Establishing Trust and Safety

This looks at the whole relationship, not just a specific conversation.

According to the ICF site, this competency is defined as:

It is extremely important for a client to be honest and open to reap the full benefits of the coaching process. To achieve this a coaching relationship must be built on mutual respect and trust.

The site goes on to say that it used to be called Trust and Intimacy but "intimacy" had too many definitions and cultural implications so they switched to "safety". The idea though is that the coach holds a space and has a presence where the client feels comfortable to share freely.

This makes sense to me. As a coach, I'm trying to get the client to open up and explore. That exploration can sometimes take a client to a place of vulnerability. It's important to get there but it's only possible (and ethical) if they feel safe to do so.

Another quality of this is the positionality of the client. The coach must acknowledge and honor the client's autonomy. It ain't easy to be vulnerable and they are coming to you (not the other way around) and, potentially they are going to be paying you for that.


What do you think? Do you have any strategies or tips for developing trust, intimacy, or safety?

Thanks for reading! 

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