What happens when you sit down with the very first Master Certified Coach in the world? You don’t just get a history lesson, you get a front-row seat to the soul of coaching itself.
Teri-E Belf isn’t just a pioneer; she’s the blueprint. As the founder of the Success Unlimited Network® (SUN), recipient of the 2018 ICF Circle of Distinction Award, and a coaching educator who’s impacted lives on 5 continents, Teri-E is still shaping the future of coaching nearly four decades in. Her approach combines cutting-edge coaching competencies with the timeless wisdom of spiritual traditions, the Kybalion, and all.
In this exclusive piece written by Teri-E herself, you’ll hear in her own words how the field of coaching evolved from a misunderstood label into a global profession, and where it's boldly headed next.
Meet Teri-E Belf
Teri-E Belf
Teri-E Belf, MA, CAGS, the world’s 1st MCC and grateful recipient of the 2018 ICF Circle of Distinction Award, is a purposeful coaching leader since 1987 offering personal and professional coaching on 5 continents and 38 years as a Coach Trainer, Educator and Mentor.
The Early Days
I became certified as a coach in 1987 by a British firm, Results Unlimited. Proudly I went to my local County office in VA to obtain a business license. I checked the box, Coach, and said, “I’m a Life Coach.” The lady skeptically looked me over, “There ain’t no such thing. Coaching is reserved for football.” So, I had to call myself a consultant, since I didn’t qualify as a Football player.
Things have changed.
In 1994, the only Worldwide Coaching Association was the Personal and Professional Coaches Association (PPCA). I was on the Board as the 1st Membership Chair. At that time, ICF was Thomas Leonard’s alumni organization for his Coach University graduates.
In researching the possibility of creating a profession, I personally spoke with about 1,000 people, who began their conversations, “I just read an article about coaching and now I can put a name on something I have been doing for years.”
In my opinion, they were NOT doing what we now call coaching – most were giving advice. Coaching was described in magazines and newspapers as part consultant, part motivational speaker, part therapist, and part rent-a-friend. Many were career counselors, business consultants, even therapists who wanted to ride the success of the “new profession” yet continue with their current job.
The Zeitgeist had come, and Coaching was challenged to differentiate itself.
The first public image of coaching was in Newsweek magazine (1996) with Thomas Leonard sitting on his lawn chair with phone to ear, RV in background and the article was titled: “Need a Life, Get a Coach.” Wouldn’t that appeal to everyone? Thomas coached 100% by phone. I coached only in person.
Later that year, I attended an Organization Transformation Symposium in California and met 25 people from all over the world who identified themselves as coaches. I wondered how many more existed. Although I had never coordinated a meeting larger than a staff meeting, I heard myself say, “I will gladly put together an International Coaching event.”
So in 1996, we held the first International Coaching Symposium in Atlanta, Georgia. PPCA wrote the following as the first coaching definition shared by 325 coaches from different perspectives, backgrounds, and approaches:
“Coaches use inquiry and personal discovery to increase client awareness and responsibility.”
The most significant ICF change was to rename the coaching relationship as a coach-client ‘partnership’ (written 13 times in the 2021 competencies).
After reading a 1996 Wall Street Journal sidebar referring to coaching as "the newest management fad", I felt driven to substantiate that my 9 years of coaching had not been a fad.
With untethered passion at the last annual PPCA meeting, I recommended that we create a profession with ethics and standards, certifications and credentials for coaches, accreditations for training organizations, competencies, and continuing education. The President looked at me and said, “Teri-E, DO IT!”
I accepted the role as Chairperson of the Credentials, Accreditations, and Continuing Education slices. Our Committee had 14 outstanding, passionate coaches.
Before coaching, my careers were in Health Care Management and Training and Development. During that time, I had experience on teams that were evolving 3 other professions — in Nursing (LPN to NP), in Medicine (Physicians GP to FP), and in T&D, I helped create the 1st competencies for Trainers. I never expected to use this knowledge again.
Simultaneously, other committees and initiatives were springing up to create the Ethics (Best Practices and Standards), Competencies, et al. After 1½ years I turned my Committee over to Fran Fisher and Sherry Lowry. I love beginning programs and turning them over to competent, enthusiastic colleagues.
The first time I realized we were successful in laying down a foundation for coaching was when cartoonists and pundits started to spoof us. Do you remember this?
