MasterClass with Philip Cohen, MCC
Ethics in Practice: Exploring Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality
An interactive, case-based workshop for coaches exploring conflict of interest and confidentiality in professional coaching relationships. Participants will examine realistic ethical dilemmas, discuss differing perspectives, and consider possible responses using the ICF Code of Ethics as a guide.
Facilitated discussion and reflection will help participants recognize ethical concerns, examine their assumptions, and strengthen their judgment when working with clients and sponsors.
Earn 1.5 Core Competency CCEU
Learning Objectives
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:
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Identify actual, potential, and perceived conflicts of interest in coaching relationships and distinguish the interests and responsibilities involved.
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Recognize confidentiality concerns, including requests for client information from sponsors or other parties.
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Apply relevant provisions of the ICF Code of Ethics to evaluate possible responses to coaching dilemmas.
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Identify when clarification, disclosure, revised agreements, or additional professional support may be needed.
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Formulate ways to discuss ethical concerns with clients and sponsors while maintaining transparency, professional boundaries, and trust.
Specific subjects
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Conflict of interest arising from multiple roles, overlapping relationships, and competing personal or professional interests.
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Confidentiality and information-sharing expectations among coaches, clients, and sponsors.
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The role of clear coaching agreements in preventing and addressing ethical misunderstandings.
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The influence of assumptions and personal interests on a coach’s ethical judgment.
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Options for addressing ethical concerns and recognizing when further consultation is appropriate.
Core Competency alignment
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Primary competency:
1. Demonstrates Ethical Practice — Participants will practice identifying ethical concerns and applying the ICF Code of Ethics, with particular attention to integrity, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest.
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Supporting competencies:
3. Establishes and Maintains Agreements — Participants will examine how explicit agreements about roles, responsibilities, confidentiality, and information sharing support ethical coaching, and when those agreements need to be revisited.
4. Cultivates Trust and Safety — Participants will consider how openness, transparency, and respectful conversations about ethical concerns protect trust in the coaching relationship.
Application to client work
The workshop strengthens coaches’ ability to recognize ethical concerns early, clarify expectations with clients and sponsors, and respond thoughtfully when competing responsibilities arise. Case discussion requires participants to move from identifying a concern to articulating a practical response they could use in their own coaching relationships.
About the Speaker: Philip Cohen, MCC
Philip Cohen, MCC, is an executive and business coach, mastermind facilitator, and coach educator. A former CPA, he has coached business owners and senior leaders in organizations ranging from small businesses to billion-dollar corporations.
Philip serves on the faculty of Coach U and teaches in the University of Miami’s coaching program. He also mentors coaches developing their professional skills.
His approach combines curiosity, respectful challenge, and a commitment to helping people think for themselves. In ethics education, he uses realistic cases and facilitated discussion to help coaches examine assumptions, explore competing responsibilities, and translate ethical principles into practice.
Philip previously presented an ethics program for the ICF South Florida chapter and recently facilitated ethics training for its Board of Directors.