1.5 Core Competency CCEs
Trust is the foundation of every transformative coaching relationship.
In this interactive session, Debra Kopelman unpacks the ICF Core Competency — Cultivates Trust and Safety — exploring how coaches can create a space where clients feel truly seen, heard, and respected. Participants will have the opportunity to review and discuss a demo demonstrating this competency along with time for self-reflection on how they demonstrate this competency with their own clients.
Learn how to build genuine connections that foster openness, courage, and deep self-discovery — empowering clients to step into growth with confidence and authenticity.
You’ll learn how to:
Establish trust through empathy, respect, and consistency
Create a psychologically safe space for honest reflection and dialogue
Acknowledge client emotions while maintaining professionalism and compassion
Support clients in expressing vulnerability without fear of judgment
Build long-term relationships grounded in authenticity and mutual respect
Whether you’re an ICF credential holder or a practicing coach, this session will help you strengthen the relational core of your coaching — where safety and trust unlock true transformation.
Build connection. Foster safety. Cultivate transformation.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Establish trust through empathy, respect, and consistency
Acknowledge client emotions while maintaining professionalism and compassion
Support clients in expressing vulnerability without fear of judgment
Speaker Bio: 
Debra Kopelman, MCC, ESIA, EIA, MS
My approach to coaching is to focus on the whole person, creating a safe space for authenticity and self-expression. I am passionate about helping leaders who want to be more integrated, powerful, and even more aligned with their deepest values. My goal is to enable leaders to access greater levels of presence, wisdom and insight to maximize their contributions in environments of rapid change,
ambiguity and high levels of stress.
Some of my favorite areas of focus with leaders is transitioning to expanded or new leadership roles, managing managers/other leaders, team coaching and development, and embodying an enterprise-wide mindset. Leaders typically come to me for support around Strategic Communication, Managing Change, Influencing/Relationship Management, and Self-Leadership/Executive Presence. My work experience includes 20+ years of executive coaching in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry and consists of internal HR learning and development, leadership development and career development experience at Genentech/Roche and UBS Investment Bank.
Clients range from C-level executives of world-leading enterprises to highly technical hands-on directors in Biotech, Pharma, Technology, and Utilities. My coaching methodology combines 360 evaluations, personality assessments, business coaching, cognitive-behavioral techniques, somatic insights, therapeutic constructs, and practical in-the-field exercises across multi-month programs to elicit change within and around business leaders.
Clients (and their teams) appreciate the immediately noticeable impact on their ability to motivate, influence, inspire and govern as confident, authentic, well-respected leaders. My aspiration is to guide executives in exceeding their own ambitious expectations with whom they are and what they can achieve, from the inside out.
This is a 2-STEP registration process.
Since this webinar is being offered by ICF Global, registration requires a two-step process.
The first step is to register with our chapter. Once you successfully register and make the payment, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to register with ICF Global. Payment is only required during the first step. The second step authorizes ICF Global to send you the Zoom link for the webinar.
