{"id":25216,"date":"2025-11-27T07:00:49","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T12:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/?p=25216"},"modified":"2025-11-10T16:42:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T21:42:21","slug":"walking-the-talk-reflective-practice-for-coaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/blog\/walking-the-talk-reflective-practice-for-coaches\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking the Talk: Reflective Practice for Coaches"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Embodying presence and self-care through ICF Competency 2.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This article explores how practices such as pausing, self-reflection, and self-care help coaches cultivate <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/credentialing\/coaching-competencies\/icf-core-competencies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">ICF Competency 2: Embodies a Coaching Mindset<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. It invites us to be more present not only in coaching sessions, but in our lives \u2014 through reflection, personal practices, and sustainable self-care.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Living the Questions We Ask<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/become-a-coach\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Coaches<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> are trained to invite reflection. It\u2019s foundational to our role \u2014 whether through artful questioning, active listening, or staying fully present. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">ICF en<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">courages coaches<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> to \u201c<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Encourage Client Reflection: Artfully ask powerful, open-ended questions to prompt clients to think deeply and reflect. Then, use your active listening skills to understand their underlying concerns and emotions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We ask our clients questions like these <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">every day. But how often do we pause and ask ourselves<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> the same<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Do we create space to reflect on our own lives \u2014 not just our coaching work?<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">Are we present in our lives, or are we just performing presence in our sessions?<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">What matters to us?<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">What helps us feel steady or connected<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These questions lie at the heart of ICF Competency 2: Embodies a Coaching Mindset, which calls us to maintain a mindset that is open, curious, flexible, and client centered. It encourages us to:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Engage in ongoing learning and development.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Establish reflective practices to enhance our coaching.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Regulate our emotions and prepare ourselves mentally and emotionally for sessions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Use awareness of self and intuition in service of the client.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">These aspects may not always be visible or fully measured in performance evaluations \u2014 and yet there\u2019s a reason why they are placed in the foundation section of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/credentialing\/coaching-competencies\/icf-core-competencies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">ICF Core Competency<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> model, right alongside ethics. They reflect something larger than credentialing or collecting <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Continuing Coach Education credits<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. They speak to our personal evolution as practitioners \u2014 how we grow, how we relate to complexity, and how we continue searching for meaning and alignment in our work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What Is Reflective Practice?<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Reflective-Practice-for-Coaches-A-Guidebook-for-Advanced-Professional-Development\/McCormick\/p\/book\/9781032258027?srsltid=AfmBOormkInzQZEBj_BkJtIydWXBe1N7gJzeExK35bOgkE-VdA5M2pDq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Reflective Practice for Coaches<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (2023), McCormick describes reflective practice as \u201ca proven learning and development approach that involves consciously and deliberately thinking about experiences to develop insights and apply these within coaching practice.\u201d He emphasizes that it is vital for coaches to reflect regularly in order to grow and develop professionally. Another perspective comes from Bassot (2016), who defines reflective practice as \u201can iterative, open-ended, creative process\u201d that involves taking deliberate, conscious time to explore and interrogate our coaching in a systematic way. This invites not just insight, but transformation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Thompson and Thompson (2018) add another layer, suggesting that reflection \u201cenables us to play with concepts and theory to establish our own framework for practice.\u201d In this sense, reflection supports both personal insight and professional identity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If you explore the work of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u2019s Center <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">for <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Excellence for Continuous Personal and Professional Development highlights<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, you will find out<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> that reflecti<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ve practice brings more value<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> when we consider <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">how<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> we learn from it \u2014 and <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">who<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> we are becoming through it<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, which explains introducing the <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">&#8220;other P&#8221; <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">for personal, besides <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">professional development<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What Happens Between Sessions Matters<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As coaches, we often move from session to session, call to call. But part of caring for ourselves \u2014 and for our clients \u2014 is allowing for space in between.