Your client voted for…WHO? Coaching People with Different Political Beliefs

What do you do when your client’s political values are wildly different from yours? In this episode of The Craft of Coaching, we explore how to navigate political differences in coaching without sacrificing your values—or your presence.

Whether a client makes a comment that goes against everything you believe in, or you discover deeper ideological gaps over time, the question becomes: Can I still coach this person with integrity?

We’ll walk through how to stay grounded in the face of political tension, when to address a comment in-session, and when it’s time to set a boundary or end the coaching relationship altogether.

You’ll also learn how to discern between a difference in opinion and a violation of human dignity, how to stay curious without bypassing your own ethics, and what the ICF Core Competencies say about navigating charged dynamics.

Coaching in today’s world means being present to complexity. This episode offers tools, language, and clarity for those moments when values collide—and shows you how to coach with honesty, discernment, and compassion.