… people are becoming more aware of the need for courageous conversations. Many now seek coaching not just for goals but to navigate difficult discussions—at work, in relationships, and in personal growth. Avoidance is being replaced with a desire for clarity, assertiveness, and emotional intelligence. My hunch is that the future of coaching is equipping people to embrace tough conversations with confidence, making open dialogue a key driver of growth.

self-coaching is about to get a major upgrade. AI won’t replace coaches, but it will become a thinking partner — tracking emotions, spotting patterns, and nudging us toward better decisions. Imagine an AI that asks the right questions, senses stress, and adapts its approach based on how you think and what you feel Add neuroscience, and self-coaching moves beyond reflection to real-time state management. The future? AI as a co-pilot, making self-coaching a daily habit, not an occasional practice.

conversations continue with clients about AI’s impact and amongst coaches, to understand how we move from fear of being replaced by AI, to embracing AI as a resource. How does the coaching profession utilize this technology ethically and practically?

ICF is becoming an instrument in the hands of technology corporations, and therefore, state authorities. The coaching I felt attracted to is not about brain-computer interfaces tracking emotions and cognitive states. I am not interested in being an agent of government bodies using tech to control human inner states and human behaviour. Have we not learned anything from the experience of communism? Our highest human potential does not wait to be tracked – but uncovered and reverently supported.

Mental health awareness and support both are increasing rapidly. However, mental health specialities are not as discreetly established as those of physical health.
Boundaries between therapy and coaching are often faded by clients as well as coaches. Since, coaching does not have practice specific educational, licensing or certicational requirements, it risks the speciality of the practice.
I feel coaching industry will benefit from regulations.