Why the Update to ICF Core Competency 2 Matters More Than Most Coaches Realise
The latest updates to the ICF Core Competencies have brought a gentle but meaningful shift in how we understand coaching mastery. They’re not just tweaking language, they’re recognising something those of us who’ve been coaching for a long time know instinctively- that your presence and your internal state are crucial.
They underline that our responsiveness, our grounding and the space we hold matter more than we often realise.
There is one small addition that has the potential to transform every coaching session you have.
It’s Core Competency 2.07: “Maintains emotional, physical and mental wellbeing in preparation for, throughout and following each session.”
On the surface, it looks simple but in practice, it’s significant.
Because if we’re honest even the most experienced coaches have days when they come into the session a little unsettled.
They may be rushed, distracted or with an emotional hangover from the last client, because we’re only human.
So what?
How you show up as the coach determines the success of the coaching session because….
Your internal state leaks into the coaching space even before you say a word.
The client picks up on it and it either elevates the session or flattens it.
In including this in Core Competency 2 ICF has finally acknowledged what I’ve been saying for years:
Your presence is part of your professionalism. It’s part of your ethical practice and it’s part of your coaching mastery.
It’s not a luxury or an optional extra or something to squeeze in “if you have time.”
Your energy and your level of grounding become part of the coaching environment.
If you’re distracted, the session is disjointed.
If you’re centred, the session deepens because clients open up more and their insights are deeper.
So how do you actually live CC 2.07and not just agree with it?
Here are five practical ways to build it into your coaching rhythm:
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Create a short pre-session ritual
Two calm minutes before every session.
Feet on the floor. Shoulders down. One deep breath.
Ask yourself: “What do I need to let go of right now so I can be fully present with my client?”
This tiny pause changes your entire presence.
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Let your body guide you
Your body tells the truth before your thoughts do.
A tight jaw, shallow breathing or raised shoulders aren’t things to ignore. They’re signals about your internal state.
Notice, adjust and re-set.
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Do a post-session release
Before moving on, pause for 20 seconds.
Write one line in your notebook: “What did I pick up that isn’t mine?”
Then consciously let it go.
This prevents emotional hangovers so you don’t carry any client emotions over from one to another. .
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Protect the blank space in your calendar
Back-to-back coaching dilutes your ability to stay fully present.
Plan at least a 10-minute breather between sessions to enable you to reset your internal state.
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Do a weekly wellbeing check-in
Ask yourself:
What’s nourishing me right now?
What’s draining me?
What needs more space?
What needs less?
Small shifts in your rhythm create big shifts in your presence.
Living Core Competency 2.07 isn’t about perfection.
It’s about choosing to coach from a grounded, clear, spacious version of yourself — the one your clients trust, feel safe with and open up to.
When you take care of your emotional, physical and mental wellbeing as a coach then everything in your coaching becomes more finely tuned, deeper and more aligned.
This is the quiet, powerful upgrade inside the new ICF updates and it’s one that has the potential to elevate your practice more than you might realise.
Until next time,
Cath