Help Center- Clients who are ready for coaching are willing and able to engage in the coaching process. Coaching clients will express a desire to engage in the coaching process and demonstrate engagement through openness, cooperation, and collaboration in the coaching space.
Consider This
- If the client is not engaging over time, seems hesitant when working with you, seems triggered by working with you, or does not seem to be making progress during and/or between sessions, sharing resources for alternative support and concluding the coaching relationship may be appropriate.
- Sometimes the mismatch is obvious.
- Sometimes we just need to have a direct and open conversation with the client to determine what's working, what's not, and how we can tweak our approach to design a more effective working alliance.
- Sometimes seeking support from a coach supervisor or mentor can support decision-making.
- Each coach’s need to refer to outside support will vary depending on their professional qualifications and experience.
Clinical Mental Health Support
- Here are some rules of thumb for a coach who is not also a qualified clinical therapist.
- Recall that the client's level of functioning is a key factor in fitness for coaching vs. therapy. Clients navigating severe levels of dysfunction or serious illness are better served by a qualified mental health clinician who has the specialized training to guide people back to healthy functioning and/or support them as they manage symptoms.
- Coaches work with clients who are functional enough to engage in the coaching process that depends on their capacity to bear most of the cognitive load in sessions and choose and act on their own behalf outside of sessions to advance their goals.
- Clients navigating serious mental illness or suicidality are not a fit for coaching with a coach who is not part of a care team within an organization offering wraparound care support. Share resources that support the client connecting with a qualified mental health clinician or behavioral health organization that offers a continuum of care for clients presenting with:
- Mental health disorders such as:
- Schizophrenia
- Bipolar disorder
- Major depressive disorder
- Borderline personality disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Eating disorder
- Panic disorder
- Suicidality (link to Do's and Don'ts to help someone in the moment)
- Any history of psychiatric hospitalization
- Mental health disorders such as:
- Coaches are typically relying on the client’s self-disclosure unless they work in a practice w/a clinical team and pre-assessments
Specialized Coaching
Share resources for coaches with specialized qualifications if you believe the client’s needs may be a fit for coaching but are beyond your current level of expertise, knowledge, or training.
Examples are clients who are seeking specialized coaching that you do not offer:
- ADHD Coaching
- Executive Coaching
- Business Coaching
- Couples Coaching
- Health Coaching
- Nutrition Coaching
- Parent Coaching