ICF Competency Series: Cultivating Wholeness through Ethical Practice Part 6: Listens Actively (Competency C6)

At Integer, we believe listening is one of the most powerful gifts a coach can offer.

Not listening to respond. Not listening to solve. But listening to understand—beneath the words, beneath the surface, beneath the story.

This kind of listening honors the whole person: their truth, their values, their silence, and even their contradictions.

🧠 Listening in Context

Every client brings a unique world with them—shaped by identity, culture, lived experience, and belief systems. Active listening requires us to hold all of that in the room with compassion and care.

We don’t just hear what they say—we listen through their lens. We ask ourselves:

• What matters most to this client in this moment?

• What are they protecting?

• What are they longing for?

This kind of listening is spacious, intentional, and deeply respectful.

🔁 Clarifying, Reflecting, Deepening

As coaches, we reflect what we hear—not to echo, but to expand. We offer summaries or reframes not to clarify for us, but to help the client hear themselves more clearly.

We ask,

• “Can I check if I heard that right?”

• “It sounds like this is really important to you—what’s underneath that?”

Our reflections become mirrors—allowing clients to see their own thoughts, emotions, and themes with fresh perspective.

🧭 Noticing What’s Unspoken

Active listening means tuning into the whole communication—not just words, but energy. We notice tone, rhythm, facial expressions, and body language. We get curious about shifts—when a client lights up, pulls back, or grows quiet.

We might say,

• “I noticed your energy dropped just now—what’s coming up for you?”

• “You smiled when you said that—what’s the story behind the smile?”

These moments of attunement can open powerful doors.

🔄 Listening Over Time

We also listen for patterns across sessions. Recurring metaphors, emotional themes, stuck points, or breakthroughs. We gently name what we notice—not to diagnose, but to deepen awareness: “I’ve heard you mention freedom a few times in different ways—what does that word mean to you right now?”

This builds continuity, and helps the client track their own evolution.

Active listening is not a technique—it’s a way of being. It’s how we help our clients feel fully seen and deeply heard.

At Integer, we hold listening as sacred. Because when someone feels truly heard, they begin to trust their own voice more fully.

 And that voice—that inner knowing—is where transformation begins.