What's New in the ICF Code of Ethics (Effective April 1, 2025)
- Lily Chan
- Apr 3
- 8 min read
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) has released an updated version of its Code of Ethics, which takes effect on April 1, 2025. This represents the first major revision since June 2021 and reflects significant evolution in the coaching profession.
Ethics codes evolve to reflect changes in the profession, society, and technology—ensuring coaching standards remain relevant in our rapidly changing world. Whether you're a credentialed coach, a coaching student, or a leader in the coaching community, it's essential to understand what's changed—and how it affects your practice.
The new ICF Code of Ethics: Changes at a Glance
Category | Old Code (2021) | New Code (Effective April 1, 2025) |
Scope of Application | Applied to ICF Professionals (members, credential-holders, coaches-in-training). | Applies to all within the ICF Ecosystem, including volunteers, board members, and staff. |
Structure of Ethical Standards | 4 Sections: Responsibility to Clients, Practice, Professionalism, Society | 5 Sections: Agreements, Confidentiality, Professional Conduct, Value Delivery, Integrity & Accountability |
Core Ethical Philosophy | Implied "do no harm" approach | Explicit shift to a “Do Good” principle – proactive ethical behavior encouraged |
Technology & AI | Brief mention of tech-assisted coaching | Detailed expectations for technology, AI tools, data security, and platform use |
Coaching Roles Covered | Coach, mentor, trainer, supervisor, student coach-in-training | Adds definitions and standards for internal/external coaches, group/team coaching, assessors |
Core Values | Four values (Professionalism, Collaboration, Humanity, Equity) without much detail | Same values but with behavioral examples for how each value is demonstrated |
DEIB & Systemic Oppression | Mentions equality and inclusion | Introduces full DEIB framework, terms like systemic oppression, and power dynamics |
Definitions and Glossary | Simple list of coaching-related terms | Expanded with 40+ terms, including Coaching Platforms, AI, Belonging, Conflict of Interest, etc. |
Confidentiality Standards | Covers general client data and legal compliance | More detailed guidance, including around technology use and recordkeeping |
Conflict of Interest | Covered briefly in a few standards | Stronger emphasis with multiple clauses and expectations for disclosure and management |
Accountability and Enforcement | Mentioned under the Pledge and ECR process | Reinforced across the document with explicit language on sanctions, guidance, and responsibilities |
Ethical Maturity | Not emphasized explicitly | Coaches are expected to cultivate ethical growth through self-reflection and education |
Here's a comprehensive breakdown of what's new and why it matters:
A Broader Scope: The "ICF Ecosystem"
The 2025 Code introduces the formal concept of the ICF Ecosystem—expanding its scope beyond just credentialed coaches. As detailed in the document, the ICF now consists of six family organizations (FOs) that together form this ecosystem:
ICF Professional Coaches
ICF Credentials and Standards
ICF Coaching Education
ICF Foundation
ICF Coaching in Organizations
ICF Thought Leadership Institute
The updated Code explicitly applies to everyone within this ecosystem:
ICF members and credential-holders
ICF staff and volunteers
Board members and task forces
Leaders of Communities of Practice
Why this matters: Ethics is no longer just about how you coach—it's about how you show up across all ICF roles. For example, an ICF volunteer serving on a committee is now explicitly expected to maintain the same ethical standards in that role as they would in a coaching session. The Code specifically states: "No individual or entity falling within the ICF ecosystem may opt out of any section or part of the Code, nor are they permitted to delete, modify, or amend any provisions within the Code."
A New Structure
While the previous Code (2021) was organized into broader sections like "Responsibility to Clients" and "Responsibility to Practice and Performance," the 2025 Code introduces a more targeted structure with five specific sections of ethical standards:
Agreements for Client and/or Sponsor Engagement
Confidentiality and Legal Compliance
Professional Conduct and Conflicts of Interest
Commitment to Delivering Consistent Value
Professional Integrity and Accountability
This restructuring provides greater clarity by aligning ethical standards with specific aspects of coaching practice rather than general areas of responsibility. Each section clearly outlines expectations for ethical behavior in practical coaching scenarios, making it easier for coaches to identify relevant guidelines for specific situations they encounter.
