Coaching’s 2025 Shift: Competencies, Ethics, and Global Growth

At Trio Coaching Academy, our monthly newsletter brings you more than updates — it’s a space to reflect, grow, and stay aligned with the evolving standards of our profession. Each month, we highlight coaching competencies, ethical updates, business trends, and global research so you can strengthen both your coaching skills and your coaching practice.

September was a defining month for our profession. The release of ICF’s updated Core Competencies (Sept 2025) and earlier updates to the Code of Ethics (Apr 2025) remind us that coaching is not static—it is evolving in step with the world around us. These changes strengthen both our skills and our standards, ensuring that coaching remains credible, relevant, and trusted.

Competencies Refined

On September 8, ICF introduced updates following a global job analysis with nearly 3,000 coaches. Five new sub-competencies were added, eleven revised, and a glossary of terms introduced. The updates sharpen language around technology, ethics, and bias awareness—inviting us to revisit how we structure agreements and support client autonomy.

Technology in Practice

2025 research shows that AI is already reshaping coaching—from administrative support to communication feedback. These shifts connect directly to Competency 2.02 (Embodies a Coaching Mindset), which now emphasizes ongoing learning and staying informed about technology in practice.

The question isn’t whether AI belongs in coaching, but how coaches discern its role while holding space for depth, presence, and transformation.

Ethics in Action

The recent competency updates echo back to April’s revised ICF Code of Ethics. These changes broaden the scope to include the full ICF ecosystem and introduce new standards for responsible AI use and multiple-role disclosures.

In today’s landscape of hybrid roles and digital tools, transparency is not optional—it’s central to trust.

→ See more here: ICF Ethics 2025

Insights from the 2025 ICF Global Coaching Study

The ICF’s 2025 Global Coaching Study highlights both growth and challenges for our profession.
The global coaching profession generated $5.34 billion USD in revenue, up 17% from 2023.
North America remains the strongest region: contributing $2.89 billion with coaches averaging $71,719 annual revenue.
There are now 122,974 coach practitioners worldwide, with 90% working with active clients.
U.S.-based coaches lead globally in average hourly fees at $297 per session, compared to the global average of $234.
Optimism is high: 58% of North American coaches expect revenue growth in the year ahead, driven more by increased clients and sessions than by raising fees.

These findings affirm what many of us see in practice: coaching is growing in both impact and value — but success requires adapting to technology, client expectations, and evolving ethics.

→ See more here: ICF 2025 Global Coaching Study

Bringing It Together

Taken together, these updates and insights are more than policy or data — they are a call to action. Technology integration, ethics, and diversity are shaping how coaches are trained, assessed, and held accountable.

The real question for each of us is:
👉 What will it look like in your practice to embody these changes with authenticity and impact?

→ Join the conversation: Coaching is evolving—and so are we

Resources

Here are the key sources referenced this month: