Ethics & Professional Standards in Relationship Coaching Flashcards

A CRC coach is approached by a client's employer asking whether the client is engaged in coaching and how sessions are progressing. The coach should:

Answer: Decline to confirm or deny anything about the client without explicit written consent

Without explicit written consent, coaches may not confirm or deny the existence of a coaching relationship to any third party, including employers.

Which ethical principle is most directly upheld when a coach avoids giving advice on whether a client should stay in or leave a relationship?

Answer: Client autonomy

Refraining from directive advice about relationship decisions honors the client's autonomy — their right to make their own informed choices.

A coach is offered a significant gift by a grateful client at the end of their engagement. Ethical guidelines generally recommend the coach:

Answer: Decline or discuss the gift openly and consider its potential impact on the coaching relationship

Gifts can create feelings of obligation or power imbalance; ethical coaches address gifts transparently and consult guidelines rather than accepting without reflection.

In relationship coaching ethics, 'non-maleficence' means the coach should:

Answer: Actively avoid actions that could harm the client's well-being

Non-maleficence is the ethical obligation to do no harm, meaning coaches must avoid interventions or behaviors that could damage clients physically, emotionally, or relationally.

A coach's marketing materials claim that coaching will 'save your marriage' and 'guarantee results.' This language is problematic because:

Answer: It creates false expectations that coaching cannot ethically promise to fulfill

Guaranteeing outcomes is unethical because coaching results depend on many factors outside the coach's control, and false promises mislead prospective clients.

When a CRC coach disagrees with a client's values around relationships (e.g., non-traditional structures), the ethical standard requires the coach to:

Answer: Set aside personal judgments and support the client's goals within ethical and legal limits

Coaches are ethically bound to respect diverse relationship models and set aside personal bias to serve clients' self-defined goals.

If a coach realizes they made a mistake during a session that may have misled the client, the most ethical response is to:

Answer: Acknowledge the mistake in the next session and correct the information

Ethical coaches take responsibility for errors, acknowledge them to the client, and provide correct information to prevent ongoing harm from the mistake.