January 2026 
President's Message
Embracing the Seasons of Being
In December, I joined a workshop called, “Nourish Your Inner Creative: Recharge and Renew for Success” led by Indigenous author Helen Knott. She invited participants into a different way of thinking about creativity, one that honours the natural rhythms and cycles of the seasons. The workshop offered a refreshing approach to creativity, grounded in the understanding that creativity doesn’t require relentless output, 24/7 productivity, or constant momentum. Instead, it flows through the different states of the seasons.
The Seasons of Being
Helen summarized the four natural phases that mirror the world around us and our own inner landscapes.
Winter calls us into stillness, reflection, and rest. This is a time to process, tend to ourselves, and generate warmth from within. Our creative reserves are replenished here. Winter is the season of dreaming and deep internal work.
Spring arrives as a time of awakening and release. Energy begins to move forward, inviting new life, fresh ideas, and possibility. It’s a season of letting go of what no longer serves us and opening ourselves to change. Spring is the season of reinvention.
Summer brings long days of activity, creation, and harvesting. This is a season of memory-making, visibility, and abundance. We are actively engaged with the world, taking creative risks, and living in the vulnerability of new endeavours. Summer is where growth and work thrives.
Fall invites us to slow down again, turning toward reflection and intentional planning. It’s a season of transition, a time to reflect on what we’ve created, to review and decide which projects will carry forward, and which seeds to plant for the coming cycle. Fall is
Recognizing the season we’re currently in is one step. Giving ourselves permission to shift into another season is the next. Helen offered three essential questions to guide this process:
1.What season are you in?
2.What season are you moving toward?
3.What are four steps you can take to get there?
An Invitation for Seven Minutes of Free Creativity
Helen then invited everyone into a simple practice to break free from perfectionism and reawaken wonder by doing something differently for seven minutes:
- Dance to a new song
- Try a new medication
- Learn something, on a new topic you know nothing about
- Walk through your home with new eyes, photographing things you don't normally notice or pay attention to
- Color with the intention or freedom, just placing colour on the page, freeing your creativity from coloring in the lines or placing expectations on the final product
- Write in free flow, releasing words and thoughts as they come to you, free from the filtering with the pressure to be perfect, concise or composed
These small acts create space for play, presence, and wonder. Changing our behaviours to shift our thoughts and actions around creativity, to remind us that creativity doesn’t have to be productive to be meaningful.
I invite our coaching community to trust the future version of ourselves that has already completed the thing we’re working toward, and give yourself permission to move through each season as it comes.
Sharing love and encouragement for whichever season of life you're starting the year off in for 2026.
Warmly,
Robyn Ward, PCC
President, ICF British Columbia 2026
Spotlight Event
The Fundamentals of Group Coaching
January 15, 2026
11:00 AM PST - 12:30 PM PST
Zoom
*This is a Multi-Chapter Event and uses a two-step registration process. Please review your registration email for the additional instructions to complete step 2*
Group coaching is on the rise and with growing demand comes the opportunity to lead with impact. Whether you're just starting or looking to sharpen your skills, this insights-packed session with Dominique will give you the confidence and tools to grow your group coaching practice with intention and clarity. In this interactive session, you will:
- Define key terms and clearly distinguish group coaching from other group modalities.
- Explore the DOLIX Model™, a practical framework that maps the elements of cohesive coaching groups with a special emphasis on trust.
- Apply a simple group coaching session structure.
- Reflect on the content in small breakouts and have space to ask questions to deepen your understanding.
Whether you're designing your first group or evolving an existing offer, this session will help you differentiate your coaching and create meaningful impact, together.
Credits: 1.5 CC's
Calendar of Events
Coaches & Coffee Meet-Up: Langford, BC
January 15, 2026
6:30 PM PST - 8:30 PM PST
Serious Coffee - Millstream Village
Transformational Coaching in Action - Live Demonstration + Q&A
February 25, 2026
9:30 AM PST - 11:00 AM PST
Zoom Meeting
Chapter News
Volunteer for Coaching Corners
ICF BC Coaches: We need YOU!
We're partnering with (Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia) CPA BC for their Career Week and need 20 volunteer coaches for our "CPA Coaching Corners" on February 5th.
This CPA volunteer opportunity is an ICFBC Board initiative intended to build bridges within the professional community to build awareness of the power of coaching and to create opportunities for our members to connect.
CPA BC serves over 40,000 accounting professionals across British Columbia, upholding the highest ethical and professional standards in the profession. Now they're hosting Career Week, and we have the privilege of providing pro-bono coaching support.
What You'll Do
Deliver 25 minute coaching sessions to CPA attendees, members and candidates navigating career decisions, transitions, and professional growth.
