Code of Conduct


Mind Shift

Effective Date: March 1st, 2020
Last Updated: Jan 1st, 2025

1. Introduction

At Mind Impact Ltd, d/b/a Mind Shift, we hold ourselves to the highest professional and ethical standards. Our Code of Ethics aligns with — and in several sections quotes verbatim — the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Code of Ethics, the gold standard for the global coaching profession.

This document spells out the principles, values, and non-negotiable behaviours that every Mind Shift coach, contractor, and team member must live by in every interaction with clients, colleagues, partners, and the public.

2. Core Values & Ethical Principles

We adopt the four ICF core values and their related principles—Professionalism, Collaboration, Humanity, and Equity—because they capture the culture we strive for. We demonstrate it by:

Professionalism: Acting with integrity, delivering on commitments, and committing to lifelong learning.

Collaboration: Partnering across disciplines, co-creating solutions, and respecting every stakeholder’s expertise.

Humanity: Showing kindness, openness, and humility; owning mistakes and learning from them.

Equity: Treating every person with dignity, surfacing and addressing bias, and practicing inclusive coaching.

3. Professional Commitments

All Mind Shift professionals agree to:

  1. Think globally, act ethically. Consider the impact of every decision on clients, society, and the profession.

  2. Stay sharp. Pursue continuous personal, professional, and ethical development.

  3. Name and navigate power. Stay alert to power dynamics, systemic biases, and cultural filters; address them openly.

  4. Handle dilemmas head-on. Seek supervision or peer consultation when facing grey areas.

  5. Speak up. Address unethical conduct and protect whistle-blowers from retaliation.

4. Ethical Standards

4.1 Agreements & Scope

  • Transparent contracting. Before work begins, we co-create a written coaching agreement, roles, confidentiality, fees, logistics, and exit terms.

  • Right to exit. Client or coach may end the engagement, subject to the terms of the agreement.

4.2 Confidentiality & Data Privacy

  • Strictest confidence. We protect all client information unless disclosure is required by law or imminent risk.

  • Secure records. We store, transmit, and dispose of data in compliance with GDPR, HIPAA (where applicable), and best-practice security protocols.

4.3 Professional Conduct & Conflicts of Interest

  • Boundaries first. No dual, sexual, or romantic relationships with clients or sponsors.

  • Bias check. We actively surface and mitigate personal biases; discrimination is zero-tolerance.

  • Role clarity. If we shift into another professional capacity (ie therapist), we make that explicit.

4.4 Commitment to Delivering Value

  • Monitor impact. We stay alert to whether coaching continues to serve the client’s goals; if not, we renegotiate or refer.

  • Know our limits. When circumstances impair our effectiveness, we pause, seek support, or step back.

4.5 Integrity & Accountability

  • Truth in marketing. All public statements about our qualifications and results are accurate and evidence-based.

  • Do good > avoid bad. We choose actions that actively benefit clients and the profession, not merely avoid harm.

  • ICF compliance. Credentialed coaches meet ICF continuing-education requirements and are subject to the ICF Ethical Conduct Review process.

5. Reporting & Resolution

  1. Internal first. Raise ethical concerns with your coach or Mind Shift’s Ethics Lead (hello@mind.us).

  2. No retaliation. Good-faith reports are protected.

6. Compliance & Enforcement

Violations of this Code may lead to actions ranging from additional supervision or training to suspension or termination of affiliation.

7. Pledge of Ethics

Our coaches commit to uphold the Mind Shift Code of Ethics, honouring the ICF principles that underpin it, and model the integrity expected from our clients.