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">This is where reflection and preparation live. Taking time before a session helps us tune in to the person we are about to meet. Taking time afterward gives us a chance to process what happened, sense who we were in that space, and consider what\u2019s calling our attention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Some studies show that allowing space between conversations can help us recover attention and respond with greater presence. According to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/worklab\/work-trend-index\/brain-research\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Microsoft\u2019s <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Work Trend Index<\/span><\/i><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> (2021), brain scans show that back-to-back meetings increase stress and reduce focus, while even short breaks between conversations reset neural activity and help the brain recover its ability to engage and respond. Pauses restore cognitive clarity and reduce the cumulative mental strain caused by nonstop interaction. For coaches, this means that pausing between sessions is not a luxury \u2014 it\u2019s part of delivering thoughtful, present-centered coaching. It keeps us able to sense, not just react.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Practicing Reflective Pause<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Pausing is only the beginning. What follows matters just as much. Reflective practice is not just about taking time \u2014 it\u2019s about knowing what to bring into that time. As <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Creating-the-Reflective-Habit-A-Practical-Guide-for-Coaches-Mentors-and-Leaders\/Lucas\/p\/book\/9781032317618?srsltid=AfmBOoqEatE2NslP865PAz9uV0TVJ2TZZLp7Kt3rmQBTuFSrYkEo8oUO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Michelle Lucas<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> reminds us, \u201cOnce we have created the space in which to reflect, we then consider what to place our reflective attention upon.\u201d The focus we choose shapes the insights that emerge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">From there, reflective practice becomes more meaningful when it\u2019s part of how we live \u2014 not only something we do after a session. Whether in short moments or longer dedicated time, reflection becomes a space to reset, reconnect, and reorient.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-contrast=\"none\">Coaches Might Consider Practices Such As:<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf06c\" data-font=\"Wingdings\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:420,&quot;335559991&quot;:420,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Wingdings&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf06c&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;singleLevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Scheduled pauses: Before or after sessions, between tasks, or at week\u2019s end. Ask: &#8220;What is this moment asking of me?&#8221; Or reserving a day each month for a deeper pause and personal reflection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Time in nature: Go for a walk, sit quietly outdoors, garden \u2014 natural spaces offer grounding and perspective.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Creative reflection: Doodling, metaphor, journaling, free writing \u2014 whatever helps you see differently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Keeping a presence log: Brief notes about how you were in your work and life, what shifted, what stayed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Supervision: A structured space with a professional supervisor to explore not just techniques, but how you are.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Peer sessions: Conversations with a trusted colleague where the exchange itself brings value and insight.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Your own list of self-check questions: What lifted my energy this week? What drained it? What do I want to restore?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">To support this kind of reflective habit over time, Michelle Lucas offers a helpful framework with seven components: space, content, process, structure, purpose, reinforcement, and review. These provide a lens to assess where your reflection practice may be strong \u2014 and where it may need more attention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For those who prefer a more structured rhythm, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/instituteofcoaching.org\/resources\/reflective-practice-and-supervision-coaches\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Julie Hay<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> offers a clear, repeatable cycle:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Capturing events as they occur.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Reviewing specific experiences.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Recognizing patterns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Planning with new awareness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"none\">Implementing the learning.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">This process helps transform experience into insight and insight into action.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Whether your reflection is intuitive, process-based, or somewhere in between, the key is consistency. These reflective pauses <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">could <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">support our ongoing embodiment of ICF Competency 2.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Sustaining Ourselves in the Work<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As mentioned above, r<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">eflective practice isn\u2019t only about improving our coaching \u2014 it\u2019s also <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">personal, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">about caring for ourselves as whole people. Several authors remind us that reflection is not just a learning method, but a way of restoring perspective, reconnecting with values, and recognizing when we\u2019re nearing our limits. It helps us notice what we\u2019re carrying, how we\u2019re responding, and where we need to step back or slow down.<\/span> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">In that sense, reflective practice becomes an act of self-care \u2014 one that protects our presence, our energy, and our ability to show up well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">We could <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">also <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">say that coaching today isn&#8217;t only about coaching. Many of us are running businesses \u2014 holding multiple roles at once, including marketing, writing, and managing admin tasks. The pace can be relentless.