What does it mean to be present? In my own words, I would say it is the ability to give your perception fully and undividedly to what is happening here and now, while being aware of both yourself and the situation. In the context of coaching it means undivided attention to the client, while the coach also stays aware of themselves and of the coaching process. That is why the competency of “maintaining presence” is an active and dynamic process, one that coaches learn and refine over time.

One of the first challenges a coach has to master in order to be present is learning to “empty your head” of all the thoughts, judgements and comments that occupy our minds most of the time in everyday life. The better this works, the higher the quality of the coach’s presence and of the “space” the coach holds to support the client.

By “space” I mean the “psychological space” that forms in the contact between client and coach. In everyday language the closest expression is probably “a connection forms”. In everyday contact with any person a certain kind of space (a connection) forms between us too, although mostly it happens automatically and unconsciously. With one person you will feel at ease, with another you will feel tense, and with a third no conversation will work at all.

Coaches deliberately develop their ability to create and hold a psychologically safe space, in which they are always present and supportive with their clients. Even so, this does not mean that a good connection will form with every client a coach meets in their practice. That is why I always advise new clients to meet several coaches, to sense with whom the connection forms most easily.

Maintaining presence also means that the coach can keep it for the whole session, whatever course the client’s work takes. The most challenging situations are typically either a client’s expression of strong emotions or, quite the opposite, the silence in the room that arises when the client goes deep into exploring their topic and forming new insights.

In the Latvian original I ended with a poem, “Klusums” (“Silence”), by an author who writes under the name ne_jau_taa. In my view it portrays the silence of coaching very well: it moves through many kinds of silence, from refreshing joy to painful tension, and ends with a silence in which you are born anew. You can read it in Latvian here.

Maintains Presence is the fifth ICF Core Competency. In short, the coach is fully conscious and present with the client, working in a way that is open, flexible, grounded and confident.

In practice this means staying focused, observant, empathetic and responsive to the client; showing curiosity during the coaching; managing one’s own emotions in order to stay present; working confidently with a client’s strong emotions; being comfortable with not knowing; and creating or allowing room for silence, pause and reflection.

The 2025 review added one point: the coach stays aware of what is emerging in the present moment.


This article is based on my Latvian article “Kouča kompetence – uztur klātesamību”, published on 25 August 2021. It was translated into English and its facts were updated in October 2026. In place of the full ICF text and the poem quoted in the original, it gives a short summary and links to the sources.