An increasing number of qualified therapists are working in or are interested in coaching. Since 2016, we've recognised and included coaching in the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions.
To support these developments, we've published a Coaching competence framework and supporting User guide which identifies the competences required for coaching practitioners to practise safely and effectively.
The Coaching competence framework has two parts:
- Core coaching competences - which qualified therapists can use in addition to their therapeutic competences to practise ethically and effectively as a coach.
- Competences for integrating therapy and coaching - for those qualified as both therapists and coaches who wish to integrate therapy and coaching in a single form of practice.
The User guide explains how practitioners and trainers should apply the competence framework and its advantages for practitioners, trainers and commissioners.
Training curriculum
The Coaching training curriculum offers training providers a framework for delivering core coaching training and integrating therapy and coaching training. The training curriculum is underpinned by BACP’s evidence-based Coaching competence framework (2023) which identifies the additional knowledge and skills needed to work ethically and effectively as a coach or therapist-coach.
If you have any questions or feedback about the Coaching competence framework, user guide or training curriculum, or if you need these documents in different format for accessibility reasons, please email Professional Standards at professional.standards@bacp.co.uk
BACP competences and curricula
Our competences and curricula are based on the latest research evidence into effective practice. They can be used by practitioners, trainers, supervisors and services to ensure practitioners have the skills and knowledge needed to work in a particular setting, or with particular clients.
Copyright and permissions
All our competence frameworks, user guides and training curricula are copyrighted with all rights reserved. We have developed these resources to help BACP members in their practice development and to support the development of training courses. Permission to use these resources is defined under theCopyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
You can find information about when you are permitted to use works without having to apply for permission in Exceptions to copyright.
If you're not sure and would like to seek permission to use any of BACP’s competences, curricula and user guides, please email Professional Standards at professional.standards@bacp.co.uk