Ethics &
Scope of Practice
What this credential makes you. What it does not. Where the line is, and what you do when someone needs help you are not qualified to provide.
The Intentional Performance Certified Coach credential is a performance enhancement credential. That distinction is not a caveat — it is the entire operating premise. Performance coaches work with psychologically healthy people in demanding environments. Clinical psychologists and licensed therapists work with psychopathology. These are different fields with different training, different ethical requirements, and different legal frameworks. Confusing them — in either direction — causes harm.
You are not a therapist. You are not a clinical psychologist. You do not diagnose, treat, or manage psychological disorders. If something in a session moves outside the domain of performance enhancement and into the domain of mental health, your job is exactly one thing: a warm, clear referral to someone who can actually help.
The Referral Protocol
When a session moves outside your scope, you do not finish the session and make a note. You stop, acknowledge what you heard, and provide the referral clearly and warmly in that moment. The language below is the template. Adapt the tone to the person, but do not soften the message — the clearest thing you can do for someone who needs clinical support is make that need explicit without shame.
You will encounter athletes who are struggling with things that are outside your scope. This is not a failure of your work — it is information. The worst thing you can do is keep working in a domain you are not trained for because the relationship feels important or the athlete seems reluctant to seek other help. A warm referral that gets someone to the right support is the highest-value thing you can do in that moment.
Recommended: All IP Certified Coaches are strongly encouraged to complete Mental Health First Aid certification. It is an 8-hour course that teaches you to recognize the signs of mental health challenges, respond appropriately, and connect people with professional help. It does not make you a clinician — it makes you a better first responder. mentalhealthfirstaid.org
Dual Relationships
A dual relationship exists when you hold more than one role with the same person — you are their S&C coach and their performance coach, or their parent is paying for their sessions, or you are coaching a teammate. These situations are not automatically disqualifying, but they require explicit acknowledgment and clear boundary-setting at the outset.
The question to ask in any dual-relationship situation: whose interests am I serving right now, and is there any conflict between those interests? If there is a conflict — even a potential one — name it out loud with the client before proceeding. If the conflict cannot be resolved through transparency, the right move is to refer to someone who doesn't hold the second role.
Scope Audit
Certification
Examination
25 questions across all six weeks. 80% to pass. Retakeable. This is not a memory test — it is a check that the frameworks are integrated well enough to apply.
Work through each question independently before checking answers. The exam is scored automatically when you submit. If you score below 80%, review the relevant lessons and retake. The pass threshold exists because these frameworks will be applied to real people in real performance contexts — a passing standard matters.
Written Case
Conceptualization
The formal submission. Individual athlete analysis integrated with full systems canvas. Self-evaluated against the rubric before submission.
This is not a summary of the frameworks you learned. It is a demonstration that you can apply them. Use a real current client — de-identified. If you do not yet have a client, use the hypothetical client you build in Lesson 4. The case should be complex enough that you are making genuine diagnostic decisions, not filling in obvious answers.
Submission Rubric
Score yourself on each dimension before submitting. The rubric is also used by John Baker in the review process. Scores of 1–2 in any dimension will result in a request for revision.
| Dimension | What a strong submission shows | Self-score (1–4) |
|---|---|---|
| ACT Analysis | Specific Hexaflex processes identified with behavioral evidence. Not just named — illustrated with what the athlete actually does or says. | |
| SDT Profile | Most frustrated need identified. Specific environmental factor driving the frustration named. Not a general statement — a concrete situation. | |
| Attention Analysis | Gucciardi framework applied. Which element fails first — right thing, right time, or regardless? Under what specific circumstances? | |
| Systems Level | All four system levels addressed (athlete, coaching relationship, team, parent/family). Entry point identified with rationale — not just the first thing that comes to mind. | |
| Intervention Logic | The sequence makes sense. Values work before skill work. 3Cs before mechanics. Developmental stage considered. The entry point is defended, not assumed. | |
| MI Integration | At least two specific MI questions included that you would actually use with this client. Not generic open questions — questions designed for this case. |
The Submission
Case Conceptualization — Individual Level
Case Conceptualization — Systems Level
Session Rubric &
Program Design
A behavioral evaluation of your coaching in practice, and a full six-session program arc built for a hypothetical client from scratch.
Recorded Session Self-Evaluation
Record one full coaching session — minimum 30 minutes. It can be with a current client (with consent), a peer coach, or a practice client. Watch it back before completing the rubric. The discomfort of watching yourself coach is the point. What you notice on review is what your clients are experiencing in real time.
The recorded session must demonstrate: at least one MI conversation using OARS, at least one skills application (defusion, arousal regulation, imagery, or ritual construction), and a clear entry point based on a case conceptualization — not a generic agenda. The session should not look like a lesson. It should look like a conversation that produces change.
| Behavioral Indicator | What it looks like when present | Self-score (1–4) |
|---|---|---|
| MI Spirit | Partnership, evocation, autonomy support present throughout. Coach is not lecturing. Client is talking more than coach. | |
| OARS Fidelity | Open questions used consistently. Reflections are accurate and go slightly beyond what was said. Summaries capture what the client actually committed to. | |
| Skills Application | Skill introduced at the right moment — emerging from the conversation, not imposed on it. Client understands the rationale. Skill connects to their values. | |
| Scope Adherence | Session stays in performance enhancement domain. Any material that approaches clinical territory is acknowledged and redirected appropriately. | |
| 3Cs Check | Evidence that Choice, Connection, and Confidence are actively supported — not just performed. Client has genuine agency in the session direction. | |
| Learn Phase Closure | Session ends with a clear summary of what the client committed to. Their own plan, in their own words, reflected back to them. |
Session Reflection
Full Program Design
Design a complete six-session program for a hypothetical client. Specify the client profile first — sport, age, developmental stage, presenting concern, SDT and ACT baseline — then build the arc. Each session should have a clear focus, connect to the case conceptualization, and build on the session before it. This is not a template filled in with generic content. It is a specific program for a specific person.
Client Profile
Intentional Performance
Certified Coach
Six weeks. Five frameworks. One operating system for performance coaching. Enter your name and print your certificate.
This certification represents six weeks of intensive study and application in ontological performance coaching — an approach that operates at the level of identity, attention, and ritual, not surface-level skill acquisition. The frameworks you now hold — ACT, SDT, MBAT, MI, Prime/Perform/Learn, and the systems-level lens — are not tools to apply in sequence. They are a coherent way of seeing people in performance contexts.
The credential is rigorous because the work is consequential. You will sit across from athletes at significant moments in their development. What you do in those moments will have an effect. The standard for this certification is set accordingly.
Upon completion and review of your submissions, you will receive a Credly digital badge for the Intentional Performance Certified Coach credential. Add it to LinkedIn, your email signature, and your professional profiles. This is a rigorous, evidence-based certification — claim it publicly. Instructions for claiming your badge will be sent to your email after submission review is complete.
Your Certificate
Submission Checklist
Before your certification is finalized, confirm all submissions are complete. Send your written case conceptualization and recorded session to [email protected] with subject line: IPCC Submission — [Your Name].