How to Choose a Coach You Can Trust: What to Look For
Updated June 2026
Finding a coach — whether for life, executive or leadership coaching — can feel overwhelming if you don't know what to look for. The coaching industry is relatively young and, unlike medicine or law, largely unregulated. This means that technically anyone can call themselves a coach, regardless of their training, experience or ethical standards.
The good news is that there are internationally recognised bodies that set rigorous standards for the profession — and knowing what to look for makes choosing a coach much simpler.
Why Credentials Matter
A credential from a recognised coaching body tells you that a coach has met carefully considered professional requirements — in terms of training hours, coaching hours, ethical standards and ongoing professional development. It means the evaluation of their quality has already been done for you.
That said, it's worth noting that a lack of credential doesn't automatically mean a coach isn't excellent. There are gifted coaches who haven't pursued formal credentialling. But a credential gives you an immediate and reliable signal of professional commitment and competency — particularly important when you're about to trust someone with something as significant as your leadership, your career or your personal development.
Coaching Credentials You Can Trust
The most well-regarded international coaching credentialling organisations are:
The International Coaching Federation (ICF) — the largest and most widely recognised coaching body globally. The ICF sets ethical and competency-based standards for coaches across all coaching disciplines — life coaching, executive coaching, leadership coaching and beyond. ICF credentials are awarded at three levels: ACC, PCC and MCC — each requiring progressively more training hours, coaching hours and demonstrated competency.
The European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) — a leading body focused on developing best practice in coaching and mentoring across Europe and internationally.
COMENSA (Coaches and Mentors of South Africa) — the body that regulates the coaching and mentoring professions in South Africa. COMENSA promotes professional standards through a code of ethics, professional designations and ongoing professional development requirements. For South African clients looking for a locally credentialled coach, a COMENSA designation is a reliable indicator of professional commitment and competency.
If a coach holds a credential from any of these three bodies, you can trust that they have met stringent, independently verified professional standards.
What to Watch Out For
Coaches and schools who've created their own qualifications.
It's surprisingly easy to design a professional-looking website and a serious-sounding course — complete with badges, acronyms and clever-sounding grading systems — without any real depth or integrity behind them. If a coaching course or credential isn't recognised by the ICF, EMCC or CCE, or run by coaches who hold credentials from these bodies, treat it with caution.
Coaches who use impressive-sounding language without the qualifications to back it up.
You might come across coaches marketing themselves as using "ontological principles" or being "passionate about integral methodology" — but without the training or credentials to support these claims. Always check the qualifications behind the name.
Coaches who promise you the earth.
Be very wary of any coach who guarantees specific outcomes — unlimited financial success, life transformation, solving all your problems. No coach can promise what the future holds. A coaching process is a genuine partnership, and outcomes depend as much on your willingness to engage and do the work as on the skill of your coach. Hollow promises are a red flag, not a selling point.
What Good Coaching Actually Looks Like
A well-credentialled coach will:
Be transparent about their qualifications and experience
Offer a chemistry session or introductory conversation before you commit
Be clear about what coaching is — and what it isn't
Hold you as capable and resourceful rather than positioning themselves as the expert with all the answers
Be genuinely curious about you and what matters to you
Be honest about whether they're the right fit for your particular needs
The coaching relationship is one of the most personal professional relationships you'll ever have. Trust your instincts — and do your due diligence.
A Note on My Own Credentials
I hold the ICF Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential — the highest level awarded by the International Coaching Federation — with almost 5,000 coaching hours and 17 years of senior corporate experience. I work with corporate executives, senior leaders and individuals in South Africa and internationally.
If you'd like to find out more about what working together might look like, I'd love to have a conversation.
You might also find these useful:
How Can Coaching Help You? What to Expect and Whether It's Right for You
Want to Get Great at Something? Get a Coach
Find out more about life coaching here or leadership coaching here — or simply get in touch for a complimentary chemistry session.