As the coaching industry continues to grow, mental well-being has become a central focus. More clients are seeking support not just for career development but also for emotional resilience, stress management, and personal growth.

The 2024 ICF Coaching Snapshot: Coaching and Mental Well-Being , conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the International Coaching Federation (ICF), highlights this shift. It reveals that 85% of coaches have clients who request help with mental well-being, showing how coaching is evolving beyond leadership and performance to play a vital role in personal and emotional development.

At The International Coaching Group, we’ve seen firsthand how coaching helps individuals navigate uncertainty, build resilience, and develop the mindset needed for success and well-being. This article explores the key findings of the ICF study and what they mean for the future of coaching.

More Clients Are Seeking Mental Well-Being Support

While career advancement remains the primary reason clients seek coaching, the study found that:

• 85% of coaches report having clients who request support with mental well-being.
• 60% of clients cite personal life challenges, such as stress, relationships, and work-life balance.
• 83% of coaches in Western Europe say career-related stress is a major concern for their clients.

This data confirms that people are turning to coaching not just for performance improvement, but to enhance their overall well-being. While coaching is not therapy, it plays a powerful role in helping clients manage stress, increase self-awareness, and develop coping strategies.

The Role of Coaching in Mental Well-Being

Coaching can have a profound effect on mental well-being by:

• ✅ Helping clients develop strategies to manage stress and uncertainty.
• ✅ Supporting emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
• ✅ Encouraging goal-setting and positive behavioral change.
• ✅ Providing a safe, structured space for personal reflection and growth.

Coaches are integrating well-being-focused techniques into their sessions, with the study finding that:

• 📌 75% of coaches use mindfulness and breathing exercises.
• 📌 56% incorporate visualization techniques.
• 📌 53% include meditation in their coaching approach.

These methods help clients increase focus, regulate emotions, and build resilience, reinforcing the idea that coaching is a valuable tool for mental well-being.:

Ethical Considerations: When to Refer Clients to Therapy

As coaching expands into the well-being space, ethical challenges arise. The study found that 46% of coaches struggle with drawing the line between coaching and therapy.

This highlights the importance of ethical coaching practices and the need for coaches to recognize when a client requires therapy instead of coaching.

• 🔹 44% of coaches reported referring at least one client to a mental health professional in the past year.

"Coaching is a powerful tool for transformation, but knowing when to refer a client to a mental health professional is just as important as guiding them through challenges."
— Pablo Leites, ACC, President of The International Coaching Group

Maintaining professional boundaries while supporting client well-being is essential to ensuring coaching remains ethical, effective, and impactful.

The Future of Coaching and Mental Well-Being

With 72% of coaches expressing a desire to expand their skills in mental well-being coaching, the industry is evolving.

Key Trends to Watch:

• 📌 Growing demand for well-being-focused coaching programs.
• 📌 More training opportunities for coaches to support clients’ emotional resilience.
• 📌 Stronger collaborations between coaches and mental health professionals.

Final Thoughts: Coaching as a Tool for Well-Being

The 2024 ICF study reinforces what we at The International Coaching Group have always believed—coaching is about more than professional success; it’s about holistic well-being.

While coaches must stay within their ethical and professional boundaries, they can still be powerful allies in helping clients manage stress, develop self-awareness, and build resilience.