I remember a season where I’d leave coaching sessions still thinking about the client hours later… replaying the conversation, wondering if they’d follow through, hoping they’d make the “right” decision.

It felt like care. But it was actually attachment. And attachment, if we’re not careful, can quietly compromise our effectiveness as coaches.

In Certified Flourishing Coaching, we teach that great coaching requires presence without pressure—deep care without control.

Here are 5 signs you might be over-attached:

1. You feel responsible for their results
   You carry their progress like it’s your performance review. 

2. You’re disappointed when they don’t take your “best” advice
   Even if you didn’t say it out loud… you had a preferred outcome. 

3. You over-talk or over-explain
   Trying to “help them get there faster” instead of letting insight emerge. 

4. You leave sessions emotionally drained
   Because you’re carrying more than your role requires. 

5. You struggle with silence
   Because you feel the need to fill the space instead of trusting it.

The shift is subtle but powerful:
From “I need to help them succeed” → to “I trust them to find their way.”

That’s where coaching becomes clean. Grounded. Transformational.

At Certified Flourishing Coaching, we believe the best coaches don’t carry people—they create space where people can rise. If you’d like to strengthen your coaching presence and develop ICF-aligned skills, check out our ICF-accredited pathway right here: https://discover.certifiedflourishingcoach.com/icf

 

From the Tla’amin Nation on the Sunshine Coast in B.C., to the Mi’kmaq peoples of Atlantic Canada, to James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, to the O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation in Northern Manitoba, to the Samson Cree Nation and Sucker Creek First Nation, and over thirty others, Abe Brown has been fortunate to work with First Nations communities from coast to coast to coast. Abe Brown, MBA, CMCT, CPHSA is the Coach’s Coach and is an Entrepreneur, Professional Speaker, International Best-Selling Author, and High-Performance Leadership Coach. He is the founder of Certified Flourishing Coaching™ and the Flourishing Coaching Program™, and the CEO of Wellness Innovate Corporation. Abe is also the author of the Certified Flourishing Coaching™ Programs, which is an accredited ICF Coach Training Provider. Abe is known as the Coach’s Coach and is people-first. He is passionate about supporting people, entrepreneurs, businesses, and non-profits to thrive. Flourishing people produce flourishing relationships, businesses, and workplaces, along with high performance and profound positive impact. Abe is also passionate about workplace mental health and changing the world by changing the workplace. Along with the team at Wellness Innovate, Abe is the creator of Flourishing Workplace™. Abe has started or led several businesses and non-profits into the tens of millions of dollars and has worked in the entrepreneur space, corporate space, and non-profit space at Senior Executive levels. As President of one of the largest Life & Executive Coach Training and Certification organizations in the world for 13 years, Abe trained and certified thousands of Life and Executive Coaches in over 20 different countries. Abe is focused on coaching leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs towards high-performance, resilience, and over-the-top results in both life and business. Abe has also been a professional speaker for over two decades, having spoken in 4 continents and over 20 countries, to audiences of tens of thousands. Abe and the global team are pioneering the very first evidence-based coaching model that taps into the psychology of flourishing with a certified coaching practitioner lens. Abe earned a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calgary Haskayne School of Business and a Master in Education and Counselling. Abe is also a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coaching Federation (https://coachingfederation.org/) and was a registered therapist for 9 years.