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Chapter 1: Becoming a Coach – The COMENSA Level 1 Foundation
The Moment Everything Changes
He sat across from me, shoulders tense, eyes tired.
“I’ve tried everything,” he said. “I’ve read the books, listened to the podcasts… I just need you to tell me what to do.”
That moment is where most people begin.
Not with clarity.
Not with confidence.
But with a quiet desperation for answers.
And in that moment, every instinct in you wants to help. To fix. To guide. To give the perfect advice that will unlock their life.
But coaching begins the moment you don’t do that.
Instead, you lean in and ask:
“What do you think you should do?”
There’s a pause.
An uncomfortable silence.
A shift.
That is the moment coaching begins.
What is COMENSA?
In South Africa, professional coaching is not just a feel-good concept—it is a structured, ethical, and disciplined profession. At the center of this is COMENSA, the regulatory and professional body responsible for setting standards in coaching and mentoring.
COMENSA exists to do three critical things:
Protect the public from unqualified or unethical practitioners
Develop coaches through structured competencies and accreditation
Align South Africa with global best practices in coaching
Much like accounting has SAICA and psychology has the HPCSA, coaching has COMENSA.
It is the difference between someone who “gives advice” and someone who is trained to facilitate transformation.
What is COMENSA Level 1?
COMENSA Level 1 is known as the Candidate Coach level.
It is where the journey begins.
This level is not about mastery. It is about foundation.
It is designed for:
Individuals new to coaching
Managers wanting to use coaching as a leadership style
People transitioning into a more purpose-driven career
Professionals who want to communicate at a deeper level
At Level 1, you are not expected to have all the answers. In fact, the opposite is true.
You are learning how to:
Let go of being the expert
Trust the client’s ability to solve their own problems
Ask questions that create insight rather than give direction
You are moving from knowing to facilitating knowing.
The Philosophy That Changes Everything
At the heart of COMENSA—and coaching as a whole—is one simple but radical belief:
People are naturally creative, resourceful, and whole.
This means:
Your client is not broken
They do not need fixing
They are not a problem to solve
They are a person with untapped insight.
Most of society trains us to:
Give advice
Offer solutions
Step in and fix
Coaching requires the opposite discipline:
To listen without interrupting
To resist the urge to solve
To trust the process
This is not easy.
It requires you to confront your own need to be right, to be helpful, to be seen as valuable.
But true coaching value does not come from your answers.
It comes from your ability to help someone discover their own.
The Core Coaching Competencies
At Level 1, COMENSA introduces you to a set of foundational competencies. These are not techniques to memorize—they are disciplines to embody.
1. Establishing the Coaching Agreement
Every coaching conversation begins with clarity.
What does the client want?
What does success look like?
What are we focusing on today?
Without agreement, there is no direction.
2. Building Trust and Intimacy
Coaching only works when the client feels safe.
This means:
No judgment
Full confidentiality
Genuine presence
Trust is not built through words. It is felt.
3. Active Listening
Most people listen to respond.
Coaches listen to understand.
At Level 1, you learn to listen for:
What is said
What is not said
Emotion, tone, hesitation
Patterns and beliefs
You are listening beneath the surface.
4. Powerful Questioning
The quality of your coaching is determined by the quality of your questions.
Not:
“Why did you do that?” (judgment)
But:
“What was important to you in that moment?” (exploration)
Powerful questions:
Open thinking
Challenge assumptions
Create awareness
5. Direct Communication
Coaching is not passive.
It requires you to:
Reflect honestly
Name patterns
Speak with clarity and care
Sometimes the most powerful moment is when you say what others avoid.
6. Creating Awareness
Insight is the currency of coaching.
This is where the client begins to see:
Their patterns
Their limiting beliefs
Their blind spots
And in that moment of awareness, change becomes possible.
7. Designing Actions
Coaching is not just reflection—it is movement.
At Level 1, you guide clients to:
Define clear actions
Take ownership
Create accountability
Awareness without action is just conversation.
Ethics: The Backbone of Coaching
With great influence comes great responsibility.
COMENSA places strong emphasis on ethical practice.
As a Level 1 coach, you must understand:
Confidentiality is non-negotiable
Boundaries must be clear
Scope of practice must be respected
For example:
If a client presents with trauma, depression, or mental health concerns beyond your scope, your role is not to coach through it.
Your role is to refer appropriately.
Ethics is not theory.
It is what protects both you and your client.
