Out of its commitment to high ethical standards, the ICF has developed a Code of Ethics (Code). The purpose of the Code is to promote professional and ethical coaching practices, and to raise the awareness of people outside the coaching profession about the integrity, commitment and ethical conduct of ICF members and ICF Credentialed coaches.
The ICF is also committed to providing a forum where individuals can bring complaints about alleged breaches of the Code by ICF members and ICF Credentialed coaches. The ICF adopted a policy and set of procedures that provide for review, investigation and response to alleged unethical practices or behavior deviating from the established ICF Code. To affect this policy, ICF has implemented an Ethical Conduct Review (ECR) Process, which is intended to:
- Serve as a ‘model of excellence' for the fair review of complaints concerning the ethical conduct
of ICF members and ICF Credentialed coaches; and - Be responsive to complaints concerning experiences believed to be breaches of the Code by ICF
members and ICF Credentialed coaches.
For more information, download an ECR flowchart and overview document (PDF).
If you believe that you have an ethical complaint against an ICF member or ICF Credentialed coach, we invite you to download and review an information packet and complete the online complaint form.
- For claims being filed for an alleged breach that occurred on March 31, 2009 or before, please click here to download a complaint information packet. Please note that complaints occurring on or before March 31, 2009 will be reviewed using the 2005 ICF Code of Ethics. Following a review of this packet, to submit a complaint, please use the online ECR form, available here.
- For claims being filed for an alleged breach that occurred April 1, 2009 or later, please click here to download a complaint information packet. Following a review of this packet, to submit a complaint, please use the online ECR form, available here.
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