Coaching relationships can be transformative, but sometimes they reach a critical juncture. This article draws on the experiences of seasoned coaches to explore when and why ending a client relationship might be necessary. Their insights offer valuable guidance for maintaining professional integrity and ensuring the best outcomes for both coaches and clients.
- Protect Your Energy from Unwilling Clients
- Guide Clients to Appropriate Support
- Embrace Growth or Face Coaching Termination
- Prioritize Client Welfare in Coaching Relationships
- Uphold Ethics in Coaching and Billing
- End Partnerships When Goals Misalign
- Respect Coaching Process or Part Ways
- Honor Growth and Integrity in Coaching
- Create Space for Meaningful Transformation
- Recognize When Clients Are Ready for Change
Protect Your Energy from Unwilling Clients
Yes, I had to end a relationship with a seven-figure practice owner who was brilliant but completely unwilling to implement the neuroscience-based changes we had mapped out. She would show up to every session wanting to strategize new marketing funnels instead of addressing the survival wiring that was keeping her trapped in 16-hour workdays.
After four months, she was still operating like a technician instead of a leader, exactly where we had started. The real issue wasn’t her business model — it was that she was addicted to the adrenaline rush of being needed for every decision. She would nod during our calls about rewiring her nervous system, then immediately go back to micromanaging her team.
The breaking point came when she started missing sessions to “put out fires” that her own leadership style was creating. I realized she wasn’t ready to surrender the chaos that was actually feeding her sense of worth. Some people aren’t ready to heal what success has strained — they’re too attached to the drama.
I ended the contract and refunded her remaining sessions. Within a month, I had three new clients who were genuinely ready to do the deep work of aligning their nervous systems with sustainable leadership. Sometimes protecting your energy means walking away from people who want change but aren’t willing to transform.
Dr Barbara Eaton
Coach, Dr Barbara Eaton
Guide Clients to Appropriate Support
While not common, ending a coaching relationship before the contracted timeframe — what some may call “firing a client” — can sometimes be the most ethical and supportive choice a coach can make. According to the ICF Code of Ethics, if a coach recognizes that a client may require support beyond the scope of coaching, it is the coach’s responsibility to acknowledge this and guide the client toward more suitable resources.
In my own coaching practice, I’ve encountered a few situations where this was necessary — either by ending the engagement or reworking the arrangement for greater effectiveness.
1. When deeper support is needed
One client came to me with the goal of adopting healthier eating habits. Despite her initial motivation, our coaching sessions didn’t lead to any sustainable change. It became clear that her challenges were rooted in emotional patterns better addressed through therapy. I shared my observations with care and ended the coaching engagement, encouraging her to seek support from a licensed therapist.
2. When coaching and therapy can complement each other
Another client initially sought help with leadership development. However, as we progressed, personal challenges emerged that were affecting his professional growth. I suggested that therapy might be beneficial if he wanted to continue our coaching work. He agreed, and that combination proved highly effective — yielding breakthroughs both personally and professionally.
3. When engagement breaks down
There was also a case where a client frequently canceled sessions or arrived disengaged. Coaching requires commitment and openness; without those, the process can’t deliver its full value. I leaned on the ICF coaching competency of direct communication and said: “If coaching doesn’t feel like the right fit for you at this time, we can pause or stop. If you’d like to continue, I ask that you commit to attending sessions and engaging fully.”
That honest conversation became a turning point. He appreciated the clarity, re-engaged, and our coaching journey ultimately became both meaningful and productive.
For all my clients, I clearly outline from the start that either party — the client or the coach — can terminate the engagement at any time, provided that notice is given either verbally or in writing. This mutual respect and flexibility ensure that coaching remains a space of integrity, growth, and real transformation.
Sharmin Banu
Executive Coach With a Tech Background, Greenleaf Coaching LLC
Embrace Growth or Face Coaching Termination
Picture this: a bright, ambitious leader sits across from me and says, “I don’t need coaching. I’m ready to be CEO now.”
