Title: Professional Coaching Essentials — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What is coaching?
A: A thought-provoking partnership that helps clients achieve their goals through self-discovery.

Q: What is the difference between coaching and consulting?
A: Coaches help clients find their own answers; consultants provide expert advice.

Q: What is the difference between coaching and therapy?
A: Coaching focuses on future goals; therapy addresses past wounds and mental health.

Q: What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?
A: Coaches don't need subject expertise; mentors share their own experience.

Q: What is the ICF?
A: International Coaching Federation — the leading global coaching credentialing body.

Q: What are the ICF core competencies?
A: Foundation, co-creating relationship, communicating effectively, cultivating learning and growth.

Q: What is the ICF Code of Ethics?
A: A set of principles guiding professional, ethical coaching behavior.

Q: What is presence in coaching?
A: Being fully conscious and engaged with the client, open and flexible.

Q: What is active listening in coaching?
A: Fully attending to what the client says and doesn't say, including emotions and context.

Q: What are levels of listening?
A: Internal, focused, and global — moving from self-focus to deep attention.

Q: What is the GROW model?
A: Goal, Reality, Options, Way Forward — a structured coaching framework by John Whitmore.

Q: What is "G" in GROW?
A: Goal — what does the client want to achieve.

Q: What is "R" in GROW?
A: Reality — current situation, obstacles, resources.

Q: What is "O" in GROW?
A: Options — possible paths forward.

Q: What is "W" in GROW?
A: Will / Way Forward — committed actions.

Q: What are powerful questions?
A: Open-ended, thought-provoking questions that create new awareness.

Q: Give an example of a powerful question.
A: "What would success look like for you?"

Q: What is a closed question?
A: A question answered with yes/no or short factual responses.

Q: Why do coaches avoid leading questions?
A: They impose the coach's view rather than evoke client insight.

Q: What is the importance of silence in coaching?
A: Silence allows clients to reflect, process, and find their own answers.

Q: What is reflective listening?
A: Restating or paraphrasing what the client said to confirm understanding.

Q: What is summarizing?
A: Pulling together key points to provide structure and clarity.

Q: What is acknowledgement?
A: Recognizing the client's effort, strengths, or progress without flattery.

Q: What is reframing?
A: Offering an alternative perspective to shift how a client sees a situation.

Q: What is the coaching agreement?
A: A clear contract defining scope, goals, confidentiality, and logistics.

Q: What is informed consent?
A: Ensuring the client understands what coaching is and what's expected.

Q: What is confidentiality in coaching?
A: Keeping client information private with limited legal exceptions.

Q: What is dual relationship?
A: When a coach has another type of relationship with the client; ethically risky.

Q: What is the difference between coaching and counseling?
A: Coaching is forward-focused on goals; counseling addresses emotional issues.

Q: What is solution-focused coaching?
A: An approach emphasizing strengths, exceptions, and desired futures.

Q: What is the miracle question?
A: "If a miracle happened overnight and the problem was gone, what would be different?"

Q: What is scaling in coaching?
A: Asking clients to rate something 1-10 to assess progress or possibilities.

Q: What is co-active coaching?
A: A model emphasizing client wholeness and co-creation with the coach.

Q: What are the four cornerstones of co-active coaching?
A: People are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole; dance in this moment; evoke transformation; focus on the whole person.

Q: What is the coaching contract?
A: The mutual agreement on goals, methods, fees, and boundaries.

Q: What is the coaching alliance?
A: The collaborative working relationship between coach and client.

Q: What is intuition in coaching?
A: Insights arising spontaneously that can offer perspective when offered as a hypothesis.

Q: What is bottom-lining?
A: Asking the client to summarize the essence of what's important.

Q: What is action commitment?
A: The client's verbal commitment to specific next steps.

Q: What is accountability in coaching?
A: Holding clients to their stated commitments and intentions.

Q: What is fieldwork?
A: Practical exercises or experiments clients do between sessions.

Q: What is championing?
A: Believing in the client beyond what they believe in themselves.

Q: What is requesting?
A: A direct ask that the client take a specific action.

Q: What is challenging the client?
A: Asking them to do or consider something they haven't yet.

Q: What is the inquiry?
A: A powerful question for the client to live with between sessions.

Q: What is the difference between problem-solving and coaching?
A: Problem-solving fixes; coaching develops capacity to solve future problems.

Q: What is the SMART goals framework?
A: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound.

Q: What is the difference between performance goals and learning goals?
A: Performance goals target outcomes; learning goals target capability growth.

Q: What is values clarification?
A: Helping clients identify what matters most to them.

Q: What is purpose work?
A: Helping clients connect to deeper meaning beyond goals.

Q: What is the wheel of life?
A: A tool assessing satisfaction across life domains.