Core Values, Now in Action
While the 2021 Code referenced ICF Core Values, the 2025 Code significantly expands on them by directly incorporating them into the Code itself with detailed behavioral descriptions. The ICF's four core values—Professionalism, Collaboration, Humanity, and Equity—are now each defined with specific actions and behaviors:
Professionalism: A commitment to a coaching mindset and professional quality that encompasses responsibility, respect, integrity, competence, and excellence.
Example behaviors: "Being true and accurate in my statements" and "Being resilient and confident when faced with challenges."
Collaboration: A commitment to developing social connection and community building.
Example behaviors: "Partnering with others, both within and across multiple social-identity groups" and "Being mindful and intentional in my own participation while working in any collective effort."
Humanity: A commitment to being humane, kind, compassionate, and respectful towards others.
Example behaviors: "Accepting that, as humans, I am not meant to be perfect, and with a coaching mindset, expressing imperfections is an opportunity for me to spread a culture of openness and self-acceptance" and "Being willing to acknowledge and own my mistakes."
Equity: 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.
Example behaviors: "Bringing awareness to systemic patterns of conscious and unconscious biases in myself and in others" and "Exploring to understand and bring awareness to social diversity, systemic equality, and systemic oppression, and how they show up in the coaching profession."
The Code now explicitly states:
"All values and principles are equally important, support one another, and are aspirational. All within the ICF ecosystem are expected to honor the core values and align with the principles in all their professional interactions."
Clearer Definitions and Accountability
The 2025 Code significantly expands its glossary and key definitions section. While the 2021 Code included about 12 basic definitions, the new Code contains over 30 detailed definitions, including important distinctions between terms like:
Coaching Engagement vs Coaching Relationship: The engagement encompasses "the entire coaching process, including the initial assessment, goal setting, regular coaching sessions, progress tracking, and evaluation of outcomes," while the relationship is "established by the ICF professional and the client(s)/sponsor(s) under an agreement that defines the responsibilities and expectations of each party."
Internal Coach vs External Coach: Distinguishing between coaches employed by an organization and those hired from outside.
New role clarifications for Sponsor, Coaching Platform Provider, Mentor Coach, Coach Supervisor, and many others.
The Code also introduces terms specific to digital coaching like Coaching Platform and Coaching Provider.
Regarding accountability, the 2025 Code is much more explicit, stating in bold text that:
"The ICF Code applies to all individuals or entities falling within the ICF ecosystem. No individual or entity falling within the ICF ecosystem may opt out of any section or part of the Code, nor are they permitted to delete, modify, or amend any provisions within the Code."
It further clarifies that breaches may result in sanctions including "mandatory additional coach education, mentoring, supervision, or loss of my ICF membership and/or ICF credentials."
Ethics as a Mindset: "Do Good" vs "Avoiding Bad"
The 2025 Code explicitly emphasizes a proactive ethical stance rather than just avoiding misconduct. The Code now states:
"People within the ICF ecosystem strive to be ethical, even when doing so involves acting courageously and making difficult decisions that uphold the 'DO GOOD' principle when it comes to their stakeholders."
Similarly, Standard 5.3 explicitly states that ICF professionals: "Adhere to the philosophy of 'doing good' versus 'avoiding bad,' recognizing the impact of my professional conduct on my clients, stakeholders, the coaching profession, and society."
This contrasts with the previous code's more reactive approach to ethical dilemmas. The new code encourages coaches to:
Act courageously
Demonstrate integrity
Take ethical responsibility, even in gray areas
Think globally about their impact
This philosophy reinforces the coaching mindset as one that proactively uplifts individuals, systems, and society rather than simply avoiding ethical pitfalls.
