this space? What DO coaches talk about in supervision? Read this latest blog from Jan Brause Executive Coach and Coach Supervisor to find out: https://buff.ly/bNsYDxk

If you’re considering coaching this year – whether for yourself or for your organisation – you probably have a lot of questions. In this new webinar series from the coaching experts at WorkLifePsych, you’ll get answers to the most common coaching questions. In this fourth session in the series, Dr. Richard MacKinnon will share insights from over twenty years as a practitioner psychologist to enable you to understand how coaching can boost wellbeing at work, and outside of work. Including: * What do we really mean by ‘productivity’ anyway? * Barriers to productivity in the contemporary workplacce * The impact of procrastination and avoidance * The impact of over-work and burnout * The importance of ruthless prioritisation * Learning to balance our limited resources * Dealing with the discomfort of making changes to our behaviour https://buff.ly/wju2vCy

If you’re considering coaching this year – whether for yourself or for your organisation – you probably have a lot of questions. In this new webinar series from the coaching experts at WorkLifePsych, you’ll get answers to the most common coaching questions. In this fourth session in the series, Dr. Richard MacKinnon will share insights from over twenty years as a practitioner psychologist to enable you to understand how coaching can boost wellbeing at work, and outside of work. Including: * What do we really mean by ‘productivity’ anyway? * Barriers to productivity in the contemporary workplacce * The impact of procrastination and avoidance * The impact of over-work and burnout * The importance of ruthless prioritisation * Learning to balance our limited resources * Dealing with the discomfort of making changes to our behaviour https://buff.ly/wju2vCy

🌀 Coaching Supervision & the Power of the Mirror Coaching supervision is the kind of reflective space that can invite us to notice the subtle ways our clients become mirrors for our own inner landscape. In a recent supervision session, I worked with a coach who was struck by what some of their clients were mirroring back to them. Interactions seemed to reflect something unspoken, an emotion, a belief, a tension, that felt oddly familiar. As we explored this, a powerful insight emerged: ✨ What we notice most vividly in others can point to something unresolved within ourselves. This is the essence of deepening and integrating self-awareness, the courageous process of reclaiming the parts of ourselves we’ve disowned, denied, or unconsciously projected onto others. In coaching, these patterns show up in nuanced ways: frustration with a client’s indecision, admiration for their boldness, discomfort with their vulnerability. These reactions aren’t just about the client, they’re invitations to look inward. Supervision offers coaches a reflective container for this kind of inquiry. Not to fix, but to illuminate. Not to judge, but to integrate. 💡 When coaches engage with our own inner dynamics, we expand our capacity to hold space for others, with less entanglement, more clarity, and deeper compassion. What are your coaching clients showing you about you? If you’re in supervision, could you bring that mirror with you to explore? It might just reveal the gold hidden in plain sight. #CoachingSupervision #ReflectivePractice #CoachDevelopment #CoachingJourney Image credit: Matthieu Rochette