Q: What is the Johari window?
A: A model of self-awareness with quadrants: open, blind, hidden, unknown.

Q: What is emotional intelligence?
A: The capacity to recognize and manage one's own and others' emotions.

Q: What are the four EQ domains (Goleman)?
A: Self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship management.

Q: What is the growth mindset (Dweck)?
A: The belief that abilities can be developed through effort.

Q: What is the fixed mindset?
A: The belief that abilities are static and unchangeable.

Q: What is somatic coaching?
A: Coaching that integrates body awareness and physical experience.

Q: What is the role of metaphor in coaching?
A: Metaphors reveal and shift how clients view situations.

Q: What is appreciative inquiry?
A: A strengths-based approach asking what works and how to amplify it.

Q: What is positive psychology's relevance to coaching?
A: It provides evidence-based tools for flourishing and well-being.

Q: What is PERMA (Seligman)?
A: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment.

Q: What is character strengths framework?
A: Cataloguing 24 strengths grouped under 6 virtues (VIA Survey).

Q: What is the difference between life and executive coaching?
A: Life coaching is broad personal goals; executive coaching focuses on leadership performance.

Q: What is career coaching?
A: Helping clients navigate career transitions, search, and growth.

Q: What is leadership coaching?
A: Developing leaders' effectiveness, influence, and presence.

Q: What is team coaching?
A: Coaching an entire team to enhance collective performance.

Q: What is group coaching?
A: Coaching multiple individuals together, often on a shared topic.

Q: What is a coaching niche?
A: A specific specialty area focusing your practice.

Q: What is a discovery session?
A: An initial meeting to explore fit and define the coaching relationship.

Q: What is rapport-building?
A: Establishing trust and connection with clients.

Q: What is unconditional positive regard?
A: Accepting and respecting the client regardless of their behavior.

Q: What is suspending judgment?
A: Setting aside personal biases to listen openly.

Q: What is calibration?
A: Reading subtle cues in tone, body language, and energy.

Q: What is congruence (coach)?
A: Alignment between coach's inner state and outer expression.

Q: What is direct communication?
A: Speaking clearly and honestly without softening necessary feedback.

Q: What is feedback in coaching?
A: Observations shared with the client to deepen awareness.

Q: What is the difference between feedback and advice?
A: Feedback shares observations; advice prescribes action.

Q: What is "holding the client accountable"?
A: Following up on commitments without judgment.

Q: What is the coach's stance?
A: The mindset and posture brought to the work — typically curious, non-judgmental, partnering.

Q: What is shadow work (coaching)?
A: Engaging with disowned or hidden aspects of self.

Q: What is double-loop learning?
A: Questioning underlying assumptions, not just adjusting behavior.

Q: What is single-loop learning?
A: Correcting behavior without examining assumptions.

Q: What is parallel process?
A: When dynamics from the client's situation play out in the coaching relationship.

Q: What is countertransference (coaching)?
A: The coach's emotional reactions triggered by the client.

Q: What is transference?
A: When a client projects feelings about others onto the coach.

Q: What is professional supervision?
A: Confidential reflective practice with a senior peer to develop as a coach.

Q: What is the importance of self-care?
A: Maintaining a coach's well-being to be fully present.

Q: What is reflective practice?
A: Regular reflection on coaching sessions to learn and grow.

Q: What is the coaching journal?
A: A personal log of insights, patterns, and learnings.

Q: What is master coach certification?
A: Advanced ICF credential (MCC) requiring extensive experience.

Q: What is PCC?
A: Professional Certified Coach — mid-level ICF credential.

Q: What is ACC?
A: Associate Certified Coach — entry-level ICF credential.

Q: What is the difference between ICF, EMCC, and CCE?
A: Major international coaching credentialing bodies with their own standards.

Q: What is the coaching presence sensor?
A: Awareness of how your presence affects the client.

Q: What is a session opening?
A: The initial structure: review since last session, set focus, define outcomes.

Q: What is a session closing?
A: Confirming insights, action commitments, and accountability.

Q: What is the typical coaching engagement length?
A: Often 3-12 months, weekly or biweekly sessions.

Q: What is "coaching for accountability" vs "coaching for awareness"?
A: Outcomes vs insight; both are valid client choices.

Q: What is the role of values in coaching?
A: They guide decisions and reveal what's essential to the client.

Q: What is integrity work?
A: Helping clients live in alignment with their values.

Q: What is the saboteur (positive intelligence)?
A: Internal voices that limit effectiveness.

Q: What is the inner critic?
A: The internalized voice judging the self.

Q: What is self-compassion (Neff)?
A: Treating oneself with kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.

Q: What is locus of control?
A: Belief that outcomes are due to oneself (internal) or external forces.

Q: What is self-efficacy?
A: Belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations.