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In this context, self-care isn\u2019t just personal wellness \u2014 it\u2019s professional sustainability. It allows us to keep offering presence, creativity, and ground<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ing<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> without becoming overwhelmed. This includes practical choices like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Not overbooking ourselves.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Having regular breaks and days off (as already emphasized above).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Designing a business rhythm that honors your energy and capacity.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Self-care is not something you do once you&#8217;re exhausted. It&#8217;s part of how you build a practice that supports your values, energy, and integrity \u2014 and it begins with paying attention to how we\u2019re doing<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and feeling<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, not just what we\u2019re doing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Returning to Ourselves<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To walk the talk in coaching is about <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">our own <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">pausing. Noticing. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Making deliberate choices<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Reflective practices help us stay present, and presence helps us stay in a relationship with ourselves, our clients, and our calling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Returning to where we started with \u201cliving the questions we ask,\u201d h<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">ere\u2019s a practice you might try:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Think of the coaching questions and observations that often open something meaningful for your clients. Now ask those questions of yourself<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What is emerging here right now?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What does this say about me \u2014 not just as a coach, but as a person?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-contrast=\"auto\">What difference would I like to see in myself, my work, or my presence?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Let\u2019s make time for what matters <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">in the space between, <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">take care of ourselves in service of the work,<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">walk the talk.<\/span><\/p>\n<p aria-level=\"3\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Literature &amp; Suggested Reading<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">McCormick, Iain. Reflective Practice for Coaches: A Guidebook for Advanced Professional Development. Routledge, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lucas, Michele. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.routledge.com\/Creating-the-Reflective-Habit-A-Practical-Guide-for-Coaches-Mentors-and-Leaders\/Lucas\/p\/book\/9781032317618?srsltid=AfmBOoqEatE2NslP865PAz9uV0TVJ2TZZLp7Kt3rmQBTuFSrYkEo8oUO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Creating Reflective Habit: A Practical Guide for Coaches, Mentors, and Leaders<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Routledge, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hay, Julie. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/instituteofcoaching.org\/resources\/reflective-practice-and-supervision-coaches\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Reflective Practice and Supervision for Coaches<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Open University Press, 2007.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Love, D., and Nieuwerburgh, C. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books\/about\/Your_Essential_Guide_to_Effective_Reflec.html?id=cvMMEQAAQBAJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Effective Reflective Practice: Improving Practice Through Self-Reflection and Writing<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Sage, 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Beckett-McInroy, C., and Ali Baba, S. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Creative-Reflective-Practice-perspectives-professional-ebook\/dp\/B0B66XD14H\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Creative Reflective Practice: Global Perspectives for Critical Reflection on Professional Experiences<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">. Beckett McInroy Publishing, 2015.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Microsoft. Research Proves Your Brain Needs Breaks. Microsoft WorkLab, April 20, 2021. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/worklab\/work-trend-index\/brain-research?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/worklab\/work-trend-index\/brain-research<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Embodying presence and self-care through ICF Competency 2. This article explores how&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":25439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Reflective Practice in Coaching: Presence and Growth","_seopress_titles_desc":"Reflective practice in coaching helps you embody ICF Competency 2, deepen presence, and sustain energy through mindfulness, reflection, and self-care.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_searchwp_excluded":"","footnotes":""},"audience-type":[118,121,120,117,113,114],"display-option":[],"post-type":[128],"topic":[63],"_person-tax":[1791],"class_list":{"0":"post-25216","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"audience-type-experienced-coaches","8":"audience-type-external-coaches","9":"audience-type-internal-coaches","10":"audience-type-new-coaches","11":"audience-type-professional-coaches","12":"audience-type-team-and-group-coaches","13":"post-type-blog","14":"topic-future-of-coaching","15":"_person-tax-1791","16":"not-partnership-post","25":"_person-tax-25375","26":"has-featured-image"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25216"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25756,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25216\/revisions\/25756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"audience-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience-type?post=25216"},{"taxonomy":"display-option","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/display-option?post=25216"},{"taxonomy":"post-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-type?post=25216"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=25216"},{"taxonomy":"_person-tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coachingfederation.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_person-tax?post=25216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}