Sounds confident, right? But beneath the surface, I saw something else — complacency. A refusal to grow. A mind already closed to feedback.
A few months later, he didn’t get the job.
That moment changed everything for me. Not because he lacked potential, but because he lacked hunger and curiosity.
As a coach, I work with people who are hungry to learn, ready to stretch, open to challenge. When someone tells me, “I’ve got nothing more to learn,” the air changes. The room quiets.
Because coaching only works when there’s fire in the belly of the coachee.
It might sound strange, but yes — I sometimes “fire” clients. And here’s why:
1. They’re disengaged. They turn up, but they’re not present.
2. They believe they’ve peaked. No room to refine, reimagine, or reflect.
3. They seek validation, not growth. Coaching becomes a checkbox, not a transformation.
I don’t coach to tick boxes. I coach to unlock magic. If a client resists that, it’s time to pause the partnership.
My mantra: you don’t need to be ill to get better.
Too many leaders think coaching is for those who are struggling. I say — coaching is for those who want to be the best version of themselves, and this is a continuous journey, no matter who you are.
CEOs still have blind spots. Directors still have room to grow. Everyone, at every level, can stretch. Because leadership isn’t a destination. It’s a journey of constant evolution.
The client didn’t become CEO. He wasn’t ready. And while I wished him well, I knew continuing our work would have done more harm than good. That’s the hard truth of coaching: sometimes the best support is stepping away.
Trayton Vance
CEO and Founder, Coaching Focus Ltd
Prioritize Client Welfare in Coaching Relationships
Although I wouldn’t phrase it as “firing a client,” there have been a few instances over the years when I had to terminate a coaching relationship. There are a variety of reasons a coach may reach that decision, such as a client’s goals no longer aligning with those set at the start of the coaching relationship, a client experiencing a significant life shift due to a personal or family crisis, or a client’s inability to meaningfully participate in the coaching process.
As Krawczynska-Zaucha (2016) noted, coaching is meant to be a living, breathing journey, so both the coach and client must shift and adapt as dynamics change. When it becomes clear that they aren’t able to move forward together to meet the client’s goals, it’s best to pause or terminate the coaching relationship.
In one case, anonymized here to protect client confidentiality, I was working with a client who was not able to make progress toward their established goals, and it became clear that the coaching context had presented significant risks to the client’s welfare due to the introduction of mental health needs that could not be met through the support provided. The client needed to address their mental wellness before they could meaningfully participate in the coaching process again. As a coach, a primary ethical rule is “do no harm” (non-maleficence) and to help the client move toward well-being (beneficence) (Hepworth et al., 2025).
To start the closure process, I invited the client into a reflective, open discussion. I used compassion and empathy to create a safe environment in which I asked the client to voice their thoughts and feelings about the lack of progress being made and used that discussion to steer the conversation to my ethical duties and obligations. I explained why our coaching relationship needed to pause, emphasized the advantages of seeking the support they needed that exceeded what could be done in the coaching process, and left the door open for the client to return to coaching once they were able to. We discussed referral options, and I offered to send the client a follow-up communication with the resources we reviewed together. Though the client was disappointed, our conversation ultimately served as a mechanism through which they were able to honestly assess their situation, and they voiced an appreciation for that.
Sandra Buatti-Ramos
Founder, Hyphen Innovation
Uphold Ethics in Coaching and Billing
I’ve had to end relationships when clients weren’t aligned with sustainable growth.
I had to terminate the membership of a therapist who joined my Bill Like A Boss program but persistently pressured me to teach her how to commit insurance fraud — specifically, how to bill for services she didn’t provide while traveling. She wanted to maintain the appearance of a full caseload while actually seeing fewer clients from different states without proper licensing.
The breaking point came when she began sharing these unethical “strategies” with other members in our community Facebook group. She was actively trying to encourage other therapists to violate regulations, which could potentially destroy licenses and practices.