The Coaching Process
A coaching session may feel organic, but it follows a clear structure:
Opening – Set the focus
Exploration – Understand the situation
Deepening – Challenge thinking and uncover insight
Awareness – Identify shifts and realizations
Action – Define next steps
Closing – Confirm commitment and accountability
This structure becomes second nature over time.
The Inner Journey of a Beginner Coach
Level 1 is not just about learning to coach others.
It is about confronting yourself.
You will face:
The urge to give advice
The discomfort of silence
The fear of “not adding value”
The voice that says: “Who am I to do this?”
Every coach goes through this.
The shift happens when you realize:
Your value is not in what you say.
Your value is in what the client discovers.
Common Mistakes at Level 1
Every beginner makes them.
Asking leading questions
Interrupting the client
Turning coaching into consulting
Rushing to solutions
Ignoring emotional cues
These are not failures.
They are part of the learning process.
Tools You Will Encounter
At Level 1, you are introduced to simple but powerful frameworks:
GROW Model (Goal, Reality, Options, Will)
Wheel of Life
Scaling Questions
Goal-setting techniques
These tools are not the coaching.
They are simply structures that support the conversation.
The South African Context
Coaching in South Africa carries unique responsibility.
You are working in a landscape shaped by:
Inequality
Cultural diversity
Language differences
Economic pressure
Coaching is not just about performance.
It is about:
Empowerment
Dignity
Transformation
From corporate boardrooms in Sandton to community projects in townships, coaching has the power to create real change.
A Simple Coaching Moment
A client says:
“I feel stuck in my career.”
A non-coach responds:
“You should update your CV and start applying.”
A coach asks:
“What does ‘stuck’ mean for you?”
The difference is subtle.
But one gives advice.
The other creates awareness.
Reflection: Are You Ready?
Before you move forward, pause and ask yourself:
Can I listen without interrupting?
Can I sit in silence without rushing to fill it?
Can I trust someone to find their own answers?
Can I let go of being the expert?
If the answer is not yet, that is perfect.
That is why this journey exists.
The Invitation
Becoming a coach is not about learning a skill.
It is about becoming a different kind of person.
Someone who:
Listens deeply
Speaks intentionally
Holds space for transformation
COMENSA Level 1 is your entry point.
Not into a profession.
But into a way of being.
And once you step into it, you will never listen to people the same way again.
Chapter 2: Technical Requirements for COMENSA Level 1 Certification
COMENSA Level 1 (CCC – COMENSA Credentialed Coach) is the entry-level professional coaching credential in South Africa.
This chapter explains exactly what is required to qualify, what you must submit, and how you are assessed.
There are no shortcuts. You must meet all requirements.
2.1 Overview of the Requirements
To achieve Level 1, you must complete:
Minimum 60 hours of coach training
Minimum 100 hours of coaching practice
A full portfolio of supporting documents
A competency-based assessment (minimum 70% pass)
A live coaching evaluation
You must meet all five areas.
2.2 Coach Training Requirement (60 Hours)
You must complete at least 60 hours of formal coach training.
The training must:
Be structured (not informal learning)
Cover coaching competencies and ethics
Include practical coaching (not just theory)
Be provided by a recognised or aligned training provider
Important:
Attendance alone is not enough. You are expected to demonstrate that you can apply what you learned.
2.3 Coaching Experience Requirement (100 Hours)
You must complete a minimum of 100 coaching hours.
Breakdown:
At least 90% must be paid coaching
Up to 10% can be unpaid (practice or pro bono)
What counts as coaching:
One-on-one coaching sessions
Real clients (not role play)
Structured conversations with a clear coaching intent
What does NOT count:
Mentoring
Consulting
Training delivery
Giving advice
If you are telling the client what to do, it is not coaching.
2.4 The Coaching Logbook
You must submit a logbook as proof of your 100 hours.
Each entry must include:
Client identifier (initials or code for confidentiality)
Date of session
Duration
Paid or unpaid
Requirements:
The logbook must be clear and complete
Hours must add up correctly
Entries must look credible and consistent
If your logbook is unclear or inaccurate, your application can be rejected.
2.5 Required Documentation Portfolio
You must submit a full set of documents with your application.
Mandatory documents:
Copy of ID
Coaching logbook (100 hours)
Three written essays:
Ethics and Code of Conduct
Diversity awareness
One-year personal development plan
Behavioural Standards Framework (BSF) assessment
2.6 Training Route vs RPL Route
There are two ways to apply:
Pathway 1: Formal Training Route
You must submit:
Training certificates
Training log summary
Pathway 2: RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)
If you do not have formal training, you must submit additional evidence:
Essay: Coaching vs Mentoring vs Counselling
Detailed explanation of your coaching approach
CV
Coaching profile
Evidence of competency across all areas
RPL requires more documentation because you must prove your competence without formal training.