Q: What is the role of metacognition?
A: Thinking about one's thinking — central to insight in coaching.

Q: What is the difference between a coachable moment and a teaching moment?
A: Coachable: opportunity for self-discovery; teaching: opportunity to share info.

Q: What is when to refer out?
A: When the client's needs exceed coaching (e.g., clinical mental health).

Q: What is dual coaching?
A: Two coaches working with one client; uncommon and ethically tricky.

Q: What is laser coaching?
A: Brief, focused coaching often 15-20 minutes on a specific topic.

Q: What is on-demand coaching?
A: Brief sessions accessed when needed rather than scheduled.

Q: What is the coaching wave (Hawkins)?
A: Levels of intervention from individual to systemic.

Q: What is systemic coaching?
A: Considering broader systems (family, organization, society) affecting the client.

Q: What is constellation work?
A: Surfacing system dynamics through physical placement or visualization.

Q: What is contracting (coaching)?
A: Defining session goals, boundaries, and roles at the start.

Q: What is psychological safety?
A: A climate where people feel safe to be vulnerable and take risks.

Q: What is presence-based coaching?
A: Coaching that draws on coach's embodied awareness as primary tool.

Q: What is the coaching mindset?
A: Curious, flexible, client-centered, and open.

Q: What is informed permission?
A: Asking before offering an observation, request, or technique.

Q: What is "what" vs "why" questions?
A: "What" tends to evoke insight; "why" can feel interrogative.

Q: What is the cost of not changing?
A: Exploring what staying the same will cost the client.

Q: What is the perfect-day exercise?
A: Imagining an ideal day to surface values and aspirations.

Q: What is values sorting?
A: Selecting and prioritizing values from a list.

Q: What is the time test?
A: Asking how the client spends time vs how they want to.

Q: What is the money test?
A: Asking how the client spends money vs their values.

Q: What is the eulogy exercise?
A: Writing one's own eulogy to clarify what matters.

Q: What is the legacy question?
A: "What do you want to be remembered for?"

Q: What is the body scan?
A: A mindfulness exercise increasing somatic awareness.

Q: What is breath awareness?
A: Using breath as an anchor for presence.

Q: What is grounding?
A: Techniques to bring attention back to the present moment.

Q: What is the comparing mind?
A: A tendency to compare oneself unfavorably to others.

Q: What is unmet expectations?
A: A common source of frustration explored in coaching.

Q: What is the difference between needs and wants?
A: Needs are essential; wants are preferred but not required.

Q: What is the "should" trap?
A: Living by external expectations rather than authentic desire.

Q: What is the choice-point?
A: A moment of decision often explored in coaching.

Q: What is decision fatigue?
A: Reduced quality of decisions after many in a short time.

Q: What is analysis paralysis?
A: Inability to act due to over-thinking.

Q: What is the 80/20 rule (coaching)?
A: Many goals achieved by focusing on the 20% of actions producing 80% of results.

Q: What is the pre-mortem?
A: Imagining a project failed and identifying causes in advance.

Q: What is visioning?
A: Creating a vivid picture of a desired future.

Q: What is the difference between vision and goal?
A: Vision is the desired state; goals are milestones toward it.

Q: What is implementation intention?
A: "When X happens, I will do Y" — a planning technique.

Q: What is habit stacking?
A: Adding a new habit to an existing routine.

Q: What is the cue-routine-reward loop?
A: The habit cycle described by Charles Duhigg.

Q: What is the role of environment design?
A: Shaping surroundings to support desired behaviors.

Q: What is procrastination?
A: Putting off tasks despite knowing the negative consequences.

Q: What is the time blocking technique?
A: Reserving calendar slots for specific tasks.

Q: What is the difference between urgent and important (Eisenhower matrix)?
A: A 2x2 prioritizing tasks by urgency and importance.

Q: What is the role of saying no?
A: Protecting time and energy for what matters most.

Q: What is boundary setting?
A: Defining what one will and won't accept.

Q: What is healthy conflict?
A: Direct, respectful disagreement that strengthens relationships.

Q: What is psychological projection?
A: Attributing one's own qualities to others.

Q: What is mirror neurons' relevance?
A: They underpin empathy and emotional resonance.

Q: What is the role of feedback loops?
A: Regular reflection on what's working and what isn't.

Q: What is the difference between knowing and doing?
A: Knowledge requires translation into consistent action.

Q: What is the action-reflection cycle?
A: Doing → reflecting → adjusting → doing again.

Q: What is the after-action review?
A: A structured reflection on outcomes vs expectations.

Q: What is the start-stop-continue exercise?
A: Identifying behaviors to start, stop, and continue.

Q: What is the role of metrics?
A: Quantifying progress to support objective assessment.

Q: What is the difference between effort and outcome?
A: Effort is what's controllable; outcomes depend on many factors.

