IAC Coaching Ethics & Professional Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A client discloses information suggesting they may harm themselves. What is the IAC-aligned ethical response?
- Immediately terminate the coaching relationship
- Break confidentiality only to the extent necessary to prevent harm (Correct answer)
- Continue coaching without action to preserve trust
- Report the disclosure to the client's employer
Correct answer: Break confidentiality only to the extent necessary to prevent harm
IAC ethics permit breaking confidentiality when there is a serious and credible risk of harm, but only to the extent necessary.
Question 2: Which action best demonstrates professional accountability under IAC standards?
- Accepting any client who can pay the coaching fee
- Referring a client outside your competence to a more qualified professional (Correct answer)
- Guaranteeing specific outcomes to attract new clients
- Avoiding peer supervision to maintain independence
Correct answer: Referring a client outside your competence to a more qualified professional
Referring clients beyond a coach's competence reflects the IAC principle of working within one's professional scope.
Question 3: Under IAC ethics, how should a coach handle a situation where two clients are business competitors?
- Coach both without disclosure because sessions are confidential
- Disclose the potential conflict and obtain informed consent from both (Correct answer)
- Drop the newer client automatically
- Inform both clients of each other's identities
Correct answer: Disclose the potential conflict and obtain informed consent from both
IAC standards require transparency about conflicts of interest and obtaining informed consent before proceeding.
Question 4: What does the IAC mean by 'coaching presence' in an ethical context?
- Being physically present at every session
- Showing up fully attentive and responsive without imposing the coach's agenda (Correct answer)
- Guiding clients toward outcomes the coach considers best
- Maintaining a formal, detached professional demeanor
Correct answer: Showing up fully attentive and responsive without imposing the coach's agenda
Coaching presence means being fully engaged and client-focused, free from the coach's own agenda or judgment.
Question 5: A coach realizes mid-engagement that a client needs therapy, not coaching. The ethical course of action is to:
- Continue coaching since the client is paying
- Provide therapy within the coaching sessions
- Discuss the observation with the client and recommend a therapist (Correct answer)
- Diagnose the client and adjust the coaching plan
Correct answer: Discuss the observation with the client and recommend a therapist
IAC ethics require coaches to recognize the boundaries between coaching and therapy and to make appropriate referrals.
Question 6: Which scenario most clearly violates the IAC principle of non-exploitation?
- Charging a market-rate fee for coaching services
- Extending a coaching contract because the client is progressing well
- Fostering dependency so the client continues purchasing sessions (Correct answer)
- Offering a package discount for multiple sessions
Correct answer: Fostering dependency so the client continues purchasing sessions
Deliberately creating client dependency for financial gain violates the IAC's non-exploitation principle.
Question 7: According to IAC professional standards, continuing education is best described as:
- Optional once full certification is achieved
- An ongoing obligation to maintain and improve coaching competence (Correct answer)
- Required only if a complaint has been filed against the coach
- Relevant only for coaches with fewer than five years of experience
Correct answer: An ongoing obligation to maintain and improve coaching competence
IAC standards treat ongoing professional development as a continuous responsibility, not a one-time requirement.
IAC Coaching Ethics & Professional Standards 2
A client discloses information suggesting they may harm themselves.
What is the IAC-aligned ethical response?