What You Need to Know About the 2025 ICF Code of Ethics

An updated ICF Code of Ethics went into effect on April 1. If you’re new around here, the ICF Code of Ethics goes under review every three years. These reviews are invaluable and offer an opportunity to pause and reflect on the Code and ultimately create an updated version to serve the association for the next three years.

Changes in the 2025 Code of Ethics

While the essence of the 2025 Code largely remains the same, there have been some adjustments made. Below you will find a few of the most notable changes in the newest version of the Code.

Purpose (Formerly Known as Introduction)

The 2025 Code has replaced the Introduction with a Purpose to provide more detail about the context through which the Code should be read, the purpose of the Code, and how all within the ICF ecosystem should act in accordance with the Code. The Code Review Team wanted to bring the Code up to date to reflect the structure of the International Coaching Federation, which had undergone many structural changes since the 2020 Code (namely the shift from International Coach Federation and the creation of the family organizations).

ICF Core Values and Ethical Principles

The ICF Core Values and Ethical Principles are now included in the 2025 Code. Previous versions of the Code only linked back to the ICF website to where the values are listed. Now, by pulling them in their entirety into the Code, it allows all ICF professionals to better understand how the values are demonstrated in professional practice.

New Section for the Entire ICF Ecosystem

A brand-new section of the Code was added, called Commitments for All Within the ICF Ecosystem. This section seeks to educate on how all in the ICF ecosystem can show up professionally. This is particularly important for those in the ecosystem who are not members nor credential-holders.

Reorganized and Renumbered Ethical Standards

The ethical standards outlined in the 2025 Code have been reorganized and renumbered.

The new sections are focused on themes to help individuals better locate the standard(s) they are searching for based on content. These new sections are labeled as: Agreements for Client and/or Sponsor Engagement; Confidentiality and Legal Compliance; Professional Conduct and Conflicts of Interest; Commitment to Delivering Consistent Value; and Professional Integrity and Accountability.

The renumbering was instituted to better illustrate under which section the standard is located.

There are technically fewer ethical standards in the 2025 Code because:

Some standards from the 2020 Code were moved elsewhere in the 2025 Code (standards 14, 16, and 22 from the 2020 Code were all moved to section 3, Commitments for All Within the ICF Ecosystem, in the 2025 Code);

Two standards were combined for greater understanding (standards 1 and 2 in the 2020 Code); and

Some standards were omitted (standards 13 and 27 from the 2020 Code).

Two Brand-New Ethical Standards

Two new ethical standards were introduced in the 2025 Code: 2.5 and 3.7:

2.5 was created with the rise of Artificial Intelligence in mind: Fulfill my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching client(s), sponsor(s), colleagues, and to the public at large directly and through any technology systems I may utilize (i.e. technology-assisted coaching tools, databases, platforms, software, and artificial intelligence).

3.7 was created based on a need in the system: Understand that ICF professionals often serve in multiple professional roles based on prior training and/or experience (i.e. mentor, therapist, HR specialist, assessor), and it is my responsibility to disclose to the client when I am acting in a capacity other than the role of an ICF professional.

Appendix

An appendix now accompanies the Code, and it includes two sets of definitions. The first are Key Definitions of Terms Used in the Code — these are terms used in the ethical standards and include the exact standard where the term may be found. The second is a Glossary of Other Terms. These are terms that are used regularly by ICF and included solely for additional understanding and context.

Now What?

To see these changes, I urge you to explore the Code. And be sure to check out the resources we have available to support you in your understanding and application of the Code:

• Insights and Considerations for Ethics: Use this to better understand the ethical standards.
• ICF Code of Ethics Video Series: Watch this to understand the revised Code of Ethics.
• ICF Code of Ethics Overview of Changes: Use this to clearly see what changed from the last version of the Code.

A Huge Thank You

I especially want to draw attention to our international team involved in this code review. They dedicated so much time and effort to this update. It’s a massive undertaking, as they can all attest. If you know any of these individuals, please be sure to thank them for their work!

• Code Review Steering Committee: Carrie Doubts, PCC; Sue McMahon, PCC; and Gürkan Sarıoğlu, PCC.
• Code Review Leadership Team: Jürgen Bache; Lola Chetti, MCC; and Cathy Liska, MCC.
• Code Review Team: Robin Altman, PCC; Michael Brazzel, PCC; Cecila Engquist, PCC; Angela Gaehtgens, PCC; Anita Gupta, MCC; Lois Hanshaw, ACC; Chia-Lin Ho, PCC; Hans Laustsen, PCC; Kate Miller, PCC; Adrijana Milosavljevic, ACTC, MCC; and Norma Nielsen, PCC.

The work of the code review isn’t complete when the ICF Global Board of Directors approves the ICF Code of Ethics. For many who served on the Code Review Team (as well as volunteers from the Independent Review Board), they continue to serve in other areas to prepare for the launch of the Code, through updates to the Insights and Considerations for Ethics, creation of a new ICF Ethics complimentary CCE course, participating in the updated video series about the Code, translations, and presenting on the Code in numerous places. Thank you to all who have supported these initiatives this year!

Have questions? Feedback? Thoughts? Contact us. We’d love to hear from you.