Q: What is locus of focus?
A: What the client puts attention on; coaching expands or narrows it.

Q: What is the perfectionism trap?
A: Avoiding completion or sharing due to fear of imperfection.

Q: What is impostor syndrome?
A: Persistent doubt about one's competence despite evidence of success.

Q: What is the dunning-kruger effect?
A: Unskilled people overestimating their ability.

Q: What is intellectual humility?
A: Recognizing the limits of one's knowledge.

Q: What is the difference between confidence and competence?
A: Confidence is belief; competence is capability — coaches address both.

Q: What is professional development for coaches?
A: Ongoing learning, supervision, and credentialing.

Q: What is the coach's marketing?
A: Communicating value to attract clients; ethical and clear.

Q: What is niche specialization?
A: Focusing practice on a specific population or topic.

Q: What is a signature program?
A: A coach's distinctive offering combining methodology and outcomes.

Q: What is the difference between a coach and a trainer?
A: Trainers transfer skills; coaches facilitate self-directed development.

Q: What is the role of contracting on outcomes?
A: Clarity on outcomes guides the entire engagement.

Q: What is the importance of measurement?
A: Knowing whether coaching is working requires baselines and metrics.

Q: What is the coaching ROI?
A: Returns from coaching — typically 5-7x cost in business settings.

Q: What is qualitative ROI?
A: Improvements in clarity, confidence, relationships, well-being.

Q: What is the coaching agreement renewal?
A: Periodic review to assess fit, results, and re-contract.

Q: What is a client testimonial?
A: Endorsement from a former client describing impact.

Q: What is referral?
A: A new client introduced by an existing or former client.

Q: What is the importance of authentic marketing?
A: Marketing congruent with values attracts aligned clients.

Q: What is the difference between online and in-person coaching?
A: Online is accessible; in-person offers richer somatic cues.

Q: What is hybrid coaching?
A: A mix of in-person and remote sessions.

Q: What is asynchronous coaching?
A: Coaching via messaging or recordings rather than live sessions.

Q: What is the role of technology?
A: Tools for scheduling, payment, video, notes, and assessment.

Q: What is data privacy in coaching?
A: Protecting client information per laws like GDPR.

Q: What is the duty to report?
A: Legal obligation to report imminent harm in some jurisdictions.

Q: What is the coaching license?
A: No license is required for coaching in most jurisdictions; credentials are voluntary.

Q: What is the difference between coach and consultant?
A: Consultants prescribe answers; coaches evoke them from the client.

Q: What is the role of homework?
A: Practice between sessions that integrates learning into life.

Q: What is the breakthrough moment?
A: A flash of insight reorganizing the client's understanding.

Q: What is integration?
A: Translating insight into sustained behavior change.

Q: What is regression in coaching?
A: Reverting to old patterns under stress; normal and informative.

Q: What is the spiral of development?
A: Returning to similar issues at deeper levels of understanding.

Q: What is "good enough" coaching?
A: Recognizing perfection isn't the goal; service is.

Q: What is supervision vs mentoring?
A: Supervision is reflective; mentoring is teaching-oriented.

Q: What is ethical reasoning?
A: Working through moral questions using frameworks and principles.

Q: What is informed consent for recording?
A: Always required before recording any coaching session.

Q: What is third-party stakeholder?
A: Someone like a sponsor (e.g., the client's employer) with stake in outcomes.

Q: What is sponsor-coachee-coach triangle?
A: The three parties in many corporate coaching engagements.

Q: What is end-of-engagement closure?
A: Marking completion, celebrating progress, and planning continuation.

Q: What is the open door policy?
A: Inviting former clients to return as needed.

Q: What is coaching skill #1 most experts agree on?
A: Listening deeply — to words, emotions, and what's unsaid.

Q: What is the most common new-coach mistake?
A: Giving advice instead of asking questions.

Q: What is the difference between hearing and listening?
A: Hearing is passive; listening is active and intentional.

Q: What is the role of preparation?
A: Reviewing notes briefly while staying open to whatever emerges.

Q: What is the role of follow-through?
A: Sending session notes or supporting materials promptly.

Q: What is the role of humor in coaching?
A: Used judiciously, it lightens tension and builds rapport.

Q: What is "the gift of presence"?
A: Being fully there for another person — the core of coaching.

Q: What is the principle of "trust the process"?
A: Believing in the client's capacity even when progress feels slow.

Q: What is the difference between agenda and outcome?
A: Agenda is the topic; outcome is what the client wants by session end.

Q: What is the session outcome question?
A: "What would make this session valuable for you today?"

Q: What is the principle of partnership?
A: Coach and client are equal collaborators on the client's goals.

Q: What is the most important quality of a great coach?
A: Some say presence; others say curiosity; most agree on a combination of presence, listening, and ethical practice.