2.7 Competency Assessment (BSF)
You must complete the Behavioural Standards Framework (BSF) assessment.
Pass mark:
Minimum 70%
What is assessed:
Your ability to demonstrate core coaching competencies, including:
Contracting
Listening
Questioning
Building trust
Creating awareness
Accountability
This is not theoretical. You are assessed on how you coach, not what you know.
2.8 Live Coaching Evaluation
You will be required to complete a live coaching session with an evaluator.
What happens:
You coach a real person (often the evaluator)
The session is observed and assessed
You are evaluated on:
Presence
Listening
Questioning
Ethics
Ability to stay in a coaching role
Common reasons for failure:
Giving advice
Leading the client
Talking too much
Not listening properly
Trying to “fix” the problem
2.9 Ethics and Professional Standards
You must agree to and follow the COMENSA Code of Ethics.
This includes:
Confidentiality
Professional boundaries
Acting in the client’s best interest
Referring clients when issues fall outside coaching
You are expected to understand the difference between:
Coaching
Therapy
Mentoring
Consulting
2.10 Supervision Requirement
After certification, you are required to participate in coaching supervision.
Supervision is used to:
Reflect on your coaching work
Improve your skills
Maintain professional standards
It is not optional for ongoing practice.
2.11 Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
To keep your credential, you must:
Continue learning
Maintain coaching activity
Meet CPD requirements
Renewal:
Your credential must be renewed every 3 years
Failure to meet CPD requirements can result in losing your credential.
2.12 Common Mistakes
Most candidates who fail do so for predictable reasons:
Not enough paid coaching hours
Poor or incomplete logbook
Weak or generic essays
Confusing coaching with advising
Lack of real coaching ability in evaluation
2.13 Summary
To achieve COMENSA Level 1, you must:
Complete 60 hours of training
Complete 100 coaching hours (mostly paid)
Submit a complete and accurate portfolio
Pass a 70% competency assessment
Demonstrate coaching ability in a live evaluation
Meeting the requirements on paper is not enough.
You must be able to coach competently in practice.
Chapter 3: Coaching Competencies — What You Must Demonstrate to Pass
COMENSA does not assess your knowledge of coaching.
It assesses your ability to run a coaching conversation properly.
This chapter explains what you need to demonstrate to pass the assessment and perform effectively in a real coaching session.
3.1 What You Are Being Assessed On
You are assessed on observable behaviour.
This happens in two places:
The Behavioural Standards Framework (BSF) assessment
The live coaching session
The key question is simple:
Can you coach a client in a structured, effective way without giving advice?
If the answer is yes, you pass.
If not, you fail.
3.2 The Core Competency Areas
COMENSA competencies fall into three groups:
1. Coaching Skills
These are the core actions you perform in a session:
Contracting
Listening
Questioning
Creating awareness
Designing actions
Accountability
2. Self-Management
This is how you manage yourself:
Staying present
Managing bias
Not interfering with the client’s thinking
3. Context Awareness
This is how you work with the client’s environment:
Respecting diversity
Avoiding assumptions
You are assessed across all three areas.
3.3 Contracting: Setting Up the Session Properly
Every session must start with a clear agreement.
You must confirm:
What the client wants to focus on
What outcome they want from the session
The time available
What good contracting looks like:
The client states a clear topic
The outcome is specific
You confirm and proceed
What poor contracting looks like:
Vague topic (“I just want to talk”)
No clear outcome
Coach moves straight into questions without clarity
If the session starts unclear, the rest of the session will be weak.
3.4 Listening: The Most Important Skill
You must demonstrate that you are actually listening.
This means:
You respond to what the client says
Your questions are relevant
You pick up on key words and emotions
What assessors look for:
Do your questions follow the client’s thinking?
Do you reflect or summarise accurately?
Common mistakes:
Asking pre-planned questions
Ignoring important points
Interrupting
If your questions don’t match what the client said, you are not listening.
3.5 Questioning: Your Main Tool
Your role is to ask questions that make the client think.
Good questions:
Open-ended
Clear and simple
Focused on the client
Examples:
“What’s important about this for you?”
“What’s getting in the way?”
“What do you want instead?”
Poor questions:
Leading (“Don’t you think you should…?”)
Advice in disguise
Multiple questions at once
If your question contains your opinion, it is not coaching.