“How many coaches does it take to change a lightbulb? None, if the lightbulb doesn’t want to change.”
ICF and PPCA merged, and ICF became the only global coaching association — The International Coach Federation.
What Changed?
In 2020, our identity became the International Coaching Association, representing an expanded emphasis by switching the spotlight from the coach to the business of coaching.
In 2000, the first 8 Training Schools created ACTO (Association of Coach Training Organizations) as a separate entity and community for leaders in coach learning to create an identity with collegial support. Without Trainers, standards, and ethics, we would not have credible coaching professionals!
ACTO was renamed the Association of Coaches and Coach Training Organizations. ICF is still a separate entity, and we have many collaborative overlaps.
From my perspective, these amazing people who sculpted the coaching profession did not focus only on the knowledge of coaching; what we did focus on was the wisdom of our spirit to co-create.
“Knowledge resides in our brains; Wisdom also encompasses the realm of spirituality.”
There is a place ‘beyond’, and it was and still is part of our influence, impact, and curricula.
For example, my Success Unlimited Network (SUN) ICF-accredited programs begin with Life Purpose, exploring and naming the reason each one of us is on the planet here and now.
Whereas this is a bit on the periphery of the competencies and seems to be an intriguing mystery, it is the foundation for each of us in managing and making choices in all aspects of life and while experiencing meaningfulness, satisfaction, and well-being.
Methodological options are multiplying: in person, telephone, Skype/Zoom, apps, and will continue when the Singularity arrives in 2045 (Ray Kurzweil’s prediction). Our knowledge base will likely be handled by AI, Robots, Digital Assistants, and Digital Twins.
“What will be the role of coaches? What is left for us? BIG changes, yet…”
“As I understand………..the spiritual realm has not yet been computerized!!!”
Another change in the profession is an identity shift. ICF morphed me into a Coach Educator, to replace Coach Trainer. As I had been an Adjunct Professor teaching coaching courses in 7 different schools on the US East Coast, I was not a foreigner to rigorous academic standards. ICF upgraded our entire profession to follow an Academic School/University model.
To keep us on our high-quality journey, new professions emerged to support us such as Mentor Coaching, and Coaching Supervision, and numerous global Coaching Associations such as the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and the International Association of Coaching (IAC).
Specializations Emerging
Specialization is trending as coaching subdivides into:
- Life coaching
- Business coaching
- Executive coaching
- Team coaching
- Spiritual coaching
- ADHD / Neurodiversity coaching
- Health and Well-Being coaching
- …and more to come.
Both ICF and ACTO are paying more attention to:
- Diversity
- Cultural differences
- Neurodiversity
- Handicaps
- Customized programs
And our non-profit organization, Scholarships and Pro Bono opportunities, offers coaching when and where otherwise not possible.
“AND more attention to professional Ethics (my top passion) to keep our reputation legitimate and respected.”
Coaching is here to support, guide, and lead our evolution as human beings.
In my book, Coaching with Spirit: allowing success to emerge (Wiley, 2002), I envisioned a world wherein everyone will know their life purpose at the beginning of a coaching engagement and use it to make choices from the significant to the mundane—a world in which coaching is a highly contagious way of being.
How Can We Survive Uncertainty?
(Written 25 years ago) Faith Popcorn coined the phrase FutureTense in her BrainReserve TrendBank and points out that consumers are anxiety-ridden by simultaneous social, economic, political, and ethical chaos and find themselves beyond their ability to cope or even imagine tomorrow.
Enter coaching.
“Does anyone here invite clients/students to imagine their future? You bet we do. We know how to do that!!!”
It is one of our roots.
We create our future, partner to create our clients’ future, our profession’s future and humanity’s future.
We are coaches.
Closing Words: Where Do We Go From Here?
Teri-E’s reflection isn’t just a look back; it’s a challenge to keep building. The spiritual, the practical, and the visionary all have a seat at the table in the coaching world she helped shape.
And here’s the takeaway for every coach reading this:
- Coaching isn’t a trend. It’s a transformation.
- The profession didn’t just happen; it was forged with intention, ethics, and soul.
- Our future will always need human connection; AI can’t replicate purpose.
So, whether you're a newly certified coach or a seasoned veteran, revisit the roots. Reflect. Reignite your purpose. And if you haven’t yet, ask yourself the most powerful coaching question of all:
"Who am I becoming as I help others become?"
