
292: Ethics in Health and Wellbeing Coaching: A Provocative Deep Dive with Professor Aaron Jarden and Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener
From The AC Podcast by Association for Coaching
April 27, 2026 · 40 min · Season 1 · Episode 292
About this episode
The episode explores ethical practices in health and wellbeing coaching through a conversation with experts on principles that guide coaching beyond mere compliance.
In episode 4 of our Coaching for Health and Wellbeing series, hosts Ana Paula Nacif and Christian van Nieuwerburgh are joined by Professor Aaron Jarden and Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener for a rich, provocative conversation on what it truly means to practice ethically as a health and wellbeing coach. Rather than treating ethics as a set of rules to follow, the guests invite coaches to think of ethics as a set of principles that infuse every part of their practice — a way of being rooted in the character of the coach and a genuine commitment to doing right by clients. They challenge coaches to move beyond compliance and toward a deeper question: what kind of practitioner do you want to be? A recurring theme is the tension between respecting client autonomy and the coach's responsibility to promote wellbeing. The panel explores the ethical considerations of sharing information, challenging unhelpful patterns, and holding a duty of care whilst staying in a coaching role. Importantly, the discussion pushes coaches to take their positive duty seriously, including having the courage to reflect on their inaction as well as take action. The conversation also touches on justice and fairness in…
People in this episode
Hosts: Ana Paula Nacif, Christian van Nieuwerburgh
Guests: Professor Aaron Jarden, Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener
Topics covered
- ethics in coaching
- health and wellbeing
- client autonomy
- duty of care
- reflective practice
Keywords
- coaching ethics
- wellbeing coaching
- client care
- coaching principles
- self-care in coaching
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