3.6 Creating Awareness
You must help the client see something new.
This is done by:
Reflecting what they say
Highlighting patterns
Challenging where appropriate
What this looks like:
“You’ve mentioned this twice — what do you make of that?”
“You say it’s important, but you haven’t acted — what’s going on?”
Common mistakes:
Staying too surface-level
Avoiding challenge
Explaining instead of exploring
You are not there to give insight.
You are there to help the client find their own insight.
3.7 Designing Actions
Every session must lead to action.
You must help the client define:
What they will do
When they will do it
Requirements:
The action must come from the client
It must be clear and specific
Common mistakes:
Suggesting solutions
Accepting vague answers
Skipping this step
If there is no action, the session is incomplete.
3.8 Accountability
You must confirm commitment.
This includes:
Asking if the client will follow through
Clarifying timelines
Examples:
“When will you do this?”
“How committed are you to this?”
What assessors look for:
Ownership from the client
Clear next steps
3.9 Self-Management: Control Your Behaviour
You must manage yourself throughout the session.
Do not:
Give advice
Interrupt
Judge
Take control
You must:
Stay neutral
Stay focused
Let the client think
Common failure point:
The coach talks too much or tries to solve the problem.
If you are doing more thinking than the client, you are not coaching.
3.10 Working with Diversity
You must show respect for the client’s background and context.
This includes:
Not making assumptions
Using neutral language
Being aware of different perspectives
You are not assessed on theory.
You are assessed on how you behave in the session.
3.11 What a Passing Session Looks Like
A session that passes has:
A clear goal at the start
Logical flow
Questions based on what the client says
The client doing most of the talking
A clear action at the end
3.12 What a Failing Session Looks Like
A session that fails typically includes:
No clear structure
Coach dominates the conversation
Advice is given
Questions are random or scripted
No outcome or action
3.13 Simple Structure to Follow
Use this basic structure in every session:
1. Start
“What do you want to focus on?”
“What outcome do you want?”
2. Explore
“What’s happening now?”
“What’s getting in the way?”
3. Awareness
“What are you noticing?”
“What’s the real issue here?”
4. Action
“What will you do next?”
“When will you do it?”
If you follow this structure and apply the competencies correctly, you will meet the standard.
3.14 Summary
To pass COMENSA Level 1, you must:
Set a clear goal
Listen properly
Ask relevant questions
Avoid giving advice
Help the client think
End with a clear action
That is the standard.
If you can do this consistently, you are ready to pass.
Chapter 4: The Difference Between Coaching, Mentoring, and Therapy
4.1 Why This Matters
Many new coaches confuse coaching with mentoring or therapy.
This creates two problems:
You fail assessments because you are not coaching
You risk working outside your scope, which is unethical
Key point:
If you give advice, diagnose, or try to fix emotional issues, you are no longer coaching.
4.2 What Coaching Is
Coaching is a structured conversation that helps a client:
Think more clearly
Gain new awareness
Take action
The coach:
Asks questions
Listens
Reflects
Does not provide answers
Focus: Future and action
Assumption: The client is capable of solving their own problem
4.3 What Mentoring Is
Mentoring is based on experience.
The mentor:
Shares knowledge
Gives advice
Suggests solutions
Guides based on what has worked before
Focus: Transferring knowledge
Assumption: The mentor knows something the client does not
4.4 What Therapy Is
Therapy is a clinical or psychological process.
The therapist:
Works with emotional or psychological issues
May diagnose conditions
Helps process past experiences
Focus: Healing, mental health, past experiences
Assumption: The client may need professional intervention
4.5 Simple Comparison
Area
Coaching
Mentoring
Therapy
Focus
Future
Past + Experience
Past + Emotional healing
Role
Facilitator
Advisor
Clinician
Approach
Questions
Advice
Diagnosis + Treatment
Client role
Thinks and decides
Learns from mentor
Receives support
Outcome
Action and clarity
Knowledge gained
Emotional resolution
4.6 What Assessors Are Looking For
During assessment, they are checking that you:
Stay in coaching mode
Do not give advice
Do not analyse or diagnose
If you do the following, you will lose marks:
“What I would do is…”
“You should…”
“This is happening because…”
These are mentoring or therapy behaviours.
4.7 Common Mistakes Trainees Make
1. Giving Advice
Sounds helpful
Fails assessment
Example:
“You should speak to your manager directly.”
2. Solving the Problem
You take control of the session
The client stops thinking
3. Acting Like a Therapist
Exploring deep emotional history
Trying to heal trauma
This is outside coaching scope.