Event Details
Wednesday, February 5, 2026
2:00 - 5:00 PM
Vancouver Convention Centre
Why This Matters
This is our ICF BC community living our values—using professional coaching to create meaningful impact while demonstrating what coaching can do for career clarity and confidence.
Perfect for coaches at any level looking to give back, build hours, and connect with colleagues!
Ready to volunteer? Register here
Help Us Shape the 2026 Programs & Events Calendar
Happy New Year! Our Programs & Events team has drafted a preliminary plan for 2026, built from your feedback, emerging coaching trends, and our commitment to offering meaningful learning opportunities throughout the year.
Draft Highlights Include:
- Masterclass: The Secret Great Eight Core Competencies of MasterFull Coaching: An 8-Part Series (January 7, 21; February 11, 25; March 4, 25; April 8, 29; May 13)
- Fundamentals of Group Coaching (two offerings) – January 15 and March 31
- From Resistance to Rapport – January 29
- Coaching Clients Through Spiritual Uncertainty – February 24
- EQ-i 2.0 & Emotional Intelligence Coaching- March 11
- Enhancing Your Visibility Through Speaking – April 28
- Your Superpowers: Strengths for Growth - May 19
- The Think Beneath the Thing: Genco Method – August 29
We’re also exploring additional topics such as business development, cultural and identity-informed coaching, somatic practices, and peer-coaching opportunities.
We’d Love Your Input
Before we finalize the schedule, we invite you to share:
- Topics or speakers you’d like to see
- Gaps we may have missed
- Preferred formats (virtual, in-person, hybrid)
- Ideas for member-led sessions
Your feedback directly shapes our programming.
Call for Speakers
If you’re interested in leading a session in 2026, or would like to recommend someone, please apply through our Speaker Interest Form: ICF British Columbia Charter Chapter - Apply To Be A Speaker
We welcome new voices, diverse perspectives, and a wide range of coaching expertise.
Thank you for helping us build an inspiring and relevant 2026 program lineup!
ICF BC Programs & Events Team
January DEIB Reflection
Intention, Integration, and Everyday Leadership
A new year invites reflection and renewed commitment. As coaches and facilitators, January offers an opportunity to consider not only what we want to achieve, but how we choose to show up in our work, our relationships, and our communities.
DEIB is not a standalone initiative. It is expressed through everyday choices: how we listen, whose voices we include, how we hold difference, and how willing we are to remain open when perspectives differ. Small, consistent shifts in behavior often create the greatest long-term impact.
Much like the cedar trees of our British Columbia forests, strength is built quietly over time through steady care and deep roots.
January also brings several important observances:
- January 1 New Year’s Day
- January 4 World Braille Day, highlighting accessibility and inclusion for people who are blind or visually impaired
- January 27 International Holocaust Remembrance Day, honoring the victims of the Holocaust and reinforcing our responsibility to stand against hate and dehumanization
- January Tamil Heritage Month in Canada, recognizing the contributions and cultural heritage of Tamil Canadians
As coaches and facilitators, we are often invited to stretch alongside those we serve. Growth rarely comes from staying within familiar viewpoints. Stretching may include engaging with perspectives that challenge our own, examining unconscious bias, deepening cultural understanding, or slowing our judgments. In the spirit of Ubuntu, our growth is interconnected, and the quality of our presence shapes the safety and trust of the spaces we hold.
Facilitation and coaching invite integration rather than separation. We support people in navigating uncertainty, synthesizing different perspectives, and aligning values with action. A strong DEIB lens deepens our understanding of human experience and strengthens our collective capacity to lead with care and responsibility.
As you begin the year, we invite our community to consider setting an intention that includes both reflection and action:
- Where might I listen more openly this year?
- What small behavior could I practice consistently that supports inclusion or belonging?
- How can I use my influence to create safer, more respectful dialogue?
- Where might I stretch beyond comfort to deepen my understanding of others?
Small choices, practiced consistently, shape the culture we are creating together.
Warmly,
Linda Schmidt
Director of DEIB
ICF British Columbia
Global Updates
Important Dates for 2026
As we step into 2026, here are some key dates from ICF Global to add to your calendar:
International Coaching Week | May 11-17, 2026
Our annual global celebration of coaching! This is a perfect time to showcase the impact of professional coaching, connect with the worldwide coaching community, and participate in special events. Watch for ICF BC activities during this week, we'll have more details to share soon!
ICF Converge Summit Paris | May 17-19, 2026
Experience coaching innovation and community in the heart of Paris! This summit brings together coaches from around the world for learning, networking, and inspiration as International Coaching Week comes to a close.
ICF Converge | Washington DC | October 28-30, 2026
ICF's Annual conference returns to Washington DC! Join thousands of coaches for world-class education, cutting-edge research, networking opportunities, and the chance to earn CCE units while connecting with the global coaching community.
