Rhodes to Wellness Coaching
Last updated: September 2026
At Rhodes to Wellness Coaching, professional conduct is about more than following rules. It is about how I show up for the people who place their trust in my work.
I am committed to conducting myself with honesty, respect, compassion and professionalism across all areas of my practice, including coaching, Root Cause Therapy, Equine Wellbeing Sessions and the Equimotional Coaches Course.
This policy outlines the standards of professional behaviour that guide my interactions with clients, students, colleagues and others who engage with Rhodes to Wellness Coaching.
Every person I work with will be treated with dignity, courtesy and respect.
I will strive to create an environment where people feel heard, valued and able to express themselves without fear of ridicule, discrimination or judgement.
I will respect differences in people's backgrounds, beliefs, identities, experiences, abilities and perspectives.
I do not tolerate bullying, harassment, intimidation, discrimination or abusive behaviour within my professional environment.
I will conduct my professional activities honestly and transparently.
This includes:
Representing my qualifications, training and experience accurately;
Being honest about the nature and limitations of my services;
Providing clear information about fees, policies and expectations;
Avoiding misleading or exaggerated claims about potential outcomes;
Acknowledging the limits of my knowledge and experience;
Taking responsibility for my professional decisions and actions.
I will not knowingly misrepresent my relationship with an accreditation body, training provider or other professional organisation.
I will maintain appropriate boundaries with clients and students.
Professional relationships must remain appropriate to the service or educational relationship being provided.
I will not knowingly exploit a client's or student's trust, dependency, vulnerability or personal circumstances for personal, emotional, financial or other inappropriate benefit.
I will also respect the boundaries of clients and students, including their right to decline physical contact, activities, questions or personal discussion.
I will respect the confidentiality and privacy of clients and students.
Personal information and information shared within a professional relationship will be handled with care and will not be disclosed unnecessarily.
There are circumstances where confidentiality may have limits, including where disclosure is required by law or where there is a serious concern regarding someone's safety or wellbeing.
Personal information will be managed in accordance with the Rhodes to Wellness Coaching Privacy Policy and applicable privacy legislation.
I will respect each person's right to make informed choices about their participation.
Clients and students may ask questions, express concerns, decline an activity, establish boundaries or end their participation.
Consent will not be assumed simply because someone has previously agreed to an activity or service.
Where physical interaction with a horse is involved, appropriate consent and safety guidance will be provided.
I will work within the limits of my education, training, experience and professional competence.
I will not knowingly present myself as qualified to provide services that fall outside my training.
Where a person's needs are outside the scope of my practice, I may recommend that they seek support from an appropriately qualified professional or service.
I will continue to develop my professional knowledge and skills through appropriate education, reflection and professional development.
I take concerns about abuse, neglect, exploitation and significant risk of harm seriously.
Where a safeguarding concern arises, I will respond in accordance with my Safeguarding Policy, professional responsibilities and applicable requirements.
I will not make promises of absolute confidentiality where doing so could prevent appropriate action to protect someone from serious harm.
I will communicate with clients and students in a respectful, clear and professional manner.
This applies to:
In-person conversations;
Email;
Telephone or video communication;
Social media;
Course communication;
Other professional correspondence.
I will maintain reasonable professional boundaries around availability and communication outside scheduled sessions or classes.
I recognize that professional boundaries continue to apply in online spaces.
I will use professional social media and online platforms responsibly and will not intentionally disclose private client or student information.
I will not use a client's or student's personal story, image, testimonial or identifying information for promotional purposes without appropriate permission.
Clients and students are also expected to respect confidentiality and professional boundaries when interacting with Rhodes to Wellness Coaching online.
I will take reasonable steps to identify and manage actual or potential conflicts of interest.
Where a conflict could affect my professional judgement or the wellbeing of a client or student, I will address it appropriately and transparently.
I will not use professional relationships for inappropriate personal or financial gain.
I will provide clear information about fees, payment arrangements, refunds and cancellations.
I will not intentionally misrepresent the cost or nature of a service or course.
Financial arrangements will be handled professionally and in accordance with the relevant business policies.
As an educator, I am responsible for modelling the professional conduct I expect students to develop within their own practice.
I will maintain appropriate educator-student boundaries and treat students fairly and respectfully.
Students are also expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully within the learning environment.
More detailed expectations for students are outlined in the Course Participation & Professional Boundaries Policy.
When working with horses, professional conduct includes responsibility for both human safety and horse welfare.
I will treat the horses involved in Equine Wellbeing Sessions with respect and care and will make decisions that take their physical and emotional wellbeing into account.
I will not knowingly place a horse or participant in an unnecessarily unsafe or harmful situation.
Further expectations are outlined in the Health & Safety Policy and relevant Equine Wellbeing procedures.
I will maintain appropriate professional records where reasonably necessary.
Records will be kept accurately, securely and in accordance with applicable privacy and record-keeping requirements.
Only information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant professional purpose will be retained.
I welcome genuine feedback and recognize that concerns can sometimes identify areas where practice can be improved.
Clients and students are encouraged to raise concerns through the appropriate Complaints Procedure.
Complaints will be treated respectfully and considered as fairly and objectively as possible.
No person will be penalized simply for raising a genuine concern or complaint.
Where appropriate, a complaint may be referred to a relevant accreditation body, training provider or other appropriate authority.
I recognise that maintaining professional standards is an ongoing responsibility.
If I become aware that my conduct, knowledge or practice needs improvement, I will take reasonable steps to address the issue.
This may include seeking additional education, supervision, consultation, guidance or making changes to my professional practice.
This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated when necessary to reflect changes in professional practice, services, accreditation requirements or applicable legislation.
This Professional Conduct Policy should be read alongside the Rhodes to Wellness Coaching Code of Ethics, Safeguarding Policy, Privacy Policy, Health & Safety Policy, and relevant service and course policies.
Policy owner: Janet Rhodes, Rhodes to Wellness Coaching
Review date: September 2027