4. Mixing All Three
Asking questions, then giving advice, then analysing emotions
This creates confusion and weak coaching.
4.8 How to Stay in Coaching
Use this simple rule:
If you are talking more than the client, you are not coaching
If you are giving answers, you are not coaching
If you are analysing the client, you are not coaching
Stay with:
Questions
Listening
Clarifying
4.9 When to Refer to Therapy
You must refer a client if:
There are signs of trauma
There are mental health concerns
The client cannot function normally
Examples:
Depression
Anxiety affecting daily life
Talk of self-harm
Your role:
Do not try to fix it — refer to a qualified professional
4.10 When Mentoring Is Appropriate
Mentoring is useful when:
The client needs specific knowledge
The situation requires experience
Example:
Career guidance
Industry advice
Important:
Do not mix mentoring into a coaching session unless it is clearly agreed.
4.11 Contracting the Difference
At the start of a coaching relationship, you must be clear:
This is coaching, not therapy
This is not advice-giving
The client is responsible for their decisions
This protects both you and the client.
4.12 Practical Example
Client says:
“I’m struggling with my manager and don’t know what to do.”
Coaching response:
“What outcome do you want from this situation?”
“What options have you considered?”
Mentoring response:
“In my experience, you should set up a meeting and be direct.”
Therapy response:
“Tell me about your past experiences with authority figures.”
4.13 Lastly
Coaching is simple but not easy:
Do not advise
Do not fix
Do not analyse
Ask. Listen. Let the client think.
That is coaching.
Chapter 5: Coaching Mindset vs Fixing Mindset
5.1 Why This Matters
Most people are trained to fix problems.
Managers fix
Parents fix
Consultants fix
New coaches bring this habit into coaching — and it causes them to fail.
Key point:
If you are trying to fix the client, you are not coaching.
5.2 What Is a Fixing Mindset
A fixing mindset is when you:
Try to solve the client’s problem
Give advice
Tell the client what to do
Take control of the conversation
It usually comes from:
Wanting to help
Wanting to add value
Believing you know the answer
5.3 What Is a Coaching Mindset
A coaching mindset is when you:
Trust the client to find their own answers
Stay curious
Ask questions
Let the client do the thinking
You are not the expert on their life — they are.
5.4 The Core Difference
Fixing Mindset
Coaching Mindset
“I need to solve this”
“They can solve this”
Gives answers
Asks questions
Takes control
Shares control
Talks more
Listens more
Focus on problem
Focus on thinking
5.5 Why People Default to Fixing
It feels faster
It feels helpful
It makes you feel competent
But it creates dependency:
The client relies on you
The client does not grow
5.6 What Happens When You Fix
Short term:
Problem may be solved
Long term:
Client becomes dependent
No real learning
No ownership
You become responsible for their outcomes
5.7 What Happens When You Coach
Short term:
Slower
Requires patience
Long term:
Client learns to think
Client takes ownership
Client builds confidence
This is real value.
5.8 Signs You Are in Fixing Mode
You are thinking of solutions while the client is talking
You interrupt
You say:
“You should…”
“Why don’t you just…”
You feel the urge to rescue the client
5.9 How to Shift to Coaching Mode
Use these simple controls:
1. Pause
Do not respond immediately
2. Ask Instead of Tell
Replace advice with a question
Instead of:
“You should speak to your manager”
Ask:
“What options do you have for addressing this?”
3. Stay With the Client’s Words
Use what they said
“You mentioned frustration — what’s behind that?”
4. Allow Silence
Silence creates thinking
Do not rush to fill it
5.10 Trusting the Client
A coaching mindset requires one belief:
The client is capable.
Even if:
They seem stuck
They are unclear
They are emotional
Your job is not to fix — it is to help them think.
5.11 When Fixing Shows Up Under Pressure
You are most likely to fix when:
The client is struggling
There is silence
You feel uncomfortable
This is where you must hold your discipline.
5.12 Practical Example
Client says:
“I’m overwhelmed and don’t know what to do.”
Fixing response:
“You should prioritise your tasks and speak to your boss.”
Coaching response:
“What’s contributing most to that feeling of overwhelm?”
“What would a manageable situation look like?”
5.13 The Discipline of Coaching
Coaching is not about doing more.
It is about doing less, but doing it well:
Fewer words
Better questions
More listening
5.14 Lastly
If you remember one thing:
Fixing helps in the moment
Coaching builds long-term capability
Your role is not to be useful.
Your role is to be effective.
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