ICF Releases Resources for Referring Clients to Therapy
ICF has released a pair of resources to guide professional coaches through the process of referring a client to psychotherapy.
Referring a Client to Therapy: A Set of Guidelines is a white paper by ICF Senior Research Analyst Alicia M. Hullinger, Ph.D., and Director of Coaching Science Joel A. DiGirolamo. It’s designed to help professional coach practitioners understand when and how to refer a client to a mental health or other helping professional when the client’s needs are outside a coach’s competencies.
Alicia and Joel also created a one-page resource on when and how to refer a client to therapy.
The resources, which are based on pertinent research and interviews with coaches and therapists, are available for download at coachfederation.org/research/white-papers.
“ICF is committed to leveraging our research to assist coaches in their practice and to inform coaching clients and organizational consumers of coaching,” Joel said. “Research shows that early intervention through referral can positively impact clients’ mental health outcomes. We’re very pleased to offer these guidelines to the coaching industry so practitioners can uphold their ethical obligations and ensure the best possible outcomes for their clients.”
Thank you for the information. Being a Licensed Social Worker, and a practicing coach, there is confusion understanding the difference between coaching versus therapy. Coaches and potential clients are confused. Understanding ethical considerations helps. I developed the below for structure and reminders.
http://karenkneedham.com/life-choices-with-coach-karen/coaching-or-therapy-which-is-right-for-you
https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-24597178/documents/5b1697bed3c53pzHqHfj/Coaching%20or%20Therapyb.pdf
Karen K Needham, ACC, CPC, LMSW
Thank you so much for posting this material. I attended an ICF NY workshop on this topic several months ago and was eager to have these documents to support the helpful presentations given on that day. I would support the ICD adding a accredited professional development program on this topic for all coaches.
Thank you for your suggestion! I’m not sure if you are aware, but our Ethics Community of Practice covers similar topics (in fact, the July session was about this particular topic), and all of our Communities of Practice offer CCEs. You can learn more about our Communities of Practice at https://coachingfederation.org/communities-of-practice.
Best regards,
Lisa
ICF Social Media Specialist