The interest in coaching, and knowledge of coaching, is growing in Cambodia. Companies and social organisations are investing resources into developing coaching skills in their leaders, as well as providing coaching for them. More and more individuals are also getting interested in coaching, reading books on the topic and taking online classes to increase their knowledge of the practice.

There is also a growing number of coaches practicing professionally in Cambodia, which is very encouraging to see. However, there remains a critical lack of professional-level training and, as of May 2022 there are still only four ICF credentialled coaches in Cambodia, none of whom are Khmer. Many "coaches" do not have any training and appear to default to mentoring or advice-giving from their experience.

The need for coaching in Cambodia (alongside its siblings counselling and therapy) is huge. The demand is smaller but increasing with greater awareness and largely remains untapped. What is certain is that both need and demand greatly outstrip supply - there are not enough of us to serve the needs of the country.

Coaching is an unregulated profession. Anyone can call themselves a “coach,” regardless of their training or capacity to hold transformative space. That’s why, over the past few decades, the coaching field has developed its own ethical and professional frameworks - led by international self-regulating bodies like the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

We don’t believe a certificate alone makes someone a great coach. In fact, many powerful coaches have come to their skill through alternative paths. But we do believe that a shared global standard - rooted in ethics, presence, and ongoing development - is the most reliable way to ensure quality, safety, and depth of service for clients. Especially when what’s at stake is often a client’s emotional and mental well-being.

Cambodia Coaching Institute was born out of a desire to meet the country’s growing need for high-quality, culturally grounded coaching. We aim to train Cambodian coaches who can support Cambodian leaders, educators, youth, and changemakers in meaningful, transformational ways.

Our founder, Joey Ra, trained at some of the world’s most respected coaching programs and brings years of personal coaching experience, both globally and locally. He has distilled those insights into a methodology designed specifically for the Cambodian context.

Cambodia carries deep individual and collective trauma. For coaches to truly support transformation, they need more than techniques — they need capacity. They must be able to hold depth, ambiguity, and emotion with presence and care. This is at the heart of our Certification Program — and a gap we’ve found missing in many coaching trainings around the world.

Our long-term vision is a thriving community of skilled, compassionate coaches - fluent in both Khmer and English - who bring transformation to workplaces, communities, and personal lives across the country. We believe every person deserves access to a transformative presence in their life, whether that’s a leader, a teacher, a parent, or a coach. Our dream is that everyone who needs a transformative presence in their lives has access to this, whether it's from leaders, parents, partners or professional coaches.