I immediately terminated her membership and issued a refund. My entire business is built on empowering therapists with legitimate knowledge and ethical practices. I won’t jeopardize the safety of over 950 other clinicians for one person who seeks shortcuts that could land everyone in legal trouble.
Kym Tolson
Therapist Coach, The Traveling Therapist
End Partnerships When Goals Misalign
Faced with the tough decision to end a client relationship, there’s always a compelling reason. I’ve had to fire a client before, and it was a moment of true clarity for both of us. The situation involved a coaching client who, despite our best efforts and a clear plan, was consistently missing deadlines and not following through on key tasks. Our sessions were turning into a constant cycle of excuses instead of progress, and I felt like I was doing more of the work for them than they were for themselves. It was clear our goals were no longer in sync.
The decision didn’t come lightly. I had several conversations with the client about the importance of accountability and taking ownership of their own success. I emphasized that coaching is a partnership, and it requires effort from both sides. Moreover, their lack of commitment was starting to affect my ability to serve other clients who were fully invested in their own growth. Ultimately, I had to recognize that our dynamic had become a drain rather than a source of inspiration. It wasn’t fair to them, and it wasn’t fair to me. Letting them go, while difficult, was the best option for everyone involved.
Cindy Cavoto
Founder, CindyCavoto.com
Respect Coaching Process or Part Ways
Yes, I’ve had to end a coaching relationship when it became clear that the client wasn’t willing to engage in the process with honesty. Coaching requires openness, curiosity, and a willingness to take responsibility for one’s growth. In this situation, the client repeatedly resisted doing the work and deflected responsibility in ways that made progress impossible. I realized continuing would not only waste their investment but also compromise my integrity as a coach. Ending the relationship was difficult, but it reinforced my commitment to working with clients who are ready and willing to step into change. It taught me that sometimes the most supportive thing you can do as a coach is to acknowledge when the relationship isn’t serving either party and create space for something better to emerge.
Karen Canham
Entrepreneur/Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Karen Ann Wellness
Honor Growth and Integrity in Coaching
There was a client with whom I chose to end a coaching relationship because she wasn’t open to exploring new perspectives or trying different actions from what she had always done. Coaching only works when there’s a willingness to lean into change. My responsibility is to honor both my client’s investment and the integrity of my work.
Continuing in a situation where someone is closed off to the process doesn’t serve either of us and it stalls growth. Ending that relationship, while difficult, was ultimately an act of respect: for her time, resources, and for my role as a coach committed to meaningful transformation.
Kamini Wood
Certified Life Coach, Kamini Wood
Create Space for Meaningful Transformation
I’ve ended a coaching relationship when a client repeatedly resisted the process and sought validation rather than growth. Coaching requires openness and willingness to look inward. When it becomes clear that continuing only enables unhealthy patterns, the most compassionate choice is to step back. Ending the relationship respectfully creates space for the client to seek the right support when they’re truly ready.
Marcelina Hardy
Spiritual Career Coach, Intuitive Clarity Coaching
Recognize When Clients Are Ready for Change
Coaching, like any relationship, sometimes requires difficult endings.
I once worked with a client who came to me for mindfulness and relationship coaching but consistently resisted any form of self-reflection. He would frequently say things like, “Oh, I’m skeptical of things like meditation or journaling… I don’t really believe they work.” And yet, he had signed up for sessions hoping for change.
I soon realized he just wasn’t ready to engage in the work — he wanted a shortcut, not the uncomfortable process of growth.
After a few weeks of running in circles, I sat him down and said, “It feels like what we’re doing here isn’t serving you right now. I don’t want to take your money without giving you value.” I encouraged him to step back, reflect on what he really wanted, and referred him to a different type of coach who focused more on practical life structure rather than introspection.
It wasn’t an easy conversation, but it taught me something I still carry: as coaches, we’re not here to keep every client. We’re here to create the right conditions for change. And sometimes, the most helpful thing we can do is let someone go until they’re truly ready.
Lachlan Brown
Co-Founder, The Considered Man