Tech & AI Awareness
While the 2021 Code briefly mentioned "technology-assisted coaching services," the 2025 Code significantly expands on digital ethics with explicit references to:
Technology-assisted coaching tools
Coaching platforms
Databases and software
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools
Standard 2.5 now specifically states that ICF professionals must: "Fulfill my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching client(s), sponsor(s), colleagues, and to the public at large directly and through any technology systems I may utilize (i.e. technology-assisted coaching tools, databases, platforms, software, and artificial intelligence)."
The new Code also includes formal definitions for terms like "Artificial Intelligence" and "Coaching Platform" in its glossary, defining AI as "any algorithm or machine-based technology that enables computers and other digital devices to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving skills."
Why this matters: Coaches are responsible for ensuring privacy, confidentiality, and ethical standards—even when using digital tools.
For instance, when using AI note-taking tools during sessions, the code now requires coaches to disclose this to clients and explain how data will be protected. Similarly, coaches using virtual platforms must ensure these platforms meet confidentiality standards and properly inform clients about any recording features.
DEIB Language and Commitments
The 2025 Code significantly expands its DEIB focus, now explicitly incorporating Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) terminology and concepts throughout. While the 2021 Code contained basic references to equality and non-discrimination, the new Code provides comprehensive DEIB definitions and introduces concepts like:
Systemic oppression: Defined as "systemic racism, colorism, sexism, and other forms of systemic inequality that are embedded in the norms, beliefs, language, images, ethics, core values, policies, structures, laws, practices, and cultures of communities, organizations, professional associations, nations, and society and that perpetuate widespread prejudicial and harmful treatment of people with marginalized identities and reward and benefit people with privileged identities."
Power dynamics: Standard 4.1 now requires coaches to "be aware of and, in partnership with my client, actively manage any power or status differential between us that may be caused by cultural, relational, psychological, or contextual issues."
Cultural sensitivity: The Code now specifically mentions "cultural filters" and requires coaches to "remain alert to cultural filters and demonstrate respect for cultures different from our own through open conversations about cross-cultural and multicultural differences."
The Code also expands its definition of diversity to include "race, color, caste, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, rank, socio-economic status, age, spiritual practice, national origin, ability, and other groups, classes, and categories of human differences."
Why this matters: Coaches are expected to navigate complex human dynamics with awareness and care. In practice, this might mean recognizing when cultural differences affect communication styles in a coaching relationship, or acknowledging organizational power dynamics when coaching in corporate settings. These additions signal a significant shift toward socially conscious coaching practices that acknowledge systemic inequalities.
What Does This Mean for You?
If you're a credentialed coach, you'll need to thoroughly update your ethical understanding—especially around confidentiality, AI use, and DEIB principles. The Code now mandates "continuous ethical education and training" for all credentialed professionals.
If you're preparing for an ICF Credentialing Exam, expect questions based on this new framework, particularly around power dynamics, conflict of interest, technology use, and the "do good" ethical principle.
If you hold any ICF role, from volunteer to board member, this code applies entirely to you with no opt-out provisions. The ecosystem concept means ethical responsibilities extend beyond coaching sessions to all professional interactions.
If you're a coaching educator, note that "ICF accredited coaching education programs are required to provide ethics training as ICF considers ethics to be the foundational element of the coaching profession."
Final Thoughts
The updated ICF Code of Ethics represents a significant evolution in coaching standards, reflecting both the changing profession and broader societal shifts. The 2025 Code goes far beyond the traditional focus on confidentiality and conflicts of interest to emphasize proactive ethical conduct, social responsibility, and technological awareness.
This revision signals ICF's positioning of coaching as a socially conscious profession with responsibility not just to individual clients but to society at large. It's no longer just about protecting client information or avoiding conflicts. It's about how we show up as ethical professionals, every day, in every interaction.
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