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Coaching: Is it Right for Clinical Social Workers?

By Marla Galvan, LICSW, LCSW-C, Senior Practice Associate, Clinical Social Work

July 2026

Coaching is a growing profession in the United States. It is a values-based helping field in which coaches partner with clients to help them achieve growth. Because of its similar vision to social work, many clinical social workers (CSWs) see opening a coaching practice as a way to expand their careers and increase income.

To support CSWs in making an informed decision about whether to open a coaching practice, this Tips and Tools for Social Workers provides information on the similarities and differences between coaching and clinical social work. It also addresses ethical implications to consider and tips for safe practice.


Professional Alignment

The coaching profession has a shared philosophy with social work in the employment of a strengths-based, nonjudgmental, client-driven approach (Reardon, 2016). Individuals in both professions work to empower clients and adhere to similar core values of service, including acting with integrity, recognizing the importance of human relationships, and viewing clients with dignity and worth (Lasky, n.d.). Both professions are also guided by codes of ethics that emphasize responsibilities to clients, such as providing informed consent, managing conflicts of interest, and maintaining privacy and confidentiality.

There are several key differences, however, between coaching and clinical social work. Professional coaching is a profession that lacks a single unified definition. It may include business coaching, life-coaching, career coaching, health and wellness coaching, among other specialties (International Coaching Federation, 2024). It is not regulated by state licensing boards. Although the International Coaching Federation (ICF) offers credentialing opportunities, becoming certified may not be required for an individual to start a coaching business or provide coaching services. Life coaching is also generally not covered by third-party payers. However, some corporate wellness programs and employee assistance programs may pay for these services.

In contrast, clinical social work is an established and highly regulated professional practice. Practitioners must obtain a Master of Social Work degree, pass a clinical licensing examination, obtain two years of supervised clinical training, and meet and maintain the minimum requirements of continuing education for their license. CSWs must adhere to local tribal and state jurisdictions, laws, and federal regulations, and they may bill third-party payers or their clients for mental and behavioral health services rendered (National Association of Social Workers, 2025).

In practice, clinical social workers assess the needs of individuals, couples, families, or groups who are experiencing life challenges or impaired mental, behavioral, or physical health functioning. They diagnose mental health disorders and create client-centered treatment plans to treat various mental health conditions (National Association of Social Workers, 2025). Their work often involves clinical intervention, including examining trauma and exploring how past experiences shape current functioning.

Coaches typically partner with clients to set future-oriented goals, focusing on where they want to go instead of deeply unpacking where they’ve been (Fox & Goodenough, 2025). Coaches do not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Instead, they work with well-functioning individuals to build new skills or establish routines that can help them achieve personal growth (Reardon, 2016).


Ethical Considerations

Many of the active listening and empathy skills clinical social workers use to partner with and empower clients transfer readily to the practice of coaching (Reardon, 2016). As such, establishing a separate coaching business may appear to be a natural opportunity for CSWs to expand their career and increase income. However, starting a separate coaching practice while holding credentials as a clinical social worker involves ethical factors that must be considered.

For instance, the use of therapeutic techniques such as reframing and questioning is natural to CSWs, but knowingly applying these techniques with coaching clients may constitute practice beyond the scope of service. Coaching is focused on building skills. Any work that mirrors emotional processing may place CSWs at risk of ethical complaints (Fox & Goodenough, 2025).

In another example, the use of licensed clinical social work credentials in marketing may seem like a way to enhance credibility and attract new clients, but this can send mixed messages to both the public and to social work boards about the type of services being provided. Even when CSWs establish a separate business entity and clearly state that they are not providing therapy, the perception by a coaching client or regulator that mental health support is being provided may prompt involvement by state social work boards.

The NASW Code of Ethics offers guidance to CSWs as they navigate the potential for these scenarios.

  • Standard 1.04, Competence, outlines how social workers should conduct themselves when engaging emerging areas of practice; identifying that CSWs should “represent themselves as competent only within the boundaries of their education, training, license, certification, or other relevant professional experience,” and “use approaches that are new to them only after engaging in appropriate study, training, consultation, and supervision“ (National Association of Social Workers, 2021, Standard 1.04 (a) (b)).
  • Standard 4.06, Misrepresentation, states that social workers should ensure that their representation to clients, agencies, and the public of professional qualifications, credentials, service provided, or results to be achieved are accurate. It emphasizes the need for social workers to “claim only those relevant professional credentials they actually possess and take steps to correct any inaccuracies or misrepresentations of their credentials by others” (National Association of Social Workers, 2021, Standard 4.06(c)). 

Tips for Safe Practice

  • Know the laws in both your state and the state where your clients are located.
  • Hold your coaching business under a separate business entity or LLC.
  • Do not misrepresent your qualifications. Clearly state that you are not providing mental health services but be aware that clients may hold a separate understanding anyway. (“8 Ethical Tips for Social Workers When Considering or Using Emerging Practices”, 2026).
  • Avoid conflicts of interest. Do not use your professional relationship with social work clients to solicit them for coaching services or vice versa.

NASW Resources for More Information


References