CPC Ethics, Boundaries & Professional Conduct 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A coach notices they feel romantically attracted to a client. The FIRST ethical step is to:
- Disclose the feelings to the client to clear the air
- Terminate the coaching relationship immediately without explanation
- Seek supervision or consultation and assess whether they can continue serving the client objectively (Correct answer)
- Ignore the feelings as they are a private matter
Correct answer: Seek supervision or consultation and assess whether they can continue serving the client objectively
Self-awareness and professional consultation allow the coach to protect the client without acting impulsively on personal feelings.
Question 2: Which scenario BEST illustrates countertransference in a coaching relationship?
- A coach charges different rates to different clients based on income
- A coach becomes overly invested in a client's outcome because it mirrors the coach's own past struggle (Correct answer)
- A client projects emotions onto the coach
- A coach refers a client to another professional
Correct answer: A coach becomes overly invested in a client's outcome because it mirrors the coach's own past struggle
Countertransference occurs when the coach's own unresolved issues influence their responses to the client.
Question 3: A coach is working with a client whose values around gender roles conflict sharply with the coach's own. The ethical approach is to:
- Challenge the client's values directly to promote growth
- Refer the client immediately to a coach with matching values
- Maintain neutrality, support the client's autonomy, and seek supervision if personal bias becomes an issue (Correct answer)
- Avoid any topics related to gender roles
Correct answer: Maintain neutrality, support the client's autonomy, and seek supervision if personal bias becomes an issue
Client autonomy and non-judgment are foundational; coaches manage their own biases through supervision rather than imposing values.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of a DUAL RELATIONSHIP in coaching?
- Coaching a client referred by another coach
- Coaching a colleague from the same professional association
- Coaching a client while also being their landlord (Correct answer)
- Coaching two clients with similar goals
Correct answer: Coaching a client while also being their landlord
A dual relationship exists when the coach has a second, non-coaching role with the client, such as being their landlord, creating potential conflicts.
Question 5: A client asks their coach to sign a letter verifying that they completed a coaching program for a legal proceeding. The coach should:
- Sign the letter as a courtesy to the client
- Refuse entirely, as coaches cannot provide any documents
- Provide only a factual statement of coaching engagement dates and scope, without clinical or legal opinions (Correct answer)
- Refer the client to their attorney before responding
Correct answer: Provide only a factual statement of coaching engagement dates and scope, without clinical or legal opinions
Coaches can verify factual engagement details but must not offer clinical assessments or legal opinions outside their scope.
Question 6: ICF's core value of 'putting clients' interests first' is BEST demonstrated by:
- Offering discounts to retain clients who want to leave
- Recommending a continuation of coaching even when the client has met their goals
- Acknowledging when the client no longer needs coaching and supporting a clean closure (Correct answer)
- Encouraging clients to recruit referrals before ending the engagement
Correct answer: Acknowledging when the client no longer needs coaching and supporting a clean closure
Recognizing when the client has achieved their goals and supporting closure honors client welfare over the coach's financial interest.
Question 7: A coach is approached by a media outlet wanting to feature a client's success story. The ethical requirement is to:
- Share the story if it will benefit the coaching brand
- Obtain explicit written consent from the client before sharing any identifying information (Correct answer)
- Anonymize the story without consulting the client
- Decline all media requests as a blanket policy
Correct answer: Obtain explicit written consent from the client before sharing any identifying information
Client information, including success stories, requires explicit informed consent before being shared with any third party.
CPC Ethics, Boundaries & Professional Conduct 3
A coach notices they feel romantically attracted to a client.
The FIRST ethical step is to: