Is nonviolent communication a language of supervision? 

This question evolved from a wider exploration of the role of supervision in developing ethical maturity, and the beginnings of an essay titled “Ethics in Coaching Supervision: More Formative than Normative?” It was quite engaging at a cognitive level, but the original spark of curious excitement soon fizzled out.  

The question lingered and prompted others that felt more interesting. What prevents a supervisee from saying what they really need to say in supervision? How can we create an environment where uncomfortable events or feelings are shared without fear or shame? Is this inherently more difficult when working mainly with self-reported data?  

While I still didn’t have my question, I knew it would be around presence and the supervisory relationship. I’d experienced some powerful moments of presence and deep connection and wondered about exploring this from a  philosophical or a transpersonal lens. However, that soon felt like just another interesting intellectual journey. 

I realised that I was looking for a framework or ‘hitching post’ for my thoughts about who I am as a supervisor. This framework also needed to contain some of the ideas and theories that resonate most with me. 

A comment in one of our training sessions brought Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) back into my consciousness and at some point, it became part of this exploration. I knew the book was about nonviolent communication as a language for life. Might it also be a model for what I was trying to explore and articulate? 

The inquiry method 

Although preceding the traditional starting point, my search for a question felt like part of the inquiry process. 

I re-read Rosenberg’s text, from the perspective of that question. It was no surprise when I saw many connections between NVC and what we do in supervision, especially around psychological safety, empathy and connection. 

The next steps involved searching for other articles or books on nonviolent communication (NVC) in the context of supervision. This didn’t yield any results, but it prompted me to reach out to Alison Hardingham, who has written and lectured on NVC in coaching. She was unaware of any supervision-specific resources. Conversations with other well-informed coaches also resulted in lots of interest and encouragement, but little in the way of content.  

I decided on three further methods of inquiry: 

1. Reading as much as I could find on NVC and its applications. 
2. Exploring in a curious and non-academic way how NVC principles fit (or don’t fit) with what I’m learning about supervision and specifically, my approach to supervision. 
3. Regular conversations with a classmate who’s very familiar with NVC. We enjoyed a creative and collaborative dialogue, where we brought our inquiry topics and discussed the direction of our ideas etc.  Each conversation seemed to super-charge my momentum and leave me with new ideas and perspectives.

This essay is not a detailed or objective study of Nonviolent Communication. It’s written from the perspective of a  curious learner and outlines my journey of matching NVC ideas and principles to what I’m learning about supervision. That said, it feels like the start of something bigger for me. 

What is Nonviolent Communication?

“What I want in my life is compassion, a flow between myself and others based on a mutual giving from the heart”.  Marshall Rosenberg PhD. 

Developed by Marshall Rosenberg in the 1960s and influenced by the work of Carl Rogers, Nonviolent  Communication (NVC) offers a powerful language of empathy and connection. 

The idea of ‘Nonviolence’ may seem a  little odd in the context of coaching supervision. At face-value, it’s a pretty low benchmark for our work! However,  NVC principles go deeper than traditional ideas of violence or nonviolence. 

In simple terms, NVC is a language of compassion where we give and receive from the heart. 

‘The intent is to remind us of what we already know – about how humans were meant to relate to one another’ (Rosenberg, 2015, p.3). This flow of compassionate giving allows for a deep presence and heart-to-heart connection. It’s a ‘giving and receiving of messages that center on two very important questions: what’s alive in us? And what can we do to make life more  wonderful?’ (Rosenberg, 2005, p.9). 

In contrast, ‘life-alienating communication’ is a language that blocks compassion. Examples include moralistic judgement, making comparisons, denial of responsibility and communicating desires as demands. On reading these examples and descriptions, my thoughts were around the everyday nature of this communication. It shows up in so many conversations, including those in supervision and coaching.  

As I delved deeper into NVC, it felt aligned with what I try to do as a supervisor. I also saw links with ideas that are important to me, such as unconditional positive regard (Rogers, 1957) and the transpersonal dimension of supervision. I’m intrigued by those powerful relational moments that seem to transcend the ‘stuff’ of a supervision or coaching conversation. 

It’s interesting to contemplate what might be the essence of those moments, e.g. I-Thou  (Buber) or Shohet’s elegant linking of this to supervision: 

‘Almost invariably the personal ‘I’ reclaims its kingdom, but somewhere inside us, this experience lives on. It is this transcending separateness that supervision can offer us.’  (Shohet R & J 2020, page 202).  

Rosenberg acknowledges the spiritual basis of NVC in quite a practical and accessible way: ‘The spirituality embodied  in NVC exists not so much to help people connect with the divine as to come from the divine energy we’re created out  of, our natural life-serving energy.’ (Rosenberg, 2005, p.15).  

For me, the labels or beliefs we attach to moments of presence and connection are less important than our shared and individual experiences in those moments. It’s perhaps like a situation where two people are deeply moved by a  piece of music, but in very different ways. If we try too hard to figure out what’s going on, will we lose something more important?  

When exploring this, I also thought about language and metaphor in supervision and coaching. If used thoughtfully,  metaphors are a powerful means of connection and understanding. However, it’s easy to forget the subliminal nature of some metaphorical constructs, particularly those around communication. This reminded me of the opening chapter of Metaphors We Live By (Lakoff & Johnston, 2008). In introducing the metaphorical basis of conceptual systems, they use ‘Argument is War’ as an example. 

Much of the metaphorical language around the argument is also used for conversation. Winning, losing, battling, challenging, disputing, boundaries, arenas,  defences, red lines, challenge, strategy, striking/struck….. Do we even notice that they are metaphors?

NVC perhaps offers a framework for noticing and working with metaphors, in a way that gets to the heart of what they embody. By learning and practising this language, we can model and share something very special. 

The principles of Nonviolent Communication 

The practice of NVC is based on four fundamental principles: 

• Separating our observations from our responses 
• Identifying and expressing feelings 
• Seeing needs behind behaviours and communications 
• Making and receiving requests with empathy. 

1. Separating our observations from our responses 

In introducing this principle, Rosenberg states: 

‘We need to clearly observe what we are seeing, hearing or touching that is affecting our sense of well-being, without mixing in any evaluation’ (Rosenberg, 2005, page 26). 

In supervision, separating observations from responses means listening and observing with empathy. When we respond, it should be without judgement or evaluation. We might, for example, reflect back a supervisees’ words and express curiosity about their repeated use of some phrases. However, sharing our impatience with their repetition is definitely not in the spirit of NVC! 

Rosenberg also notes that when we combine observation with evaluation, the receiver is likely to hear criticism. Our observations must be concise and specific. For example, a supervisor may feel annoyed when a coach seems unprepared for their session. If it happens regularly, their annoyance might be compounded. An appropriate response could be: ‘I’m noticing some uncertainty around how you’d like to use our time today.’ This is more likely  to start an empathetic and productive conversation than: ‘You never seem to prepare for our supervision sessions.’  In the first question, the supervisor has consciously separated their observations.  

As supervisors, we know the importance of listening and giving our full attention. As humans, however, we have our triggers. For example, our ‘ethical antennae’ may be on high alert when we hear something that causes us concern.  In such situations, separating observations from responses is particularly important, but also challenging. 

In ‘Ethical Maturity in the Helping Professions’ (Carroll & Shaw, 2013), the first component of ethical maturity is around ethical sensitivity and mindfulness. They note that: ‘To create a moral compass and extend our capacities to  be sensitive about ethics over time, the crucial skills needed include empathy and compassion.’ (p. 155). The principles of NVC seem very aligned with helping both supervisor and supervisee develop this capacity, with Principle  1 particularly supporting the mindfulness aspect.  

Thinking about this has reinforced my view that most ethical issues are best explored with a formative rather than a  normative focus. We can help a supervisee find quick answers to specific questions in a matter-of-fact way, but our role in supporting ethical maturity requires a more mindful and compassionate dialogue.  

2. Identifying and expressing feelings 

‘The mature person becomes able to differentiate feelings into as many nuances, strong and passionate experiences,  or delicate and sensitive ones, as in the different passages of music in a symphony’ (Rollo May, in Rosenberg 2015,  p.37).

Many people find it difficult to identify and talk about feelings. Rosenberg acknowledges this by including helpful lists of feelings in his texts. For example, feelings, when needs are met, include amazed, comfortable, confident,  energetic, glad, hopeful, inspired, optimistic, proud, relieved, stimulated, surprised, thankful. When needs aren’t met, we may feel afraid, alarmed, confused, disheartened, frustrated, jealous, overwhelmed, to name but a few. 

Much can be said about identifying and expressing feelings, but I’ll focus here on a specific link to our supervision work. We have a unique opportunity to develop our supervisees’ fluency in noticing and working with feelings. Doing so with a NVC mindset allows for a thoughtful and compassionate conversation, leading to reflective learning in the service of all stakeholders. 

For example, a supervisor might ask: 

• What did you feel when you first met this client? Was this unusual or unexpected for you?  
• How did you feel at the end of the session? 
• How do you feel before each session? 
• What annoyed you most? 
• When did you first notice that feeling? 
• Did you smile more or less than usual? 

There are many other possible questions. By helping the coach to name and acknowledge their feelings, we also help them step back from those feelings when coaching. This skill/competence can make a big difference to their coaching presence and maturity. When this happens, their clients experience the power of great coaching. 

Needless to say, the supervisor has to do more than just facilitating this learning. We need to work continuously on our own ‘feelings fluency’ and build it into our reflective practice. 

3. Seeing needs behind behaviours and communications 

This is linked to a basic concept of NVC: that everything we do is in service of our needs. Rosenberg contends that  this has no corollary in mainstream thinking and: 

‘When this one concept is applied to our view of others, we’ll see  that we have no real enemies, that what others do to us is the best possible thing they know how to do to get their  needs met.’ (Rosenberg, 2005, p.11.) 

Rosenberg shares a list of basic needs, categorised under Autonomy, Celebration, Integrity, Interdependence,  Physical Nurturance, Play, and Spiritual/Communion. This can be a helpful reference point in a conversation. 

In her chapter on Nonviolent Communication in ‘The Coaches’ Handbook’ (Passmore, ed. 2020) Alison Hardingham notes that this principle teaches us a practical method for developing our compassion, both for ourselves and for others. This compassionate stance is developed by ‘looking beyond the behaviours to the needs which give rise to  those behaviours.’ (p.63). 

As supervisors, we may experience moments where a person behaves in a way we find hurtful or disrespectful. NVC  principle 2 can help us notice and name our feelings, but no.3 is where Hardingham notes that ‘the hard work of  compassion begins.’ She proposes asking one question to unlock a compassionate way of thinking: Assume that the client is smart and well-intentioned. Why might they have said or done this thing? The next step is to generate three possible hypotheses, based on this assumption. 

For me, this is a great NVC take-away for everyday life. I also tried it recently when reflecting on a session with a  client who presents as somewhat disorganised. The assumption of a ‘smart and well-intentioned client’ helped me to step back from my irritation and consider his personal and work circumstances. This led to a very productive conversation around the timing and frequency of our sessions. He talked about how he was trying to integrate his coaching and our supervision sessions into his family life and schedules. He acknowledged that he felt overwhelmed and needed more structure and balance. 

4. Making and receiving requests with empathy. 

In NVC, this is about ‘requesting that which would enrich life’. Having attuned to our needs, we ask another person to do something to make our life more wonderful. Requests are made in positive language and are never presented as demands. They are made and received in a flow of compassionate communication – which doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be granted.  

At first glance, this might not seem relevant to our work as supervisors. However, we make requests all the time. We ask questions, to which we expect a response. We have spoken or unspoken expectations. It isn’t a one-way process: our supervisees also make requests and have expectations.  

Let’s think about expectations for a moment: 

Some are reasonable expectations and likely to be included in the supervision contract. In that sense, a clear request has been made and agreed upon. Others might be acceptable but remain unspoken, and some might not be acceptable to the other party.  

This is a good reminder of the importance of continuous contracting/re-contracting. Our version of ‘making life more wonderful’ is probably around making the supervision relationship the best it can be. When making a request,  we do so clearly and positively. When considering a request, we listen empathetically, separating observations from responses and remembering that the supervisee is a smart and well-intentioned person. 

Working in this way also allows us to see the nuances of each supervision relationship. For example, we might prefer  90-minute sessions, but our supervisee may have a shorter attention span. There may be specific times of the year  (e.g., Ramadan) where a client needs to take a break or change the timings of their sessions. It also allows us to model and share this practice for the benefit of our supervisee and their work.  

Summing up 

It came as no surprise when I answered my inquiry question with a resounding ‘yes.’ NVC can certainly be viewed as a language of supervision and has many useful applications in our field. It also sits well with the EMCC Supervision Competence Framework, particularly with those around self-awareness and relationship awareness (nos. 5 & 6). 

My ‘yes’ comes with a caveat. NVC is first and foremost, a language of life – so ideas of applying ‘bits and pieces’ to supervision are based on a false premise. The primary purpose of NVC is to connect with people in a spirit of compassionate giving. It’s an ‘all-in’ kind of thing, requiring ongoing practice. However, it’s also a very simple and accessible way of communicating. Small and regular efforts can really bring us closer to that deep and life-enhancing level of connection. That’s very much a ‘work in progress’ for me. 

When someone really hears you without passing judgement on you, without trying to take responsibility for you, without trying to mould you, it feels damn good. When I have been listened to and when I have been heard, I am able to re-perceive my world in a new way and go on. It is astonishing how elements that seem insoluble become soluble when someone listens. How confusions that seem irredeemable turn into relatively clear flowing streams when one is heard.  

Carl Rogers, 1964. Quoted in Passmore, ed. 2020, p.65. 

References and influences 

Buber, M. 2013 edition. I and Thou. Bloomsbury Academics. 

Carroll, M. and Shaw, E., 2013. Ethical maturity in the helping professions: Making difficult life and work decisions.  Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 

Hawkins, P. and McMahon, A., 2020. Supervision in the Helping Professions 5e. 

Lakoff, G. and Johnson, M., 2008. Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago press. 

Murdoch, E. and Arnold, J., 2013. Full Spectrum Supervision:” Who you are, is how you supervise”. Ecademy Press. 

Passmore, J. ed., 2020. The Coaches’ Handbook: The Complete Practitioner Guide for Professional Coaches.  Routledge. 

Rogers, C.R., 1957. The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change. Journal of consulting psychology, 21(2), p.95. 

Rosenberg, M.B. and Chopra, D., 2015. Nonviolent communication: A language of life: Life-changing tools for healthy relationships. PuddleDancer Press. 

Rosenberg, M.B., 2005. Speak peace in a world of conflict: What you say next will change your world. PuddleDancer  Press. 

Shohet, R & J. 2020. In Love with Supervision. PCCS Books. 

Websites 

EMCC Supervision Competence Framework

What is Nonviolent Communication?

Congratulations! You have completed your journey to becoming a coaching supervisor and now can’t wait to share your new skills with lots of brilliant coaches. 

What could possibly go wrong? 

And, in the interests of balance, what could possibly go right? 

Read on …

5 Challenges in Developing your Coaching Supervision Practice

The human brain is wired to respond to perceived or real threats more strongly than potential rewards (Rock, 2009). 

With this in mind, let’s get the possible challenges examined first, that you, the new coaching supervisor, may encounter. 

1. Supervision is new in an unregulated profession

Supervision in coaching is new in a relatively young profession in terms of industry maturity (Porter, 1979). 

There is little research and data measuring coaching supervision’s effectiveness and the “enthusiasm for supervision currently outstrips the evidence base” (Hawkins, Turner and Passmore, 2019). 

Perhaps, it is perceived as too new and untested and therefore there is mistrust on whether having supervision is essential to being an effective coach. 

Indeed, Hawkins and Schwenk’s research (2006) found that there was a lack of clarity in understanding in coaches interviewed about supervision and “well-trained supervisors” (cited in Hawkins et al. 2019). 

For coaches starting their career, supervision might be viewed as something more experienced and established practitioners need and perhaps, only those working as Executive or Leadership coaches and not those offering private Life Coaching. 

2. Coaches do not know how supervision can help them

If a coach has not experienced the benefits of having coaching supervision, then they may not fully appreciate how having a trusted reflective space and someone to speak to about anything from client and stakeholder challenges, to exploring their own feelings about their coachees and how their coaching and practice is progressing, will assist their efficacy and career.

Rather like coaching itself, it is difficult to explain the tangible benefits of supervision and, in my opinion, trying it out is the best way to achieve this. 

A coach can carry on coaching for years without supervision and be none the wiser as to whether supervision would make a positive impact on their work or not.

3. Yet another expense

The coaching profession can be quite self-serving in that it asks a lot of its practitioners in terms of financial investment. 

There are the costs of initial training, mentoring towards independent accreditation, the accreditation itself and continued professional development, not to mention the expectation to have a coach(es) yourself. 

Factor in all the other expenses involved in running a business (marketing, additional training, utilities etc.) and spending even more money is unlikely to be attractive.

Therefore, supervision can be deemed as yet just another expense which to the uninitiated is vague on its return on investment. 

4. Distinguishing from your other work 

You, the coach supervisor, may wear several different hats. According to research by the International Coaching Federation, only 7% of coaches receive all their income from coaching work alone (ICF, 2020). 

Examples of additional products and services offered include facilitating, training, mentoring, writing, speaking and digital programmes. Multiple streams presented together could dilute the power of your brand and your target audience may struggle to understand exactly where your expertise truly lies. 

5. Insufficient time, space or energy

If you enjoy a busy and full coaching practice (and deliver other work as described above AND marketing activities), a challenge to developing your supervision practice may simply be that there is not enough time in the day to focus on it. 

You look at your calendar and there is no space to fit anything else in, nor the energy or attentional capacity in your brain for a new area of focus. 

5 Opportunities to Develop Your Coaching Supervision Practice

Being a coach myself, of course, I believe that the challenges above can be met and overcome. A positive and growth mindset will go a long way towards overcoming them.

1. Organisations hiring coaches expect evidence

In the last few years, as organisations have become more familiar and knowledgeable of the coaching profession and the needs of their own employees, their expectations have changed. 

According to ICF (2020), 55% of managers/leaders now expect their coaches to be credentialled, and from my own supervisees, I’m hearing that coaching supervision is now often a prerequisite of being accepted into a coaching pool. 

This suggests that more external coaches will seek out the services of a qualified coaching supervisor to support them in gaining new coaching engagements as more industries adopt similar criteria. 

2. Professional body recognition 

Although implementation is slow, the European Mentoring and Coaching Council has formulated core competencies for coaching supervision, and it is likely that other international independent bodies will follow suit (EMCC, 2019). 

Anticipated to be beneficial to both the coaching and coaching supervision professions, my prediction is that there will be a separate coaching supervision credential launched in the near future or some other method of independent verification. 

If the coaching profession becomes regulated, then a standardised industry version of this will become the norm within each country. That the “ICF recommends coaching supervision” on their website is a step in the right direction (Sinclair, 2019). 

3. Ongoing coaching profession growth

Dubbed The Great Resignation, life re-evaluations following the pandemic could create an influx of people changing careers (Kaplan, 2021). Over 40% of respondents in a 30,000 global study are “considering quitting or changing professions this year” (Morgan, 2021). 

This suggests we could have even more coaches training and entering the game. Therefore, I believe it would be prudent to anticipate that quality and rigour will become even more of a determining factor in future success. 

Coaches benefiting from supervision are going to stand out from those without. And of course, with more coaches, there are more opportunities to supervise. 

4. Increased confidence

Whether a coach is new or established, a benefit to highlight is the increase in confidence that supervision brings. Having a trusted partner or group to discuss their challenges can enable a coach to ‘normalise’ their experience. 

Receiving support and encouragement can help in many ways, with a higher level of personal confidence often being the most striking. 

Usually (but not always), a professionally trained coach enjoys increased self-awareness and so will understand the benefits of having greater confidence and how this will positively impact their work. 

As we all know confidence can ebb and flow over a period of time, and coaching supervision can serve as useful means of increasing this valuable commodity. 

5. Marketing

Being aware of the potential challenges and objections you could encounter from the market you intend to supervise will help you to develop a strategy for growing your coaching supervision practice. Before you start I suggest you ask yourself: 

Who do you want to supervise?

New or established coaches? Or both. Whilst your supervision skills and interventions may be the same, both markets have different needs and levels of awareness and competence. 

Plus, probably varying numbers of coachees and other commitments. Connect your marketing messages to the desires of the specific coach type you are inspired to support and supervise. 

What format and when? 

One-to-one or group? Or both. Face-to-face or virtual. Or a combination. 

As per coaching, knowing your boundaries and what you find most energising will help you communicate in a way that will attract your ideal supervisees. 

Some supervisors have dedicated days in their calendar when they schedule coaching supervision and others mix it in with their other work during the week. Experiment to discover what works best for you.

I sincerely hope this brief article goes some way towards helping you with your coaching supervision. 

There’s so much more I would like to cover and to discuss any of the issues raised above contact me at www.rachelbamber.com. I’d be happy to help.

References

European Mentoring and Coaching Council (2019) EMCC Supervision Competence Framework [PDF] UK: EMCC. Available at: https://emccuk.org [Accessed: 08/10/201]

Hawkins, P. Turner, E. and Passmore, J. (2019) The Manifesto for Supervision Henley-on-Thames: Henley Business School

Kaplan, J. (2021)  The psychologist who coined the phrase ‘Great Resignation’ reveals how he saw it coming and where he sees it going. ‘Who we are as an employee and as a worker is very central to who we are.’ Insider 02/10/2021. Available at: 

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-everyone-is-quitting-great-resignation-psychologist-pandemic-rethink-life-2021-10?r=US&IR=T?utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=topbar [Accessed: 08/10/2021]

International Coaching Federation (2020) ICF 2020 Global Coaching Study [PDF] USA: ICF Available at: https://coachingfederation.org/research/global-coaching-study  [Accessed: 08/10/2021]

Morgan, K. (2021) The Great Resignation: How employers drove workers to quit. BBC (01/07/2021) Available at: 

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210629-the-great-resignation-how-employers-drove-workers-to-quit [Accessed: 08/10/201] 

Porter, M. (1979) How Competitive Force Shapes Strategy Harvard Business Review (March) 

https://hbr.org/1979/03/how-competitive-forces-shape-strategy

[Accessed: 08/10/2021] 

Rock, D. (2009) The Brain at Work New York: HarperBusiness

Sinclair, T. (2019) Coaching Supervision International Coaching Federation. Available at: https://coachingfederation.org/blog/coaching-supervision [Accessed: 08/10/2021] 

I’m going to do the most non-coachy thing right now and assume *gasp* that you don’t have time to read a lengthy, often boring, opening to this article. 

My second assumption is that you’re a supervisor (I’m quite a Sherlock, I know), you know what the formative function of coaching supervision is and you’re currently working (and if not, most likely you will in the future) with coaches who are borderline obsessed with learning new coaching tools, love the concept of Coaching Mastery and desire to be effective and confident in their coaching methods. 

I might even go as far as to say that you might even experience a slight pressure to ‘perform’, brush up your knowledge of various coaching tools and impress such clients with your knowledge. So … feeling seen yet?

The purpose of this article is to give you a pool of ideas to draw from. 

Read them, use them, thank me later. Let’s go!

A guide to supporting coaches who are obsessed with building their Coaching Mastery

1. Explore what’s currently in the coach’s toolkit 

What’s already in there? What are we adding on top of? Essentially, what’s point A in our journey? 

What strengths need to be internalized? 

I’d recommend it as a first step. Recognizing and valuing what the coach has already developed and honed can bring that sense of safety and potentially reassuring enough-ness into the here and now. It’s grounding. That way the journey of building one’s coaching mastery becomes more mindful and enjoyable. 

2. Explore what comes naturally to your client when they coach others

Oftentimes we discard the very things we’re so brilliant at because they come so easy to us. 

We sometimes don’t value those qualities enough and might even think that it comes easy to everyone else. It rarely does. 

So, what feels natural for you to be doing, what feels effortless? Does the client appreciate (or take for granted) their natural talents?

3. Explore the Use of Self with your client

Our go-to way to learn something new is usually to consult the external resources, – another book, another course, – and yet we always carry with ourselves perhaps the most important coaching tool ever. Our selves. Our bodies. Our intuition.

Sometimes, the best suggestion we can give other coaches is to train the sensitivity to their bodily sensations. 

The beauty of Use of Self is that by feeling connected to ourselves, we begin to feel more connected to others. 

We share reflections more powerfully and build a better rapport by attuning to our client’s needs and feelings.  

4. Help your client explore and define their unique coaching style 

Are they a gestalt coach working with the CBC model, or a person-centred coach where it’s all about the presence and very little about interventions? 

Could they potentially be a master of solution-focused approach with a flare of positive psychology? Or are they naturally drawn to the client’s stories and use the narrative approach sprinkled with metaphors or perhaps card pulls? 

Defining your unique coaching style is a creative process, where the possibilities are endless. 

I know for a fact that when a coach is able to describe their unique coaching style with ease, clarity and confidence, it becomes much easier to attract clients and set the tone for the psychological safety in a relationship (i.e., clients have a good idea what to expect from the coaching sessions)

5. Explore what coaching methods or interventions feel challenging to use

What are they *not* using and why? Is it because it’s “just not their style”, or is there a fear or insecurity hiding behind it? 

If you want to take it up a notch, ask your supervision client: “What about your work or how you run your coaching practice that for some reason you *don’t* want me to know about it?” …

Well, that could easily make for one very potent session. 

6. After having a few sessions, ask the coach what they appreciate about your style as their supervisor? 

What works for them and why? What do they want to learn or take from your style, practice, make it their own and add into their coaching toolkit?

7. What’s currently the crown jewel of a coach’s toolkit? 

What’s their go-to model and why? How can they perfect it? How can they master it?

And most importantly, based on a coach’s client experience and personal sense of creativity, how could they modify that tool so that it becomes uniquely theirs? 

8. Time to go through the client’s testimonials! 

Review client cases and the feedback received so far. 

What worked really well for the clients, what they appreciated, what they loved; is there something in those kind words that’s been missing and not being internalized?

9. Use the power of intention. 

Before adding any extra modality, it’s important to get really clear on the intention. 

Why do we choose to learn what we choose? What is our expectation? What do we think this new skill would do for us? How would it improve our effectiveness as a coach in practical terms? 

Intentionality is key and helps to prevent burnout. 

10. Integrity in mind. 

When a coach is considering learning a new modality, like NLP or somatic coaching, my first question is whether they’ve been on the receiving end of this type of support. 

Is this desire to study NLP for example driven by passion and how much *they* loved the approach and found it useful, therefore now want to learn it, or is it simply a desire to have “more”? 

In Summary… 

With coaching mastery, what I have come to realise is that the heart-led way of leading that journey does always work best. 

Learning new tools and building one’s coaching mastery is not a journey of filling the void with numerous techniques.  It’s about deepening and bringing forth what’s already within you. I hope that helps!

Which approach resonated most with you? Share in the comments below.

As a coach gains experience and maturity in the coaching profession, there is often an almost inevitable journey towards becoming a coaching “elder” of sorts.  

This has nothing to do with age but rather with their ability to draw upon this maturity and experience to help other coaches learn, develop and practise.

For some experienced coaches, the role they gravitate towards is one of mentoring.  This is particularly common in the business side of coaching and growing a practice, but also in helping other coaches achieve professional credentials. 

For many other coaches, however, the journey is one of becoming a coaching supervisor.

Whilst I won’t go into what supervision is in this article since we have covered that extensively elsewhere, I will just be clear that what I mean by coaching supervision is supporting other coaches with their client work, their sense of self as a coach and their wellbeing in that role.

Learn More: What is Coaching Supervision? 

The pathway to becoming a coach supervisor is increasingly popular for many reasons – it is professionally rewarding, creates an additional fee-generating service, contributes to the profession, and enhances the supervisor’s own coaching.

However, the pathway to becoming a supervisor is not clearly mapped out. Unlike some professions in which progression is unambiguous and formal, the journey to becoming a supervisor is one which each coach must figure out and navigate themselves.

In this article, I hope to set this right by offering a road map for what it takes to become a coaching supervisor as well as offering some key resources that will make planning your journey easier.

There are essentially 7 major stages to consider, each of a different scale and complexity. 

These are:

1. Deciding if you’re ready to become a coach supervisor.
2. Finding and choosing the right coaching supervision course.
3. Preparing for the training.
4. Completing the training.
5. Secure supervisees outside of training.
6. Gaining individual supervision credentials.
7. Building your practice and business over the long term.

Let’s take a look at these one at a time.

1. Deciding if you’re ready to become a coach supervisor

How do you know when you’re ready to become a coach supervisor?

Is it when you hit an arbitrary number of coaching hours? If so, how many? 100? 250? 500? 

Is it after a certain number of years in the coaching profession? Or after a certain amount of training?

It’s pretty clear even just by asking that question that this is not an easy question to answer.  

And, there is no clear guidance within the coaching professional bodies either.

There are clearly extremes that would seem ludicrous if we used them. For instance, demanding a Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours of experience would be as extreme as allowing a newly qualified coach to become a supervisor.  But surely, a case could be made for many levels of experience in between.

The truth is that it is a subjective decision.

As a school, we suggest a coach has around 250 hours of coaching under their belt but this is not a hard and fast rule.  

A “less-experienced” coach who has spent 20 years in social work or counselling has a very different history to draw upon than a coach who came from a more technical role and is now pursuing coaching as a career.

Ultimately, you will need to ask yourself some key questions about your own readiness:

• Do I feel ready and confident to support other coaches?
• Do I feel I have a wide range of experiences in the field to draw on?
• Do I have a clear sense of my own style of coaching whilst being open to others?
• How well do I have a grasp of the wider coaching profession?
• What is my level of maturity as a coach?

These are all subjective and to some degree even ambiguous, but they offer a starting point of self-assessment.

We have certainly seen some less obviously experienced coaches become exceptionally good coach supervisors and other more experienced coaches who have struggled with the differences between coaching and supervision.

So, there is no clear measure of readiness.

But certainly, it is a question that must be asked of yourself and answered to your own satisfaction.

A useful model to use in exploring yourself as a coach is David Clutterbucks Coaching Maturity Model. Again, this is not to say that you must assess yourself as in the top category, but it is useful to ask yourself where you are and where you’re heading.

READ: Why Become a Coaching Supervisor 

2. Finding and choosing the right coaching supervision course

If you decide that you’re ready to become a coach supervisor, then the next step is to find the right training provider.

A search on Google for “coaching supervision training” will reveal nearly 55 million results. Thankfully, there aren’t 55 million supervision schools and, actually, the choice is relatively limited when compared with initial coach training.

Some of the main coaching supervision schools include: 

• International Centre for Coaching Supervision
• Coaching Supervision Academy
• Barefoot Coaching
• Henley Business School
• Goldvarg Consultancy

Each, of course, has its own unique style, delivery approach, philosophy and “vibe”.

Whilst I wouldn’t want to comment on other schools since they can surely best describe what makes them different, what I can share are the key things to look out for.

Accreditation

I have written an extensive article on accreditation in coaching supervision, but in a nutshell, the gold standard of coaching supervision accreditation is the European Supervision Quality Award (ESQA) by the EMCC.

A list of providers of this credential can be found here.

There are currently 10 providers in the world of which the International Centre for Coaching Supervision is one.  This makes the choice somewhat easier than 55 million!

If you are an ICF credentialed coach you will almost certainly look to gain Continuing Coach Education hours from your training and a fewer number of these same 10 schools provide both.  We are one but we are not alone.  

In our case, our Diploma in Coaching Supervision provides 164 hours of CCE of which 76 are Core Competencies.  This can be a crucial factor for choosing the right course.

Learn more through our FAQ. 

Delivery Method

As I write this, probably all coaching supervision training remains online due to the global pandemic.  However, if and when this abates, you will want to decide whether to train in-person or online.

There are pros and cons to both, of course, which I won’t rehearse here since I think we all now have a sense of this.

The one area I’d like to point out, however, that can be easily forgotten in the talk of convenience versus connection, is the way in which virtual environments have internationalised training.

READ: Why Did We Choose To Be A Virtual Coaching Training School?

This was something that we wanted to achieve from day one and so, for us, virtual was never just a solution to the pandemic.  It was a conscious choice to build virtually and stay virtual to enable coaches from across the world to access our course.  

In the last year, we have had people join us from the UK, of course, but also Kenya, Turkey, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, the USA and even Reunion Island.  This makes for a very unique flavour which our participants value.

This is something to consider – who are your fellow learners going to be and how will they expand your experience and understanding?

Course Fee

The cost of training is always a consideration of course. From my experience, the cost differentials in the coaching supervision training world are not significant. 

Most schools are in the same ballpark, so unless even the slightest difference matters than this is unlikely to be a major factor in your decision.

That said, depending on your circumstances and country of origin, you might be able to gain access to a bursary such as the one we offer which covers 25% of the course fee for individuals from countries with a lower-than-average income.

Connect with us if you’re interested.

Course Content

Whilst most coaching supervision courses will cover similar foundational content (3 functions, 7 Eyed Model, etc), the tone and vibe can often be significantly different.

Some schools have emerged from a counselling/psychotherapy background, others from an organisational background, and others again from a coaching background.  I would categorise ICCS in the latter.

Some schools are more spiritual in nature, others more managerial, and others psychological. Again, ICCS would be the latter of these.

There will also be differences of emphasis.  The International Centre for Coaching Supervision focuses on an integrative, psychological approach as the key differentiator. 

It is worth looking at each school to explore what makes them different.

Other Considerations

There are many other considerations when choosing a school and some will be more important than others to you.

These might include:

• Duration
• The faculty
• Support during the course
• Ongoing community and development
• Qualification requirements

We try to make it as easy as possible to understand our course and we include everything on our website and prospectus. 

Explore our Coaching Supervision Training

3. Preparing for the training

Once you’ve chosen your coaching supervision training and you’re enrolled to begin, there is likely to be some time delay between this and the start of the training.

This is an important time and a great opportunity to be as prepared for the training as possible.

One of the things we notice is that participants who prepare ahead of the training have an even more rewarding experience.

Here are just a few things you can do as you wait for your course to start:

Start to source supervisees. 

Let people in your network know that you’re about to undertake the training and that you’ll be looking to gain practice hours as part of your course.  

Even if you have just one or two people lined up as supervisees, this can make a big difference to the ease of being able to apply what you learn on the course.

Read a couple of foundational books

It’s never too soon to read Peter Hawkins’ “Supervision in the Helping Professions” – one of the seminal texts in this field.  But there are many more that are worth diving into as a way to get your mind absorbing the ideas and models.

Engage with your school’s community

If your chosen supervision school has a community, get active. Introduce yourself, join events even before you start the training and jump in on conversations. Don’t be shy! Being part of a community is extra gas in the tank of your learning and it’s usually free!

Plan your diary

Finally, make sure you block out time for your training, supervision and practice.  

It is all too easy to find until the training is suddenly upon you and you already have a task list of other activities that get in your way!  Prioritise your learning and practice to get the best from the training.

4. Undertake and complete the training

Undertaking and completing are of course two different things.  I always remember meeting someone on a course, in which I was also a student, who had been studying what should have been a 9-month programme for over 8 years! There’s nothing wrong with that if it’s what you want but often it’s simply that the people procrastinate for any number of reasons.

Whilst I can’t comment here on the training as it will depend on which course you choose, I can share some best practices that I have seen to help people complete their training.

In no particular order, these are:

• Be prepared (see the previous section)
• Stick to deadlines set by the course and don’t let missed deadlines become a snowball that rolls ever-faster
• Set your own target date for completion and plan in what you need to do by when to make this happen
• Attend all the training. It’s so easy to let other parts of your life take you away from something but this can have an insidious effect on your commitment to the journey
• Start the practise supervision as soon as you can. There’s no perfect time to start supervising
• Don’t overcomplicate things. Do what’s needed to pass but don’t make the hurdles higher than they need to be
• Be a pragmatist, not a perfectionist. Completing your training is the end of the beginning and you have a lifetime of improvement ahead of you. You’re not perfect and you never will be so enjoy being you at the level of skills you currently have not that you wish you had!

5. Secure supervisees outside of training

As you go through your coaching supervision training, you will almost certainly have practical supervision to complete as part of your course work.

But just like the moment you take the steering wheel of a car without an instructor next to you, there’s something uniquely rewarding about supervising someone purely for yourself and the coach.  Whether that is a paid contract, pro bono or part of a wider project matters less, I believe, than that the supervision is no longer part of your training. 

You are a coaching supervisor.

And coaching supervisors supervise! They have supervisees.

The critical step is to ensure you continue to develop your supervision skills through application.

Seek out opportunities to build your supervision muscles – volunteer for projects that need supervision, ask for referrals, supervise in your workplace, network, advertise, build a website, do whatever it takes.

6. Gaining individual supervision credentials

Once you have a particular level of experience in delivering supervision, it’s time to become credentialed as a supervisor with one of the professional bodies.

This is not mandatory or essential but many coach supervisors find it an important part of cementing their place in their new professional role and building their credibility.

The International Coach Federation (ICF) does not currently recognise coaching supervision as a discreet profession and so have no process for credentialing.

The three key bodies to consider are:

• EMCC in which you could seek the European Supervision Individual Award (ESIA)
• The Association for Coaching in which you could aim for the Accredited Coaching Supervisor
• Association of Professional Executive Coaches and Supervisors (APECS) in which you could achieve varying levels of accreditation depending on your experience.

It is common in supervision that someone has been supervising long before they formally train as a coach supervisor.  The professional bodies are flexible in their approach to this and so depending on your experience, it may be possible to achieve individual supervision credentials immediately after training.

Each of the organisations above has its own unique criteria and process and so you will want to check which of these suits you best and which matters to you.

7. Building your practice and business over the long term

The final stage is the one that never ends! The ongoing development of your business and your coaching practice skills.

Just as with coaching, there are many areas to consider here and given that you are likely reading this before you have even trained, I won’t go into too much detail.

But in this stage you will focus on:

• Engaging in professional spaces – conferences, networking and events
• Continuing professional development – training, supervision, reading
• Personal branding and positioning 
• Research and exploration
• Business building and marketing
• Writing and communicating about supervision
• Training the next generation of supervisors

This is the stage in which you flourish into the full supervisor you can be, uniquely qualified and experienced to do the work you love.

This stage is the work that is what it was all about: making an impact, shaping the next generation of coaches, influencing the profession.

This is being a coaching supervisor.

Conclusion

I hope you’ve found this article helpful in considering the journey ahead of you.  Depending on where you are in this path, there is plenty for you to explore in our blog and website. Many articles develop these ideas further and will help you consider them more deeply.

However, if you’re right at the start wondering whether you’re ready to become a coach supervisor, why not book a call with us and have a chat.  

We offer a free Let’s Talk Supervision session and we’d be delighted to hear from you.

The purpose of coaching supervision is to support coaches in using the right tools that best serve their clients,  reflect on their coaching practice and ultimately become the best coach they can be. 

The success of supervision relies heavily on the material we are working with. Or in other words, what the coach chooses to share with the coach supervisor. 

Therefore, it stands to reason that it’s in the coach’s best interest to share all the relevant details.

…Or at least, that’s the theory. 

In reality, coaches often feel uncomfortable fully opening up with their coach supervisor. Full disclosure can elicit vulnerability or bring up a worry of being judged or doing the wrong thing. This might prevent coaches from getting the full benefit from their coach supervision. 

This article will explore the reasons why coaches might feel uncomfortable opening up in supervision, and how you can navigate this dilemma as a supervisor to best support the coaches you’re working with. 

Not all coaches feel uncomfortable opening up in supervision 

It’s important to get this clear from the get-go. Talking about the discomfort to open up in coaching supervision doesn’t mean you need to start every coach supervision session with the premise that the coach you’re working with will be holding back. That’s not conducive to building mutual trust or serving your clients in the best way. 

However, having an awareness that sometimes coaches might feel worried to open up can help. If you can recognise the signs and know how to navigate them, you can feel more equipped as a supervisor to overcome this potential obstacle early in the relationship, put your clients’ minds at ease, and get some real work done within the partnership.

Some facts and figures 

Although research on this specific topic in coaching supervision is lacking, there is a study done by Ladany et al. (1996) on trainee counsellors. One of the key results of this study showed that 84% of trainee counsellors withheld information from their supervisors. 

Now, for the purpose of this article, there are some caveats. Firstly, it was done on counsellors rather than coaches. Secondly, these were newer (trainee) counsellors rather than very experienced counsellors/coaches with an established counselling/coaching practice. And thirdly, the feedback was based on having received a single supervision session (rather than a longer supervisory relationship). 

Because of these caveats, we need to be mindful of generalising these figures and jumping to the conclusion that most coaches don’t open up in their supervision sessions. However, it’s clear that we can draw some parallels to coach supervision. 

While the exact figure may not be 84% for coaches and this figure may reduce after a longer period of supervision, there are some clear parallels we can draw to coaching. If many coaches feel uncomfortable fully opening up in supervision, how do we recognise the signs and how can we address them as supervisors? 

Self-doubt is a common experience 

There is a lot of research on topics like self-confidence, self-doubt, or impostor syndrome. For example, a 2020 KPMG study showed over 75% of women have experienced the impostor syndrome in their careers. 

It’s no surprise that self-doubt is also experienced by many coaches, especially in the earlier stages of their practice. 

Consciously, we may seek to improve ourselves, grow, learn and develop as coaches. However, on another, deeper layer, we also seek reassurance that we’re doing enough already and that we are serving our clients powerfully and doing right by them. 

When coaches come to supervision, it’s not uncommon for them to experience at least some degree of self-doubt about their coaching, whether they verbalise this doubt or not. This is why the restorative function of supervision is so important. 

Learn More: 3 Functions of Coaching Supervision 

As a supervisor, it’s important to be aware of this deeper need that coaches come to supervision with, especially in those cases when it’s not verbalised directly by the coach. 

Power in the helping professions 

A lot has been said about the intrinsic motivations as well as the shadow side of choosing to work in a helping profession.

A. Guggenbuhl-Craig, a Jungian analyst, was one of the first therapists to shed light on the “dark side” of helping professions. In his book, “Power in the Helping Professions”, he mentions that in addition to all the beneficial work that takes place in helping professions, there’s often an unconscious game of power, where the therapist can take the role of a saviour in the relationship.

This can create an imbalance of power which can negatively impact the outcome of the support for clients. Because it’s a shadow aspect, by definition this side of us is unconscious, so we wouldn’t necessarily immediately resonate with the idea that we’re taking the role of saviour in our coaching or supervision. This further highlights for us the reason to have our own therapy, supervision and/or coaching to shed light on these more hidden aspects of ourselves. 

In the article “Using TA in Supervision”, psychotherapist and clinical supervisor Lynn Martin talks about the ego states that can be present in the room. 

Dr Martin says: 

“When working with trainee and newly qualified counsellors [NB or coaches] it is often useful for us to monitor our own ego states in the room. It is not unusual for inexperienced therapists [NB or coaches] to present in a Child ego state with some anxiety, and in some awe of the supervisor as being the one who knows everything.” 

Whether we look at the concept of power in coaching and coaching supervision from the perspective of shadow or ego states, it’s clear that there is a potential for projection to take place and to inadvertently enter a space where the supervisor somehow has the “upper hand” over the coach. 

Dr Martin continues: 

“This then invites the supervisor into a Parent ego state which may be overly sympathetic – ‘marshmallowing’, or overly critical, neither of which is helpful to the supervisee. The danger here is that the supervisee, in order to avoid being shamed, may only bring their best practice and can sometimes even exaggerate their skill in an attempt to receive ‘positive strokes’ from the supervisor.” 

So, now comes the obvious question: ok, so coaches might feel uncomfortable to open up to their supervisor. What do I do about it? 

How coach supervisors can help coaches feel comfortable to open up in supervision

There could be many ways for coach supervisors to navigate this with their clients, and we’ll be sharing a few in this article. 

Naming the statistics 

When we’re caught up in self-doubt, we often feel alone in our experience and instinctively it doesn’t feel safe to express it. 

As a coach supervisor, you can use the awareness you’ve gained from this article to proactively address this with the coaches you work with. 

You could mention the Ladany et al. study and say to your client that most coaches feel uncomfortable to open up fully. This can help normalise the experience. 

By simply bringing something difficult into awareness, it means we can navigate it consciously, together, rather than let it drive what happens in supervision. 

Contracting 

By bringing up the potential that the coach might at some point feel uncomfortable opening up, as a supervisor you can contract with your supervisee how you can best navigate those moments if and when they occur. 

What does the coach need from you in those moments? And how can the coach take responsibility and feel safe to verbalise these moments of discomfort when they do occur? 

Remember you’re working on two levels 

In addition to the technical, formative or ethical perspective you bring to your supervision, remember you will often be working on another, deeper level with your clients. 

There’s often an inner conflict between wanting to do more (stretching/challenging ourselves as coaches) and wanting to know we’re already doing enough (receiving reassurance/positive strokes from our supervisor).  

Knowing this, it’s important to find a balance together with our clients between supporting them enough to build trust and a strong supervision alliance, while also challenging them enough to stretch themselves and grow. 

In the book “Challenging Coaching”, Blakely and Day refer to approaches that are low in challenge and high in support as “the cosy club” which is too comfortable. They continue by saying that approaches that are high in challenge but low in support, often produce stress for the client. 

Finally, they advocate for an approach they name “the loving boot” – a balance of high support and high challenge, where we go beyond powerful questioning and explore a higher degree of provocative challenge, pushing our clients (and ourselves) out of our respective comfort zones. 

Conclusions

It’s not uncommon for coaches to feel uncomfortable opening up to their supervisors. Sharing details of their coaching can be a very personal, vulnerable experience. 

As a supervisor, it’s important to be aware that there’s a potential for these dynamics to take place under the surface, so we can navigate these dynamics together with our clients, rather than let them drive what’s happening in supervision. 

Contracting, naming the statistics and having an awareness of the ego states and levels you’re working on, are all effective methods to navigate this as a supervisor. 

If you have other suggestions on how to navigate it, or if you’d like to share some feedback on this article, please leave a comment below. We’d love to hear from you! 

References and Further Reading: 

1. Power in the Helping Professions by A Guggenbuhl-Craig 
2. Challenging Coaching by John Blakey and Ian Day
3. KPMG Women’s Leadership Report 2020
4. Study: Predictors of Supervisee Self-Disclosure Within the Supervisory Relationship, Chelsey Hess-Holden
5. Trainee nondisclosure in supervision: What are they not telling you?, Ladany et.al
6. Using TA in Supervision, Lynn Martin Psychotherapy
7. What are Ego States?
8. 3 Functions of Coaching Supervision | ICCS 

Chirona — This is the supervisor superhero name Mia O’Gorman gave to herself when she was asked about her superhero name as a final assignment in the Diploma for Coaching Supervision. 

Derived from the Greek mythology centaur, Chiron, who was deemed the “wisest and justest” and the “trainer of heroes”, Mia resonates with this Greek character in her role as a course trainer of supervisors at the International Centre for Coaching Supervision. 

With almost 20 years in the coaching industry, she shines in her superpower of enabling people — from her corporate clients to experienced coaches she’s supervised — to recognise their potential, see new possibilities and take confident steps forward. In other words, to become their own heroes!

In this article, Mia shares her passions for coaching and coaching supervision and how she aims to teach in an experiential way as a course trainer at the ICCS. 

From HR to Coaching: Mia’s Introduction to Coaching  

Coaching and developing coaches have long been Mia’s greatest professional passions.

In fact, before Mia discovered this profession, she already realised that she has a coaching mindset — one that was curious about people, their motivations and their behaviours. 

Mia started her career in human resources, working in the personnel department in the automotive, finance and energy sectors. As part of her role as an operational HR officer at a UK bank, she had an informal introduction to a few coaching skills to help employees navigate their problems and issues at work. 

She was then chosen to be a part of a special group of trainers that delivered coaching skills training to 2000 leaders nationwide. 

Seeing the power of coaching in action and finding great joy in witnessing people develop and achieve, this ultimately fueled her love for the profession. 

“I recognised really quickly that it helped individuals do their jobs better, help teams work together more successfully and generally made the whole place a better place to work. That really sparked a passion for me which has been with me for the following 20 or more years,” Mia shares. 

Mia O’Gorman’s Journey from Coaching to Coaching Supervision

Mia has specialised in leadership development, moving from in-house leadership development roles into external leadership development consultancy. 

In addition to her executive coaching portfolio, she has also designed and delivered informal and EMCC-accredited programmes for coaches and leaders. 

While working at a consultancy focused on programs using emotional intelligence concepts in coaching and leadership, she started to dive into supervision.

“That started to give me a real taste for it and see that additional layer and the enjoyment of talking to coaches about their coaching practice. I often describe myself as a coaching geek. So, the opportunity to spend time reflecting on how it works, why it works, what happens when it doesn’t work, and what we can do about it — It was just another layer that I really loved.” 

Using Emotional Intelligence in Coaching Supervision 

In her coaching practice, Mia recognised the complexity of human relationships. Since coaching and supervision are both relational processes, the theoretical underpinnings of emotional intelligence play a significant role in her practice. 

Transactional analysis has particularly helped Mia in navigating her supervision sessions. 

“While I don’t use TA in every supervision conversation, it’s something that I often find myself tuning into because the models and approaches are so helpful.”

Within her supervision practice, she dials into the two modes of working: the forensic mode and the reflecting mode. 

In the forensic approach, she enjoys going into the details of the casework and understanding what’s really happening in particular coaching situations. 

On the other hand, the much broader reflective approach hones into how the coach is feeling about their practice and their relationship to the work. Evaluating the impact of their work on their professional journey and development is also an important aspect of this mode.  

Both of these highlighted the importance of coaching supervision for her. 

Mia sees supervision as a coach’s space for a metaphorical workout with the personal trainer, a nutritious meal prepared by the chef and a healing massage from the physiotherapist. It’s like a day at the health spa for you as a practitioner.

Mia’s Facilitation Approach: Learning the Experiential Way 

When asked about her training and facilitation approach at the ICCS, she mentioned her intent to lead her training sessions in an experiential way. 

“I really believe that in this profession, so much your personal development informs your professional development. As much as possible, I will take opportunities to put in exercises and activities and reflection questions, that means we’re not just learning cognitively about a particular supervision concept, but that people have the opportunity to really experience it for themselves.”

Through the insightful modules, supervision sessions, and group practices in the course, training under the Diploma in Coaching Supervision at the ICCS showcases what it really feels like to be supervised. 

“I just think that’s fundamental. I think it’s important to walk a mile in the shoes of a client or, in this case, a coach that we might be supervising.”

Learning Supervision in a Safe Environment 

Many coaches that have trained as supervisors quickly realise how it can make you feel like you’re going back to basics with coaching again. 

Since supervision provides a zone of reflecting into one’s coaching practice, it can conjure a feeling of vulnerability. 

This is why Mia finds it important to provide a psychologically safe learning environment for the trainee supervisors coming into the course. 

“It’s a funny thing when you go to train as a coaching supervisor. For some people, it throws up that idea of being a beginner again, even having gotten really well established in the coaching practice. So the first thing I want is for people to feel safe and to enjoy the learning experience.”

At the end of the day, she hopes that the trainees find confidence, competence, and capability once they graduate from the Diploma. 

“It’s that combination of feeling confident in your abilities, but also knowing that you’ve built up competence and capability. Again, the experiential approach really helps with that because you’ve demonstrated to yourself and to others and gotten lots of feedback about how your signature style as a supervisor is shaping up. So, I think it’s confidence, competence, and that sense of your identity as you move into coaching supervision.”

Becoming a Better Coach through Coaching Supervision 

Training as a coaching supervisor adds a new layer to one’s coaching skills. 

It also makes you reevaluate your coaching practice, as you look into different aspects, such as the relationships you have with your clients, other coaches, and the wider profession. 

This can make the journey a daunting experience for coaches looking to become coaching supervisors. However, Mia shares this advice: 

“The main advice would be to enjoy the journey. Just be kind to yourself while you’re going back and learning new skills and make the most of the opportunity that you’ve invested in.” 

The coaching supervision training at the ICCS is unique because of its rich and diverse background. Students coming from all over the world are able to learn together, regardless of their locations and time zones. 

For Mia, this international and diverse exposure contributes greatly to the learning experience. 

“There’s potential for the participants in the program to learn not only from the faculty, the experience that we bring, and the content and methods that we share, but also from each other. That experience of being in a closely connected learning group over the course of several months in the programme is something that several of the participants have commented on… just how much they’ve enjoyed connecting in that group with other like-minded supervisors in training.” 

Coaching supervision is a rewarding experience for many coaches and aspiring supervisors on so many levels. Not only will you be able to help out those starting with their coaching journeys, but also contribute to developing the profession and the coaching community as a whole. 

Mia O’Gorman parts with her vision for future coaching supervisors: 

“I hope that people go away feeling well-trained that they’ve had a good workout and really feeling like a hero that they can go out and succeed as well.”

—

If you’re interested to join our Diploma in Coaching Supervision, click this link or download our brochure for more details. 

You can also reach out to us through our contact page or info@iccs.co for any questions and queries you may have about the supervision course. 

To become happier, confident, and inspired coaching supervisors — this is the mark that Rachel Bamber, a coaching expert in powerful, brain-friendly strategies, would like to leave with her trainees completing the Diploma in Coaching Supervision at the ICCS. 

Since 2003, she has helped people all around the world to work with their brain rather than against it and deliver peak performance through neuroscience. 

In this interview, Rachel shares her journey from coach to coaching supervision and how neuroscience and her holistic approach play a role in her facilitation in the Diploma in Coaching Supervision with the ICCS. 

From BBC to Coaching: How Rachel Discovered Coaching

Rachel’s introduction to coaching began when she took part in a leadership and management training programme whilst working as a Sales Manager at BBC Clothes Show Live. 

The course showcased the power of coaching as a form of leading and managing people. 

“I love people development and I knew that I wanted to run my own business.  The leadership and management training was a catalyst: I later left the company and trained professionally in both coaching and then subsequently in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP.)  I’ve done lots of other training since then too,” Rachel shares. 

Rachel Bamber and Her Work in Neuroscience 

We all experience times that have led us to feel uninspired and unmotivated. 

Despite countless efforts, like working out, eating healthier, or sleeping more, many people still struggle to find their energy. This leads to drops in performance levels at work, poor relationships, and overall unhappiness for a lot of people. 

Neuroscience, the study of the brain and the nervous systems and how it affects the way we physiologically react, dials into how we can begin to work with our brain rather than against it.  

In the last 20 years, the world of neuroscience has evolved. With technological developments, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging scanners (FMRIs), our understanding of our brain’s power has tremendously accelerated. 

This is where Rachel, with her work in the neuroscience of leadership, finds the beauty of how impactful our brain and thinking are on the way we function every day. 

“Everything that I do is what I call brain-friendly. When we learn about how the brain works, (and of course we all have one!), we can then communicate much more effectively with others. We can lead them to be more effective and improve [their] relationships.” 

In particular, she uses neuroscience to help people achieve their peak performance so that they can get more done with zero stress. 

“I like to think of this as helping you work with your brain rather than against it. It takes away a lot of the angst [and] a lot of the stress.  Because our brain can be like a little child and can get easily distracted and likes novelty and all sorts of other things, which can end up causing us a lot of unnecessary stress.”

Rachel has coached various professionals worldwide, from elite sport, directors, corporate leaders, to ambitious small business owners. 

Renowned for her bold and intuitive coaching and supervision, Rachel aims to create a motivating and powerful transformative experience in a fun and sustainable manner for her clients as well as for the coaching supervisors she trains at the ICCS. 

Rachel’s Journey from Being a Coach to Becoming a Coaching Supervisor 

Coaching supervision felt like a natural next step for Rachel. With 18 years of success in the coaching profession, she has found her passion in helping new coaches find their wings. 

Training people all around the world in brain-based coaching skills and assessing them against ICF’s core competencies, she has also helped coaches to deepen their skills and establish themselves in their coaching practice. 

It was the combination of her experience and expertise which naturally led her to supervision. 

“I’m very much about wanting to help coaches be confident in their skills. Because when they’re more confident in themselves and when they’re confident in their business and being able to deal with all sorts of different types of clients and stakeholders and what’s going on with them, then they’re more able to then help a lot more people and go out and make even more of a positive difference in the world.”  

Rachel’s Holistic Approach to Coaching Supervision 

Coaching supervision is known for its reflective space, where both the supervisee and the supervisor can have a collaborative dialogue. 

“My approach is very much holistic in that, it’s not just about the supervisees, coaching clients and the stakeholders, it’s [also] about them as a whole person and what’s going on in their life – and business. What is great about coaching supervision is that there are no rules about what the supervisor can cover, and every one of us will have our own individual approach.” 

According to Rachel, supervision goes beyond helping another coach. The benefits extend to their coaching clients, stakeholders, and all the other people in the system that are going to be impacted by that coach’s engagement. 

“However, I think it’s very important that, especially based on my work in peak performance, that ultimately how the coach is showing up will make an impact on how they are facilitating their coaching sessions and their business, and what’s going on of course will all feed into that.”  

At the end of the day, she aims to help coaches and supervisors feel good about themselves, their skills, and what they do with their clients and their business. She believes this will create an even wider-ranging impact on the world. 

Rachel’s High Energy, Confidence Inspiring, and Inclusive Training Sessions at the ICCS 

Rachels finds parallelism with her work as a coach and now as a course trainer at the ICCS. 

According to her, the feedback that she has received emphasises her high energy, confidence-inspiring, and inclusivity, which also resembles her extensive coaching experience, plus, training executives in 6 continents — her next goal is Antarctica, to complete her global reach. 

“People would also say that I make it fun and accessible. They feel like they can go away and implement what they’ve learned immediately. That is my approach — to be motivating, whether it’s helping those who want to learn about supervision or coaching or anything else.” 

Becoming confident in their newfound skills and strengths is what Rachel wants to impart to her trainees. She wants them to realise how their coaching strengths equip them and how supervision becomes an extension of that. 

At the end of the course, she would like the coaching supervisors of ICCS to be able to go out and help other coaches and make an even greater positive difference in the world. 

“I know it sounds a bit cheesy and cliché, but yeah, that’s what I’m about.”

On Taking the Next Step through Coaching Supervision 

Coaching supervision is a natural progression for some experienced coaches. But is it all that it takes to become one? 

For Rachel, it is an important add-on, but she doesn’t think it’s a replacement. Although the skills and strengths of coaching and supervision are similar, Rachel believes that willingness plays an important influence for those looking to become a coach supervisor. 

“On the previous programmes that ICCS have run so far, there’s been a diverse level of experience and backgrounds and the kind of coaching work that people do. But ultimately, I think having a willingness to help other coaches grow and to know that there is an abundance in the world of coaching, that there’s room for everyone is also important.”

READ: Why Become A Coaching Supervisor?

How the ICCS Diploma in Coaching Supervision Can Help You Become A Better Coach 

When asked about her thoughts on why the International Centre for Coaching Supervision stands out as a supervision training programme, Rachel simply says, “because it’s fun!”

Through its virtual learning environment, aspiring coaching supervisors have the opportunity to learn with coaches from all around the world, with varying backgrounds and experiences. 

It is also a conducive setting to reflect on one’s own practice, to have supervision amongst peers, and to learn about different modalities that might not have been familiar in your initial coach training. 

It’s not only ICCS’ collaborative and integrative learning styles that allow coaching supervisors to acquire these skills, but as well as its inclusion of other talking interventions like psychotherapy, positive psychology, and neuroscience — enabling a very rich approach that builds on their existing skills. 

“The feedback that I’ve received from those who have done the course so far say that they feel like they’re much better coaches because of doing the training and the coaching supervision. That’s added to all aspects of their work.” 

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Interested to undertake the Diploma in Coaching Supervision? Head on to our coaching supervision training page to learn more about the programme! 

Got questions? Reach out to us through our contact page or through our email info@iccs.co

One of my mentors once told me, “It doesn’t even matter what you do. What matters is why”. 

Undoubtedly, coaching supervision is an important and even honourable type of support which offers that healing concept of ‘caring and protecting the carers’, but the main question that I’d like to help you answer today is …why become a coaching supervisor? 

Why would you even want to consider becoming one?

I’d like to explore that inquiry through the lens of making a decision that feels aligned to you, i.e. it has both your heart and mind fully on board with your next move.

As I’m writing this, I want you to imagine sitting across from me having a cup of coffee together (or your beverage of choice), as I invite you to have a dialogue with me. There’s no fun in me writing (or talking) “at” you, so allow yourself to ponder over the reflections I will be sharing with you below.

In this article, I gently offer you to reflect on two main questions that I hope will encourage you to think deeply about what really matters here, i.e. your ‘why’.

Why Become A Coaching Supervisor: Finding Your Why 

Question 1:  “What is it about coaching supervision that touches something in you that makes you want to become a part of this honourable and life-changing profession?” 

Intellectually speaking, I believe it is easy to understand why coaching supervision is so important and as I mentioned, even honourable for the coaching industry. 

After all, it supports coaches in developing their professional mastery and becoming better at their craft, thus improving the quality of support that they have to offer for their clients. This means – more people in this world will receive quality coaching! 

Coaching supervision also encourages practitioners to go deeper with their own inner work and helps them overcome their inner blocks, like burnouts, which may stop them from doing the great things in their work altogether. Things like writing books, creating courses and building successful businesses in a heart-centred way. This means – more practitioners will unlock their potential and bring their gifts to this world!

And lastly, it’s the sense of credibility that I believe coaching supervision provides. When coaches complete their coaching qualifications and venture into the wild waters on their own to seek and support their coaching clients, what would prevent them from falling into habitual and perhaps unintentionally mindless ways of being? 

The quality assurance element of coaching supervision helps practitioners reflect on their methods and its effectiveness rather than just carry on doing things the way they’re used to – all whilst being mindful of and deepening their own meaning of the ethical and professional standards of the industry. 

This means – we can gain that sense of order, structure and high standards of excellence in a sometimes perceived-to-be chaotic reality of a self-regulated industry that’s not immune to the emergence of  “self-proclaimed” and “overnight” coaches. 

Supervision for coaches is like that safe haven we need to retreat to on a regular basis to stay meaningfully engaged, intellectually stimulated and emotionally supported in our work and most importantly, life. 

It’s difficult at times to separate you-as-a-professional from you-as-a-person (and why would we anyways?), so when we engage in coaching supervision we tend to naturally receive that holistic type of support that can directly or often implicitly elevate all areas of our life.

I’d like to invite you to take a moment now and see if you feel drawn to the meaning of what’s been mentioned so far? What words stood out for you specifically? 

And why would it make total sense for you to become a coaching supervisor as the next logical step in your coaching career? If you like, share them in the comments down below.

Question 2: “What is it about you that makes you feel like coaching supervision is the work you’re meant to be doing?”

I know, this might sound like a very ‘high-vibe’ question you might not even be in a mood for right now, especially if you adopt a rather pragmatic approach to reflecting on it. 

However, I believe there is always a part of us that ‘knows’ that something ‘just feels right’, even though logically we might struggle to explain it.

Many of us might sometimes feel like we need to present logical reasons to ‘justify’ our next investment or move, even though in reality we were sold on our decision based on those inner nudges way before we took time to rationalise it in our mind.  

You might call it instinct, gut feeling, inner knowing, or that visceral spark that says “that’s it, that’s the next step”. 

In his interview with Nick Bolton, Robin Shohet confessed that he sustained his love for supervision for over 40 years because “it fits totally with my character”.

This resonates deeply with me because I remember the day I decided to become a coaching supervisor. 

I was still studying to become a life coach back then and during one of the group supervision calls that I had attended, I found myself feeling positively consumed and thoroughly enjoying the process. 

During the call, we explored a number of client cases presented by other beginner coaches like myself and I felt like I was thriving as we explored the reality of what happened and possibilities of what could be done, and then shared our observations, hypothesis and suggestions of what we would try if we were in the coach’s shoes. 

When I finished sharing my thoughts, our supervisor said: “And I have nothing to add, because Kris just mentioned all of my ideas.” 

It was at that moment that I felt like I re-emerged from the deep waters of that process of collaborative exploration, to have a look around and realise: “I’m in my element.”

Joseph Campbell once famously said, “Follow your bliss and success will follow.” and I’m a huge believer that in order to make an aligned decision to do something (or rather become!), we need to enjoy the process, not just the results. 

Coaching supervision is a process of deep exploration of the coach’s client work, relationships they build with their clients and other stakeholders, as well as the exploration of their own inner world and how it informs their coaching practice. 

Similar to Robin Shohet, supervision suits my personality. I feel most alive when I gently investigate the stories my supervision clients bring, engage in explorations of facts and feelings, leaving no stones unturned, raising the current level of awareness, and wondering what we are not seeing that could potentially uplevel our way of thinking, doing and being. 

That’s my equivalent of Robin Shohet’s “it fits with my character”. 

The question is – what would be yours? What is it about you, your personality, your nature that makes you feel like you’d enjoy the process of coaching supervision?

Why do coaches train as coaching supervisors?

After having a number of conversations with some of my colleagues, I’d like to offer you a few ‘why’s’ from other coaches who have trained as coaching supervisors.

Maybe one or some of them will touch something in you and perhaps even feel right on a visceral level.

“I simply love working with other coaches. They know the power of coaching so well and are so open to going deep in our sessions to understand themselves better and lead their lives more authentically.”

“I’ve been coaching for a while and started feeling like I wanted to go beyond it. Coaching supervision was a godsend because it offered me a platform to share my rich professional experience and guidance with other coaches.”

“I love the therapeutic feel of coaching supervision, it plays to my strengths to facilitate that recreational space; my supervision clients often call our calls  “a spa for coaches”

“I’m a lifelong student and always have my nose in a coaching book or training, so helping other coaches build their coaching mastery and expand their toolkit really feeds my passion for learning.”

“I noticed how some fellow coaches just naturally started opening up to me about their inner dilemmas and asked me for my guidance and opinions. I wanted to make sure I’m equipped to support them effectively and ethically with this.”

“I feel like as a coach I can only help so many people. But as a coaching supervisor, my albeit indirect impact is exponential. I can implicitly support people that I have no idea how to reach otherwise.”

“I consider myself a spiritual person and that feeling of interconnectedness that’s so ever present in supervision practice just feels so right for my soul.”

These are just a few inspiring examples of why you might want to become a coaching supervisor. 

And if your mind and heart are indeed onboard, then what would be your why? 

Share in the comments below. 

As someone interested in workforce sustainability and support, and the place of coaching in compassionate leadership, and interested in the role supervision can play in staff retention, the question “What does good supervision for NHS clinician coaches¹ look like in a pandemic?” has been on my mind.  

The question changed multiple times as my inquiry progressed and as I examined what it means to be working as a coach in healthcare during Covid – a landslide of concerns.  

As a doctor involved in workforce education in the NHS, the question “What do clinical staff need, in order to flourish in the workplace?” is a frequently considered one.  

During this pandemic, the question has become “What do staff need to keep going in their jobs?” More specifically “What are NHS staff bringing to coaching in a pandemic and how can our coaches best support them?” 

As I set out to examine this question and consider what form coaching supervision should take, the enormity of concerns that both coachees and coaches are carrying swiftly emerged as a dominant theme.  

My role as Coaching Lead includes responsibility for appropriately addressing the CPD and supervision needs of our clinician-coaches.  As a practising coach and supervisor in this system, I am also hearing the same burden of concerns from coachees and coaches.  

Perhaps not surprisingly given the current pandemic a single coachee can present with a wide ‘circle of concern’², in addition to their coaching goal.  The complicating factor in this system is that the coach may also be holding similar concerns.  

Emotive descriptors such as ‘tsunami’ or ‘landslide’ have been used frequently to describe working conditions encountered in healthcare during the pandemic – it did indeed feel like a landslide at times listening to my supervisees.  

Many concerns voiced were common to more than one coach.  By now the question had evolved into “Given the burden of concerns experienced right now, what form should coaching supervision take?”.

This inquiry is examining what one part of the ‘system’ – clinician-coaches working in healthcare during a pandemic – need to continue their work.  

The system that coaches are bearing witness to is of course much broader than individual clinical care, as evidenced by the concerns documented in the appendix.  

It is important to note that we are not talking about people incapacitated by their mental health – the coaches and coachees I am referring to feel able to function at work and wish to continue to do so.  

This is not an exploration of burnout or the boundary between therapy and coaching, but a pragmatic look at what our colleagues – the carers – are holding and how as supervisors we can support the wider system through providing supervision.  

My own experience and the breadth of concerns expressed by others signposted me towards looking at the restorative component of supervision as a practice in its own right.   

What did I find?

As I explored further, the theme of self-compassion as an essential ingredient began to emerge.  

I reflected on my own experience of self-compassion as a restorative practice and added the question “What do we know about the place of self-compassion in sustaining staff?” to my inquiry: something which I had not contemplated during my training.  

Certainly in balancing the needs of others, whether coachees, trainees, patients or their family members, I have found the development of robust boundaries an absolute imperative, in order to manage my ‘rescuer’³.  

As Brene Brown teaches “the most compassionate and generous people are the most boundaried”⁴ and this certainly rings true both personally and working with healthcare professionals suffering burnout.

Professor Michael West’s longitudinal work examining the NHS workforce data provides an essential evidence base as we unpack the links between care of self and care of others.  

His work robustly describes:  

1. The link between positive staff experience and good patient outcomes19 and 
2. The link between self-compassion and ‘more effective interaction with all those we work with and offer care for’⁵.  

By now, the question had changed from:

“What would good supervision look like in a clinical setting right now” 

to 

“What is the place of ‘compassion practices’ in attending to the system (healthcare during a pandemic)?” and “How can we provide supervisory spaces which foster self-compassion and compassion?”.  

One of the concerns articulated by many involved in coaching in the NHS is that coaching and supervision become sticking plasters over staff need, in particular where systemic changes to amend demanding working conditions are not occurring.  

However, if coaching offers an opportunity for connection to core values and motivation, then it can be a place of self-compassion, and hence safe reflection.

And so I came to compassion practices – practices which are “all about reconnecting people to purpose, humanity, self, and each other, in a way that feels accessible, simple, and straightforward to implement.”⁶  

The practices I chose to explore are the 10-minute pause and #spacesforlistening, both small-group, compassion-based tools amenable to online delivery, and growing in use in the NHS currently.   

Both tools have their origins in the Thinking Environment described by Nancy Kline22 and so I revisited her ‘ten components’.  Whilst all the components are important in the creation of a Thinking Environment, I am reminded of the particular importance of attention, ease and place in restorative supervision.⁷  

Attention comprises non-interruption and listening with fascination – both ways of communicating compassion to the thinker.  

Ease is described as ‘freedom from internal urgency’ – consciously bringing this component invites safe exploration of thoughts and feelings, and the place is creating a supervision space which says ‘you matter’. 

Previously, this would have been the physical environment. But working virtually, I have found it to be clear instructions, the respect of and adherence to time boundaries, the equality generated in a round and again the non-interruption and fascination in where someone’s independent thinking will go in their supervision.  

Taken together these combinations and the remaining components is a powerful generator of a compassionate environment for independent thinking to occur.

Two points become clear through this line of inquiry: 

1. That compassion and self-compassion are essential components underpinning any supervision occurring with and for clinicians (indeed perhaps any supervision?), and 
2. The restorative component assumes a really important place in supervision, given the cognitive and emotional overload coachees and coaches are experiencing in their workplaces right now. 

As Kristin Neff, the voice of clarity and evidence on self-compassion explains,

“The beauty of self-compassion is that instead of replacing negative feelings with positive ones, new positive emotions are generated by embracing the negative ones. The positive emotions of care and connectedness are felt alongside our painful feelings”.⁸

She describes the three components of building self-compassion as tuning in and being aware of our suffering, understanding the common humanity in our situation, and offering kindness towards ourselves.⁹  

In other words, by becoming aware that we are in the midst of a landslide, that others are too and that it is tough, and that we are doing the best we can, we can escape from under the landslide.  

The piece that Michael West’s work adds to the picture is that by escaping it ourselves, we are able to assist others in seeing the landslide for what it is and getting out from under it in order to continue to work.

Brigid Proctor’s model describes the restorative, formative and normative functions of supervision;¹⁰ she also says, 

“practitioners of supervision and healthcare need support and help in seeking virtue and embracing wisdom in a complex and multicultural world.  One way they can get this is by being offered regular space to reflect on their moment-to-moment practice.”¹¹  

The compassion practices are not claiming to offer supervision in themselves but provide a component of supervision.  

Given the burden of concerns coaches are hearing and holding currently this seems a useful route of investigation – to explore the place of compassion practices as tools for bringing ease, mental space, and self-compassion, in doing so paving the way for additional supervisory exploration. 

Moreover, commencing supervision without attending to restorative practice would render the session redundant.  As Proctor says, 

“If supervision is not experienced as restorative, the other tasks will not be well done.”  

This makes intuitive sense as well as being born out in the neuroscientific literature: holding numerous concerns without attending to them leaves little space for independent thought, new perspective and appropriate development.¹²

Proctor’s model acknowledges there are always more than two stakeholders within clinical supervision.  

In the offering of restorative supervision, supervisees working in healthcare are empowered to support other staff they meet who in turn can support patients, their families and their wider system.  The ripple effect is powerful.¹³

Proctor references Gerard Egan’s Helper model¹⁴, and Heron’s 6 categories of inquiry¹⁵, and goes on to describe the value of reflecting, summarising, paraphrasing and exploring further with questions that facilitate deeper understanding.  

This contrasts with the compassion models undertaken during this inquiry which use timed rounds, generative attention and non-interruption to facilitate personal reflection and independent thinking.  

This underlines the fact that a compassion practice forms part of a supervisory session, not supervision in its entirety.

What was my experience of using compassion practices?

The two models I used were a 10-minute pause and a #spacesforlistening session.  I found both tools profound and impactful.  

I was invited to join a #spacesforlistening session by reaching out to the creators of the model for the purposes of this inquiry.  The session was held via Zoom and had eight participants – the maximum stipulated number.  

The practise consists of three timed rounds, with each participant having two minutes to speak per round, managed by a facilitator, with non-interruption agreed as part of the contract.  

All participants were on mute apart from the thinker, and speaking was limited to participants’ invited to turn in the round.  The questions were:

• “How are you and what is on your mind right now?”, 
• “In light of what you have heard in Round 1, what are your reflections and feelings?” and “What is one thing you might take forward and is there an appreciation you would like to share?”

Whilst at first glance these questions appear non-specific in the context of supervision what becomes quickly apparent is that they provide a safe space very rapidly, where participants share very personal and often moving thoughts.  

In practice, this means that people deal with what is ‘front of mind’ very swiftly. This quick dive into vulnerability facilitates sharing of unexpected things (more than one participant commented that they were surprised by what they spoke about and hadn’t intended to).  

The connection created through shared vulnerability feels very validating even when each other’s content is vastly different.  There is enormous potential for rapid connection with people who were strangers a minute ago, and yet the process is ‘stand-alone’.  Several participants commented that the lack of introductions or longer-term obligations felt liberating.  

My experience of the #spacesforlistening model resonated with my previous use of the Thinking Partnership, specifically that stating and adhering to time boundaries builds and strengthens psychological safety and that two minutes feels incredibly spacious.  

Also, that non-interruption is vital in the exploration of the content of one’s thoughts, when previously the content may have been eclipsed by the associated emotional load, or landslide.  

It is surprising what emerges from the ‘luxury’ of non-interruption: new insights which may up until that point have been opaque, or unavailable, somewhat out of reach in one’s awareness.  

It is profoundly moving to have others bear witness to these and the offering of generative attention (listening with fascination and non-interruption) is both validating and nourishing.  

My experience of this process is that even when one is carrying burdensome thoughts, lightness is achieved through having others hear them without further comment.  

There is a rich reward of accountability within the group: it may be easier not to think these thoughts than think them but being present and being heard encourages examination of all that one is holding.  

That feels necessary for maintenance and self-care.  Of course, further work might need to be done in terms of exploring patterns, unhelpful attachments or inference etc.  But this deeper work of further exploration is made available through opening the supervision space with a compassion practice and making space for new thinking.  

Prioritising listening without offering comment or solution communicates a deep respect for the quality of the thinker’s own reflections and the assumption that the thinker is resourceful, able to attend to their own needs and that they may hold the new perspective they seek.

Another reflection is of how normal it is to receive others’ ideas as ‘good or bad’, ‘right or wrong’ very quickly and without full examination.  

Allowing the thoughts of participants to be stated fully and without interruption means we listen to the end of them, where previously we might have ‘reacted’ and switched off.  This observation is deeply uncomfortable, yet the awareness is so valuable.

The 10-minute pause presents an alternative, briefer restorative space, again via a script and schedule.  The scripted nature of this tool means it can be used by many and without a trained facilitator.  

Whilst the presence of a trained facilitator enhances the session, it is not essential, making this a pragmatic offer available to a wider reach of staff.  A lack of allocated supervision time or trained staff is a reality for much of the workforce. 

The 10-minute pause begins and ends with a round and uses a listening pair in the middle to consider a question and receive and offer appreciation.  The opening round is the question “What is something you feel grateful for or that is going well for you?”  

The listening pairs occur in breakout rooms or physically in pairs if able to meet in a room together.  

This segment offers two minutes each to contemplate uninterrupted the question “What does caring for yourself mean to you?”, and then to offer “One thing I appreciate about you is…” to their partner.  The final round is “To be wise, kind and compassionate to myself, I will…”.

The learning from this model reflected much of that from #spaceforlistening and Thinking Partnership work – in short segments of time participants in a group can create authentic and meaningful connections that are moving and profound.  

When I ran the 10-minute pause sessions, I found that participants were astounded by their own responses to the self-care question.  

These are seasoned healthcare providers, aware of the prevalence of burnout and the need to look after themselves, and yet time and time again commented that this was something that they had lost sight of, perhaps buried under the landslide of the cognitive and emotional load they were carrying.  

A frequent comment was “no-one has ever asked me that” (about self-care).  Although self-care is replenishment work we need to do for ourselves, asking about it can be a way of offering compassion to colleagues and embedding self-compassion as a cultural norm.

I was also reminded of the power of silence for creating space for independent thought. This allows work to be done and reflections to occur at the pace that an individual requires. It is tempting to feel that as supervisors we add value through reflection, comment, noticing, sharing insights. 

Whilst this may be true, there is undoubtedly value to be gained by fostering an environment where the supervisee knows their own thoughts are valued, essential for their own growth and development, and that giving voice to them is an act of self-compassion.  

This is advantageous in a group space where there can otherwise be pressure to go at a group-led pace, rather than an individual one.  

What did I conclude?

The pandemic has added new pressures to a system already struggling with chronic overload.  This combination magnifies risk to patient safety, intention to quit amongst staff, and staff burnout.  

Living with the landslide of concerns described in the appendix is deeply damaging.  This damage is born by individuals but may be visited by others – colleagues, patients, family members unless attended to.  

Clinician coaches are providing welcome space to coachees in the NHS wanting to reach their potential, explore career challenges and bring new awareness to their situation.  Both coachee and coach may also be standing in the way of the landslide and require techniques to manage the burden of concerns.  

One way of managing concerns is through a group compassion practice.  We know that compassion is a core value in health and social care – it resonates strongly with staff as a key purpose for choosing to work in healthcare, and it is also essential for the quality of interaction across teams and with patients.  

Yet the healthcare system can be poor at reflecting ‘you matter’ back to its staff.  Practices that model staff compassion and embed the statement that staff matter is essential, for good patient care, for staff retention and for quality supervision.

Underpinning the use of these compassion practices is the assumption that taking time to properly examine one’s thoughts is an act of self-compassion.  

Without this gift to oneself, it is impossible to be present for others and to enable them to do the work required in coaching or supervision.  Unless one creates a restorative space in supervision, little normative or formative supervision work will land.  

Self-compassion is an essential component of professional life for all of us working in health and social care (all of us in general!).  By investing time in ourselves, we invest in our capacity to work effectively and compassionately with our teams, our patients and their families.  

Compassion practices are one way of ensuring supervision for healthcare professionals models and builds self-compassion – an essential way to survive the landslide.

At the very heart of what I hold as a core belief, is that given the right environment, people can change, grow and develop. 

Through this transformation, they can go on to do more or do differently, achieve more, understand more and ultimately, be more. 

However, I fundamentally believe that in order for people to be more, they need to be more. 

By this, I mean that they need to truly stop and stay in the moment to feel and understand where they are now, in the here and now. 

In this reflection essay, I wanted to explore the importance of being more in supervision and the impact this can have on our supervisees and ultimately their clients, as well as the idea of co-creation with a supervisee, to help them co-create with their clients. 

By allowing our supervisees to be more, we will perhaps be able to help them find a solution faster. 

On Practicing Conscious Reflection

In my work in people development over the last 25 years and specifically as an executive coach over the last 10 years, I have noticed that in many organisations, the requirement to do more (often with less), achieve more, and be more has also increased. 

I have also noticed that the executives I have worked with have gone on to make lasting change because they have given themselves ‘permission’ to have space, to reflect and understand where they are — the opportunity to be more. 

They were able to consider what and where they are, rather than constantly striving to be what they are not.  

Personally, before the COVID-19 pandemic, I now realise, I was constantly trying to achieve more and help others achieve more. 

Constantly travelling, on a plane, train or automobile, constantly running from meeting to meeting. Perhaps never fully reflecting deeply enough on my coaching practice.  

Working with clients during the pandemic has highlighted the importance of coaching and how transformational it can be. It has also shown me that, in order to do our best work, we need to reflect well on the quality of our work and how crucial the practice of conscious reflection really is. 

According to Julie Hay,

“Reflecting helps you consider what you have done, how you and your client behaved, what the outcomes were, how you might have handled things differently”.

(Hay, 2007, p7)

However, since the start of my supervision training and my encounters with coaches around me, I have been surprised by the number of coaches, not yet engaging regularly in supervision. 

Perhaps in their quest to be more in their coaching practices, they are not allowing themselves the permission to be more — to fully engage the formative, normative and restorative functions of supervision. 

Perhaps, in their desire to help others be more and go on to have extraordinary impact, they may not be allowing themselves the same benefits. 

As Shohet and Shohet suggest,

“if we rush to a solution because of a need for a quick fix, then we will not have taken the time to look at the whole system. Parts of the system that have been neglected have the potential to sabotage. Action at all costs is replacing the thoughtful assessment of the whole picture. The job of the supervisor might be, among other things, not to collude with that picture, but slow things down”

(Shohet & Shohet, 2020, p.26). 

For supervision clients, if we can successfully create this environment, we move into the “contact stage” and as Bluckert suggests, we “rediscover our sparkle” (Bluckert, 2015, p.78). 

My role as a supervisor is to allow that opportunity for space for the supervisee to be more, so that they can do their work on whatever is presenting, at a pace that allows them to experience what is really going on for them. 

It is allowing them to move away from their own critical inner voice and just explore their learning.

In reference to coaching, Bluckert says

“A large part of the role that a coach undertakes is to listen and reflect, not to attempt to answer questions that they are not qualified to answer” (Bluckert, 2006, p.78). “Staying grounded, dealing with your own anxiety and avoiding a premature rush to fix things can be one of the most difficult aspects of the coaching role”

(Bluckert, 2006, p138). 

4 Key Principles To Being More in Supervision 

To be able to do the work that I do, I have four key principles that underpin my work as a supervisor. 

They are not only really important to me but also crucial for me to do my best work, which in turn will allow my supervisees to do their best work with their clients.  

1. Connection

This is about the connection that I build as a supervisor with the supervisee, which is genuine and authentic. 

Through this genuine connection, my supervisee is more able to feel they are in a safe place to be more. A place to be held, to work with whatever is emerging for them and explore its meaning. 

Connection is the key pillar to my supervision model. For me, it’s at the very heart of my supervision practice as I believe that one of my natural strengths is to allow my supervisees to feel supported and ‘held’ in the moment and that they feel that I am by their side all the way, not to ‘rescue’ them, but to stay in the moment to just ‘Be’.  

This follows the person-centred approach in psychotherapy that Carl Rogers discusses when he says “I would like him to know that I stand with him … and that I can look upon it relatively unafraid” (Rogers, 2004, p.66). 

The stronger the bond between supervisor and supervisee, the more open the supervisee will feel held in the moment and able to explore more of what is presenting for them, which again Rogers shares that the client may be expressing “It makes me feel that I want to go further, exploring me, perhaps expressing more of myself” (Rogers, 2004, p.67). 

Rogers goes on to explain that in order for the person-centred approach to work, three conditions must be present: Genuineness, unconditional positive regard and empathetic understanding. 

Silence is also crucial in this principle for clients to do their best work. As Nancy Kline suggests,

“It doesn’t matter if you already know what someone is about to say before they have finished saying it. What matters is what happens for them because they say it”

(Kline, 2014, p.8).

I try to use silence whenever appropriate in my supervision practice. 

The contracting phase is also crucial for building connections. Mary Beth O’Neill suggests “it is the most important phase” (O’Neill, 2000, p.92) and as Jonathan Passmore suggests it paves the way “for a rich, highly rewarding learning experience” (Passmore et al, 2010, p.38).

I have been given feedback from my supervisees that I contract well, that I demonstrate a genuine warmth and interest and listen intently, tracking what’s being said and what’s not being said, but expressed through body language or pace of breathing.

As a result, this helps the supervisee build trust in my credibility as a supervisor to work with them on whatever is emerging.

2. Attention

This is about my presence as a supervisor, to be totally in the moment to pay attention and notice what is being said and what is not being said, through tone of voice and body language and then bring this to the attention of the supervisee. 

It is also to share what is emerging for me, as the supervisor, during the session. 

After having built a strong connection with a supervisee, the second most important principle is ‘Attention’; to pay attention and bring to my supervisees’ attention not only what I notice they are saying or doing in the session, but what also emerges for me. 

“Attending well to another person requires giving them full and undivided attention”

(Hawkins & Smith, 2013, p252).

All of this can help to bring clarity to the supervisees’ situation. 

This is what Marion Gillie would describe as “active / pro-active attending” (Gillie, 2008, p.2) and means that you are not only listening to what the supervisee is saying, but also paying attention to what the supervisee is not saying. Erik De Haan says “being able to listen closely and attentively is essential” (De Haan, 2012, p21).  

This also links with the Gestalt approach and staying with the energy. From the early work of Frederick Perls and the later work of Duncan Coppock, John Leary-Joyce, Marion Gillie, Marjorie Shackleton and Peter Bluckert, this principle is all about allowing the supervisee to ‘be’ in the moment and stay with the data. 

As Gillie and Shackleton share;

“At the heart of the Gestalt approach lies working with the client’s immediate phenomenology and the notion of staying with whatever emotion is evoked during a session”

(Gillie & Shackleton, AoEC PDF, p.6). 

This might show up in my supervision practice with me playing back what the supervisee just said or did. For example, with a recent supervisee, I played back by saying “I noticed when you talked about that you audibly breathed out. What was going on for you there?”. Or even more simply “what’s coming up for you here?”. 

This allows the supervisee to amplify and explore what this is and see if this represents more data about their situation. 

It also follows the Gestalt approach of allowing the supervisee the choice to experiment. Experiments may show up in my supervision when I notice a significant body language or gesture. 

For example, with a recent supervisee, when using Eye 1, when we “concentrated on the detail of the client situation and how the client presented themselves” (Hawkins & McMahon, 2020, p.87), I noticed a big hand slap whenever they talked about their client. 

When I said “what’s this” and mirrored back the same gesture, they said, “oh wow, I didn’t know I was doing that”. I said, “do it some more, exaggerate it more … what’s coming up for you now?”. 

It emerged that they were feeling frustrated with the client but hadn’t until then, realised quite how much. We then continued our supervision session with this new data.  

This is about the natural curiosity I have as a supervisor and the challenge that I bring to the session. 

This is able to happen through questions and metaphors to help to facilitate deeper understanding for the supervisee.  

This might also be highlighting the formative and normative functions of supervision. 

3. Challenge 

Once I have built a connection with a supervisee and I have been paying attention to what is coming up for them and for me, the third principle in my practice is ‘Challenge’. 

This is about challenging their assumptions and helping people shift from, as Rosabeth Kanter Moss would describe, “stuck to moving” (Bailey, 2013, p.1). 

I would say that this is my learning edge as a supervisor and, in the words of Mary-Beth O’Neill, I am probably supervising with a lot of heart and not enough backbone. 

“Backbone is about saying what your position is, whether it is popular or not. Heart is staying in the relationship and reaching out even when that relationship is in conflict.”

(O’Neill, 2000, p.13). 

I do have a natural curiosity and therefore, in my supervision practice, this might show up with some incisive questions, to really help the supervisee think differently and try to free themselves from their own limiting assumptions and beliefs. 

However, the part that I am most excited about in my evolving supervision practice is within Heron’s Six Categories of Supervision, using the Authoritative function. 

This is something new to me and as Nick Bolton says

“It is predicated on the expertise, experience and authority of the supervisor who can credibly, knowledgeable and appropriately administer such advice” 

(Bolton, Expanding your Supervision Range blog, 2020).

4. Va Va Voom 

This is about my signature presence as a supervisor and my natural tendency to bring a little fun and irreverence to what I do. 

For many people that I work with, the feedback is that this helps me build empathy quickly, helps them feel at ease with me and as a result, more able to share their thoughts and feelings, yet the whole interaction feels fresh. 

I can only do this when I am at my best, so I also need to focus on the restorative function and what keeps me restored. 

‘Va Va Voom’ is the fourth principle of my supervision model and the one that best describes my signature presence. I have a fascination for Positive Psychology and the impact it can have. 

For me, ‘Va Va Voom’ is about allowing myself permission to bring my natural personality to work. I have natural strengths of humour, fun and optimism and I really love it when I can bring these to work and encourage others to do the same.  

I also bring a slight irreverence, which I believe, keeps my interactions feel fresh. This allows me to help my supervisees “generate as many positive emotions as possible by asking supervisees about their desired future, competencies, successes, etc. to enhance their creativity, flexibility and empathy” (Bannink, 2015 p.26). 

For me to be at my best, it’s working in, as Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi would suggest, the state of ‘Flow’.

“Flow is marked by being so absorbed in a task that time passes without noticing the clock”

(Pemberton, 2015, p.112).

Therefore I also need to prepare myself for my supervision sessions. 

This for me is also not allowing my critical voice to interfere. As Tim Gallway explains, “In other words, the key to better tennis – or better anything – lies in improving the relationship between the conscious teller, Self 1, and the natural capabilities of Self 2” (Gallwey, 2015, p.10). 

Or as Dr. Steve Peters suggests, it’s about managing your “chimp” (Peters, 2012, p.1) so I am totally in the moment, fully absorbed with my supervisee.

There are various techniques, as Landsberg describes,

“First, we can use selected techniques before a session, to declutter our minds and access states of strong intention, attention and attitude”

(Landsberg, 2015, p.89). 

This is a short term approach, but I also used a longer-term approach through the use of mindfulness that I have been practicing over the last 3 years. 

Mindfulness;

“One of the most well-known studies is that of Richard Davidson, who scanned the brains of Tibetan Buddhist monks who had between fifteen and forty years’ intensive practice in meditation. Scanning showed that when meditating, the activity in their left prefrontal cortex was far greater than in the right prefrontal cortex to an extent never previously recorded. Since left prefrontal cortex activity is associated with happiness, and right prefrontal cortex activity is associated with negative emotions and anxiety, the study suggested that one’s emotions could be changed through mental training”

(Pemberton, 2015, p.83).

I believe that for me to do my best work, I need to focus on getting ready before the supervision session. This helps me to be more with the supervisee. Because I have prepared well I can declutter the other noise in my head and trust the process of the supervision session. 

As John Leary-Joyce suggests,

“Your focused relaxed attention intuitively knows the most efficient route you can take with your client and you surrender to it”

(Leary-Joyce, 2014, p.225) 

However, we perhaps don’t need to have three years of mindfulness practice, or as with the Tibetan Buddhist monks, fifteen – forty years of experience in meditation. We could perhaps just focus on the “three-minute breathing space” (Hall, 2013, p.95) as Liz Hall suggests, by breathing consciously (even during a supervision session). 

In Summary 

In summary, my core belief is that given the right environment, supervisees can change, grow and develop. 

Through this transformation, they can go on to be more, achieve more, do more, get more. 

However, to truly achieve sustainable transformational change, they need to be more. They need to be carefully held at the moment to experience where they are in the here and now. 

“Acting alone is thoughtless … just as reflecting alone is passive. Both are crucial. But today, one – reflection – gets lost”

(Gosling et al, 2004, p.151). 

Bibliography 

• Bailey, S. (2013). Stuck in a Rut? Three ‘M’s to Keep You Moving. Forbes.com.  p.1 
• Bannink, F. (2015). Handbook of Positive Supervision. Hogrefe. p.26 • Bluckert, P. (2015). Gestalt Coaching Right here, right now. Open University  Press. p.8, p.73, p.75. p. 78, p.138 
• Bolton, N. (2020) Expanding your supervision range: Using Heron’s 6 Categories  of Intervention in Coaching Supervision blog 
• De Haan, E. (2012) Supervision in Action. p 21 
• Gallwey, W, T. (2015). The Inner Game of Tennis. Johnathon Cape. p.10 
• Gosling, J & Mintzberg, H. (2004). Reflect Yourself. HR Magazine Vol 49(9). p.151 
• Hall, L. (2013). Mindful Coaching: How Mindfulness can Transform Coaching  Practice. Kogan Page Limited. p.95 
• Hawkins, P. & McMahon, A. (2020). Supervision in the Helping Professions. P87 
• Hawkins, P. & Smith, N. (2013). Coaching, Mentoring and Organizational  Consultancy – Supervision Skills & Development. Open University Press. p252 
• Hay, J. (2007) Reflective Practice and Supervision for Coaches. Open University  Press. p7 
• Kline, N. (2014). Time to Think AoEC PDF Article. Nicola Strong Enterprises. p.8 
• Landsberg, M. (2015). Mastering Coaching. Profile Books. p.89 
• Leary-Joyce, J. (2014). The Fertile Void. AoEC Press. p.225 
• O’Neill, M. (2000). Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart. John Wiley &  Sons. p.13, p.92,  
• Passmore, J. et al (2010). Excellence in Coaching. Association for Coaching. p.38 
• Pedrick, C. (2021). Simplifying Coaching, Open University Press. p102. 
• Pemberton, C. (2015). Resilience: A Practical Guide for Coaches. Open University  Press. p.83, p.112 
• Peters, S. (2012). The Chimp Paradox. Vermilian / Ebury Publishing. p.1 
• Rogers, C. (2004). On Becoming a Person – A therapist’s view of psychotherapy.  Constable & Company. p.67 
• Shohet, R. and Shohet, J. (2020), In Love with Supervision p.26

I recently supervised an experienced coach for the fifth time who, at the beginning of the session, gave me some specific and constructive feedback.  

She told me that when reviewing our previous session she had been uncomfortable, she felt like a student and that I was like a teacher telling her what to do.

She felt that I was taking an authoritative stance, and she felt judged by that. My note taking during the session was also perceived as me noting what she had done wrong.

We had a very open conversation around this issue, which had in truth come as a surprise to me, as I had never received feedback that was even close to how she was experiencing our supervision relationship. 

In fact, my other feedback had told me the opposite: of supervision clients feeling unconditionally accepted and listened to, never judged. 

What was different in this session or this relationship that resulted in my client feeling the way she did?

I was very curious about this and had a desire to investigate and assess my own approach, not only in this session with this coach, but in all my sessions with other supervision clients, and perhaps with coaching clients too.

This thought led me to question the place of authority in the supervision relationship:  where are the lines, what does it mean to be in the ‘super’ position, how is this experienced by different supervisors or supervision clients?

In this reflection piece, we’ll take a deeper dive to understand the relationship between a supervisor and a supervisee and what authority means in the supervisory relationship. 

Clearing the Lines of Supervision 

The word “Supervision” can translate as overseeing, guidance, control, direction among many other synonyms. There are subtle differences in each of these words, and their meaning will also vary according to the perspective as well as the personal experience of whoever is using or hearing the word.  

The mindset of both participants at the time of the specific session may also play a part, as can the outcome of previous sessions and whether these were admitted, explored and understood in the best possible way between the parties. 

As a supervisor, it can be all too easy to bring one’s own biases, working style and approach or even expectations into the supervisory relationship. The supervisor must be alert to the possibility of encouraging or expecting deference from the supervisee, due to the roles both parties are playing. 

The supervisor’s willing self-awareness and openness to the feedback from the coach are essential when this happens. Acknowledging one’s own part in any challenge that may arise is always key learning for both parties, irrespective of the individual roles.

Authority in the relationship needs to be accessed as an enabling factor to allow the supervisee to tell their story without feeling judged, in safety and with the benefit of being heard, understood and seen. It can then result in the relationship existing in a sphere of shared meaning and trust.  

This means supervisors are keeping sight of the goals of the supervisee in delivering competency and effectiveness to their clients, while highlighting the supervisee’s growing edges and supporting their own growth at the same time.

In the Stance of a Coaching Supervisor

The authority of the supervisor can be demonstrated in multiple ways, particularly as a supervisor brings observation, interpretation, intervention and personal focus on the supervisee to the relationship. 

These elements combine to result in improved competency in the relationship of the supervisee, with their own clients and their issues, as well as the competency and relationship between supervisor and supervisee. 

However, the way in which they are delivered has a huge impact on the arrival of both supervisee and supervisor at a beneficial outcome.

In order to observe, the supervisor is necessarily at a remove in order to be more objective. At times, a removed stance may be perceived by a supervisee as authoritative distancing, and hence judging.  

As one observes, one interprets – sometimes unconsciously, sometimes with focus – and at this point, a supervisor may start to formulate their own interpretation around what may be happening for the supervisee. 

The supervisor can then choose to investigate and gain clarification on any interventions they are witnessing from the supervisee/client relationship, while simultaneously making their own choices (again consciously or unconsciously) on the interventions they may be planning to use themselves with the supervisee. 

The reception and the results of these interventions may be affected by how the observation has been perceived and received by the supervisee. Questioning the interventions made by the supervisee could be received negatively and as coming from an authoritarian rather than collaborative position. 

An awareness of the subtle shifts that may occur in each relationship at these times, and the reinforcement of the trust engendered from the outset of the supervision relationship, are key to navigating successfully through these moments. 

Without the awareness, the relationship may fall into a transactional pattern of Critical Parent and Adapted Child without this being recognised. 

In the Perspectives of a Supervisee 

Personal focus on the supervisee is essential in multiple ways. The supervisee’s main tool is him or herself, so acknowledging how the supervisee shows up, what is going on for them and what they are bringing to the client session are vital to understanding any issue or topic they are bringing to supervision. 

This can become a sensitive area depending on the individual supervisee and how deeply they are willing to explore what may be going on for them at that moment or previously, how much safety they feel in the supervisory relationship or how relevant they think the focus is. 

Lightness of touch is crucial to providing ongoing supportive holding of the supervisee in a positive regard and to prevent their inner critic from surfacing and becoming disruptive. 

Slipping into driving an agenda that suits the working preferences of the supervisor can be a danger too.

It is important to bear in mind that, for example, if on an occasion the supervisor brings their focus to the supervisee’s subjective feelings, the supervisee may have already done a lot of work on their own personal awareness via another method, and would rather, at least in this instance, experience a more theoretical focus. 

The psychological contract containing each party’s unspoken expectations is at play here. Therefore, it is crucial to create an exploration space so that if the supervisee starts to feel that the relationship is uncomfortably authoritarian, it can be addressed in an open, constructive and positive way. 

By the way, in case you were wondering, I did explore this subject with my own supervisor too.

Creating a Safe Space for Awareness and Dialogue in Supervision

Addressing this possibility at the outset of the relationship, and re-contracting during the sessions when it has become apparent to either party means less chance of misunderstanding or dissatisfaction within the supervision relationship. 

Within a space of awareness of self and other, an acknowledgement of the experience and training of the supervisor by the supervisee can be handled with delicacy and balance to avoid this being perceived as superiority, authoritarianism or criticism. 

As long as the issue is raised well it can become a learning point. The new knowledge and experience that springs from this, for both the supervisor and supervisee, brings yet another opportunity for deeper self-awareness and growth.

With the growth of coaching as a profession, the need for coaching supervision has been more pronounced than ever. 

In fact, many coaches heed the call to become coaching supervisors later on in their careers. 

This similar story of being a coach to a supervisor is one that Nick Bolton, founder and CEO of the International Centre for Coaching Supervision, shared with us in our recent interview. 

He talked about how his passion for coaching supervision grew into establishing his own virtual supervision school and how he sees this thriving profession expand globally. 

Watch the complete interview below and read on to discover more about Nick’s global vision for coaching supervision and the story behind ICCS. 

Nick Bolton’s Journey from Being a Coach to a Coaching Supervisor 

Like any other coaching supervisor, Nick had his humble beginnings in the world of coaching. In early 2000, he worked in various organizations, coaching police officers and social workers on how they can improve their performance at work. 

Progressing into his coaching career, he eventually opened up his own coaching school, Animas Centre for Coaching. 

With Animas being one of the largest coaching schools in the UK, Nick sensed a responsibility towards the thousands of coaches that took part in their courses. This is where his supervision journey began. 

However, his initial thoughts about what supervision meant were more into just the perspective of addressing what was needed. He thought being a good coach was good enough to be a supervisor. 

“I think that’s pretty normal in the supervision field. Most supervisors start by just kind of going from whatever their practice is to a more experienced version of that practice to a supervisor of that practice. They don’t necessarily know that there’s a specific journey to becoming a supervisor.” 

It was only at the beginning of 2010 where the field of coaching supervision really started to develop. In 2014, Nick trained to be a supervisor and found the experience to be mind-blowing. 

“I hadn’t realized the extent to which supervision was a separate discipline with its own competencies, its own ethical framework in some way of seeing the relationship with the person in front of you. Everything was sort of the same, but different. And it was… it was brilliant.”

At that point, Nick realized truly what supervision meant. For him, it’s more than helping someone become a better coach. 

He recognized that coaching supervision dials into the coach and how they fit in as a human being. It encompasses the understanding of how the coach actually copes, what impact they have on their clients and how they are fitting in the norms and standards of the profession. 

READ: What is Coaching Supervision? 

The Genesis of ICCS 

Given the various perspectives Nick had on coaching supervision, it became natural for him to find ways on how he could share his specific skills and experiences. 

In 2016, he built his coaching supervision course under Animas. This was the seed that grew to what is now the International Centre for Coaching Supervision (ICCS). 

The ICCS officially launched at the beginning of 2020, right at the start of the pandemic. Nick likened the experience of starting ICCS to the Chinese word for “crisis”, in which he explains: 

“Everyone knows the cliche that the word ‘Crisis’ in Chinese is two symbols (危机 = wēi jī), danger and opportunity. And so when COVID struck last year, we went virtual with our main coaching course because I really felt like this was an opportunity for me to double down on supervision, but built natively to the virtual world.”

ICCS have been developed to be a completely virtual program, with a mission to make high-quality coach supervision training accessible throughout the coaching world.

Finding The Why of ICCS

When asked about his goals for ICCS, Nick was very vocal to say that he is an entrepreneur at heart. However, he knew there needed to be a deeper purpose when he started the company. 

“As a very pragmatic business person, my main goal is to make a business work. But when you think about what’s the goal that sits behind that goal, you might say, ‘Well, why bother doing it at all? What’s the bigger goal that you’re trying to achieve by starting this company?’” 

According to Nick, the bigger purpose for ICCS is really threefold — improving the quality of coaching, finding the stances of coaching, and developing the sense of the coach itself. 

Improving the Quality of Coaching 

For Nick Bolton, building ICCS was more than creating another training course. In his journey with leading Animas, he recognized the responsibility he has as the owner of a coaching school that puts thousands of coaches into the world. 

Finding a way to enrich their ongoing development has been part and parcel of his supervision journey. In improving the quality of coaching as a field, he wanted to find answers to these questions:

“How do I continue to support the quality of work being done by the coaches that, not only Animas creates, but also the wider coaching world?  How do I become part of that mission of improving the quality of coaching that’s done across the world?” 

Finding The Stances of Coaching 

Sometimes, coaches may find themselves in a delicate position when it comes to navigating their sessions with their clients. 

According to Nick, there has been an ongoing pattern of ebb and flow within the profession where coaches get motivated and interested in a particular field of work. However, after some time, the profession moves away from this discussion and finds another one to be interested in. 

An example of this is the current conversation about coaching and trauma. 

“It’s not that I don’t think coaches should be working on the trauma, but I think there are questions about their competence to work with trauma. So then I think to myself, the role of the supervision school is to make sure that the standards and ethics of the professional I care about are at least being thought of,” Nick shares.  

“You know, it’s not for me to dictate that this shouldn’t be done or should be done. But I think I have a role to at least have a conversation around what are we trying to get to as a profession and what’s the role of supervision in that?” 

Developing the Sense of the Coach 

Working in the coaching profession for more than 20 years, Nick has noticed how many coaches can get so obsessed with competence, skills, standards and ethics. 

He finds that this can disrupt the true purpose of being a coach because it leads them to forget their sense of being human.

After all, coaches don’t just become one by accident. It requires a very conscious choice and effort to gain the skills and expertise to be a coach. However, with the demands to fit in what the profession wants from a coach, they can often lose themselves in the process. 

In this sense, Nick wants his virtual coaching supervision school to be a part of the ecosystem that helps coaches find their true selves. 

Going Beyond Virtual Training: What Else Does ICCS Have To Offer? 

The pandemic turned many training programmes into a virtual learning environment. 

However, more than ICCS’ mission to deliver coaching supervision training to as many coaches around the world as possible, Nick sees so much more opportunity with the community of coaching supervisors he’s building. 

“My main passion is growing communities of learning. I’m much more fascinated by what does it take to create a sustainable community of learning versus what does it take to create a training company,” 

His genuine interest revolves around creating a community that’s going to sustain themselves and creating opportunities for the coaching supervisors to engage with each other in a very deliberate and conscious sense. 

In response, ICCS currently host a variety of events such as communities of practice, book clubs, and summits, which are scheduled throughout the year. 

Is ICCS any different to other coaching supervision schools? Well, not really… 

When Nick was asked about his thoughts on what sets ICCS apart from other coaching supervision schools, he was very honest in saying that he feels like the course itself isn’t all that different. 

However, he believes that joining a supervision school should merely rely on the aspiring supervisor and how they feel about the curriculum and the community they’re taking part in. 

“Honestly, I don’t think that [the curriculum] matters that much. I think what’s more important is the wider context in which as a student, you then fit. And that’s what I care more about is ‘what’s the context I’m creating’. It’s more this philosophy, the vibe, the connections, all those kinds of very intangible differences.’ 

Nick Bolton’s Global Vision for Coaching Supervision and ICCS: Where Will It Be in the Next Few Years?  

With ICCS just starting in early 2020, Nick believes the business is still in a formative phase. But with its foundations laid on its virtual learning, the coaching supervision school is focused on reaching a wider, global audience. 

Slowly but surely, this vision is coming to light. Nick was incredibly excited when a supervisor trainee joined from the Reunion Island — an island located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. 

“I would love that we have genuinely spread the coaching supervision, ethos, and practice to as many places around the world as possible.” 

Once the world reopens once again, Nick is looking forward to having live international summits to bring together all these coaching supervisors from around the world and meet in person. 

“Well, that’s where I started dreaming. So, my first practical step is to spread the school to as many places as possible. And then see what comes from that.” 

What exciting things are happening within ICCS? 

Since its establishment, ICCS have already gathered an active group of coaching supervisors on Facebook. Aptly called the Coach Supervisors’ Lounge, this private Facebook group has become a network and discussion zone for the alumni and students of the ICCS. 

Although the social media platform has been a great avenue to use as a collaborative space for the ICCS community, Nick also sees potential in building a separate app exclusively for this purpose. 

Another initiative Nick is looking to launch is the ICCS’ Community of Practice. In these virtual round-table sessions, coaching supervisors can also look forward to building connections and having enriching discussions with their colleagues. 

“We’re launching a business community of practice for ‘How do I, as a supervisor, grow my practice?’ We’re looking at communities of practice around being a supervisor. You know, challenges you might have within supervision and ideas and things that come up within supervision. And we’re looking at a community of practice in group supervision, which is a specific skill in itself.” 

ICCS will also be holding a number of external events, where they will bring in expert trainers from outside the school to deliver talks about different themes and topics in supervision. 

What’s exciting in the world of coaching supervision?  

Nick believes that coaching supervision as a profession will be going through some exciting shifts. For one, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) just launched its own community of practice for supervision. 

“It shows it’s the first tentative science that the professional body is beginning to engage in a very meaningful sense with supervision,”  

There are also a number of books and resources coming out that offer exciting concepts, for which Nick calls a “rebirth of ideas” within the supervision field. 

On Nick’s Final Reflections… 

Before we ended the interview, Nick aired out his reflections when it comes to doing business in the same profession. 

Being in the coaching business for several years, he finds it a struggle to connect with other competitors in the same field. As with many businesses nowadays, protecting each others’ interests has been a vital priority. 

However, Nick would rather turn these competitions into opportunities. 

“One of the things I recognize is that my first duty and responsibility is to the customers/professionals that I’m trying to serve, not to my business, which means that if I see something that one of my ‘competitors’ is doing, I would love to share that with my community. I would like them to get the training they need. I’d like them to get the community they need. I’d like them to connect to who they need to connect to, that isn’t just about staying in my little bubble.” 

That is where Nick Bolton envisions ICCS to be — being a part of a wider connection of bodies who can bring their walls down between them and start working together collaboratively. 

“Somebody will choose the right school based on them and their beliefs. Not based on whether we can stop them from finding another school to go to. So, I’d love to bring those walls down. That would be my dream.”

For all aspiring coaching supervisors looking for the right supervision school to train with, Nick parts with this advice: 

“Go see the whole world. And if we’re right for you, you’ll come to us. And if you’re not, you’ll make the right choice to not be with us. And that’s fine either way. Because you’ve got to make the choice for you. And that’s how I see it. I think that’s a reflection of supervision and coaching.” 

If you’re interested to learn more about the virtual coaching supervision courses of ICCS, you can check out our Diploma in Coaching Supervision page. 

You can also take part in a free introductory session to become a coaching supervisor. 

So, I’m a qualified coaching supervisor! Now what? How do I plan for success?

Of course, that wasn’t my first question! All journeys of learning provoke questions and I had plenty!

What actually is supervision? Could I be a supervisor? Did I want to be a supervisor? Was I even capable of being a supervisor? 

I asked questions around specific models and techniques, and I asked myself how on earth I could even call myself a coach let alone a supervisor. 

When the training ended I felt I had to answer the question, “How can I be an excellent supervisor?” 

Looking back though, just a few weeks later, I began to see that it’s such a subjective outcome that it’s completely unhelpful to contemplate as a brand new supervisor.  Indeed, for me, it was leading to self-judgement and hopelessness (not really what you want out of a brilliant learning experience!). 

I think a lot of new coaches and supervisors come from the perspective of “how can I be excellent at this” but there are so many different ways that you could rank performance based on the context that it is impossible to answer. 

Obviously you could have the checkbox exercise of ticking off competencies of the professional bodies.  You could look at the the model of coaching maturity and assess yourself against that.  And yes there were some other indicators that bubbled up from from some of the sessions that we’d gone through in the supervision diploma that you might be able to sue to say that the supervision is good or bad.

But in reality, there’s nothing that categorically and unequivocally can be deemed an excellent supervisor.

So from my perspective, rather than asking a really ineffective question like “how can I be the best supervisor”, I was more interested in how I can set myself up for success as a newly qualified supervisor. 

This question became the one that guided my thinking and became a far more useful and practical starting point.

In looking to answer that question, I broke down my potential answer into the various relevant areas I saw as critical in my ongoing development. 

In no specific order, these were:

• Attend regular supervision myself 
• Keep a reflective practice journal to capture my growing edges and take these to supervision
• Creating a booklet of key supervisory models and materials for reference before, during and after sessions
• Practise using different models and lenses
• Continue to build supervision hours
• Get clearer on who my ideal supervisee is
• Facilitate an ongoing relationship with my learning cohort
• Take meaningful part in both coaching and supervision networks
• Advocate for supervision in my coaching content 
• Role model coaching professionalism in my coaching content
• Draw up, and continually review, my supervision contract 
• Update my online presence to reflect that I am a supervisor 
• Grow and maintain a good feel for the ICF, AC and EMCC core competencies
• Identify my definition of supervisory success!

Receiving Supervision & Journalling

As soon as I finished my training, I booked a set of five weekly-supervision sessions to begin to untie the knots that my perfectionism had inflicted on my practice ( and I always thought I loved being a “learner” !). 

This has not only been incredibly helpful for me as a coach, it has also been incredible to experience the power of being held and supported as well as challenged as a coach. It has brought home even further to me (if that is possible) the value of having a supported reflective space, especially where your work is a supportive reflective practitioner! 

As a result, in addition to getting a good initial supervision massage, I have now committed to ongoing bi-weekly supervision sessions as part of my professional development. I truly believe that I need to experience great supervision to be able to understand, reflect on and hone my own practice. 

I also keep to hand a summarised list of some of the reflective questions I came across in the primary reading from one of the diploma sessions around the 7 eyed model, Clutterbuck’s 7 conversations) and the solution-focused approach. I use a lovely little gold notebook to capture my answers and this forms the basis of what I take to supervision so I can track my progress against my growing edges. 

I also recognise that completing my supervision course (by submitting my essays and log) was part of me setting myself up for success because while I am prepared to recognise that you don’t have to be qualified to actually be a good supervisor, I do believe that commitment to the full process is, for me at least, part of feeling successful and feeling a sense of achievement and completion.  So I definitely knew that I needed to complete my actual course materials and qualify to feel successful in my field.

Completing the Certification & Building Resources

Another way in which I realised I needed to set myself up for success was to look at what suite of materials I might need available to prepare for, or refer to, to feel well equipped to be successful, in and outside of my sessions. To give myself a feeling of having been thorough and diligent, I plan to go back and review each of the sessions and their associated primary and secondary reading materials. I’d already been marking off where I thought my growing edges were, and I plan to review and outline these and take them one-by-one to my own supervision as they become relevant, or as something to bring if I don’t have any client material. 

I’ve started to pull together from the each of the various sessions any kind of copy or text where I think there is a useful nugget or explanation and I’ve started to create some baseline documentation of my own pulled from all of these different sources – a kind of amalgamation of different books – to create some summary materials that I think will be really useful for my supervisees.  

In fact, I realised that a large part of setting myself up for supervision success is actually me setting things up with my supervisees’ success in mind. I’ve thought alot about what materials I can provide for them, how I can explain what supervision is, how I can give them useful examples, how I can share tools and different perspectives with them. 

Practising Models and Growing My Experience

I also want to become much better/more fluid at presenting the various models that we covered in supervision training. I’m very conscious that I have my own kind of go-to models that I use as a coach, and I’d like to have that same stable set that I can use for the different theoretical lenses we learned about in our supervision diploma. I’d like to be able to use those very easily and quickly and also have some lovely visual resources that I can share with my clients. I recognise as a very visual person myself how useful it is to cater to that modality. 

In terms of building my experience and gaining more clarity on my supervision offering as well as my ideal clients, I’m committed to doing even more low-cost supervision outside of my course-based 25 hours.  Alongside this, and as with my own reflective practice as a coach, I’ve been using supervision-specific reflective questions to reflect robustly after every single session, keeping a running track of where my growing edges might be as  a supervisor and where I might need to do a bit more work on my own level of perception and reflection. I believe professional and personal self-awareness is absolutely key in me setting myself up for supervision success.

In my pursuit of understanding what successful supervision looks like I came across the concept of coaching maturity, and watched a webinar by Peter Hawkins that offered me real food for thought. It came home to me even more clearly that part of me setting up for supervision success was identifying, or potentially being able to identify, where a coach might be sitting at any given moment in time in terms of their level of coaching maturity.  I am very aware that gaining a good understanding of where I feel I am able to provide the most useful support is of benefit to myself as well as the supervisee. 

Finding My Ideal Supervision Clients

I want to be working with people who I find interesting, and at times challenging. I’m also aware that it would be very easy for me to slip into teaching if I were working with people who are significantly less experienced coaches than I am.  This is particularly so because I have a background in learning and development and I think there’s a real danger of me slipping into my comfort zone there.

I can see that some might say that it would be a good challenge for me to practise not doing that, but setting myself up for success also means not setting myself up to fail/get into bad habits straight off the bat! So I think part of setting myself up for success is in understanding who my ideal supervision clients are and working in line with that.  Of course, that will come from experience but I’ve noticed already, from my first 25 plus hours of supervision, that working with newer coaches brings brings many more questions around what coaching is and what the value and benefit of coaching is, as opposed to the the parts of supervision that I’m most interested in such the psychodynamic, systemic and relational dimensions in coaching.  So I see myself leaning towards working with more mature coaches with whom I can dig into such nuances. 

Peer Support and Networks

Immediately after the course I set up a peer-support Signal group and monthly meeting for my course cohort. We put together a schedule and a way of working together which means that we will be able to give ongoing peer-to-peer supervision and support. This group will allow us to experiment in fishbowl supervision sessions, raise questions and challenges and practise various lenses we have come across during our training. So it’s a way of embedding the learning, still in the group setting with a very trusted group of people in a very safe space.  It feels very effective, practical, useful and supportive. I do think that staying connected as we each set sail on the sea of supervision will be a huge part of understanding that we are all on a journey, and it will help me set up for success in quite a different way – it will help me stay connected and grounded and safe in the knowledge that success is entirely personal. 

I’m also active on the ICCS Supervisor’s Facebook group, and I realised that another element in setting myself up for supervision success is identifying the best and most useful spaces as a supervisor.  I’ve selected a small number of very good coaching and supervision groups, and I interact there as much as I can. 

Building Wider Awareness of Supervision

One of the things I’ve become aware of en route to becoming a coaching supervisor is how little understanding there is in general about supervision within the coaching world.   So I think another part of setting myself up for supervision success is not just setting myself up but in some way contributing to setting up the world of coaching, to the extent that I can, to be ready for, interested in and see the value of supervision. To me this means creating compelling materials and sharing supervisory anecdotes and stories and raising the profile of supervision in the coaching profession. 

I do think it’s a challenge, because the coaching is already awash with people who perhaps haven’t trained in the most professional capacity and may well not even know what supervision is nevermind value.  But I do think that one thing that coaches recognise is how lonely it can be as a coach, and I hope that, through using that kind of angle of conversation, supervision can be brought more to the forefront in the coaching arena. 

Contracting and Competencies

In terms of successful practice, I have already created what I think is a solid supervision contract (writing that was actually a big deal!) and I’m going to continue to review that. month on month, adding in anything that becomes relevant. I’ve also written a web page for my website which outlines what supervision is (from my perspective and from the more official perspective) and I  have listed myself in the ICCS supervisor directory. 

Along with looking at coaching maturity, I’ve been reading through the ICF and the EMCC competencies again as I feel having a thorough understanding of them is key to me feeling professionally “legit”. Of course, from a supervision perspective,  the EMCC supervision competencies are also critical and although not a member of that body itself I do feel guided by them as a supervisor. I don’t see them as rigid and prescriptive, but I do think that to have a good understanding of the  competencies means that I have a framework that I can refer to where, if any questions around ethics or general practice come up, rather than giving a purely personal opinion, I have a framework to fall back on.

In summary, I have answered a much better question than the one I started with when I asked how to be excellent.  Whatmore, as part of establishing how to set myself up for success, I was also able to answer another question – what is my definition of supervision success?

My Definition of Supervision Success

And to round this article off, here’s what that answer looks like.

My definition of supervision success is:

• To operate in alignment with my personal and professional values 
• To make sure that I’m aware enough of the EMCC competencies to break them like an artist if need be (if I was a member I wouldn’t be saying that of course!)
• To be able to evidence that my clients’ experience each of the three legs of the supervision stool (they feel supported and refreshed through their experience with me, they recognise that somebody is holding them professionally accountable to certain standards of behaviour and  professional excellence and they feel that they are being challenged and questioned and that they are learning and growing through the process of their reflection on their own practice.)
• To be in integrity – to have done everything that’s within my power that I think is reasonable and fair and is aligned with my values, that will give my supervisees the best possible experience and outcome that they can have with me. 
• To be able to recognise where I sit within my own supervision maturity journey and be kind and compassionate to myself about where I am, where I’m going, and at what speed. 
• Committing to mastering my understanding of the resources/tools/techniques/lenses that feel most naturally appealing to me and in flow with my coaching style
• To undertake regular and ongoing CPD
• To be part of and engaged in a professional network
• Attending supervision myself

Although this is my journey, I do believe that most new coaching supervisors will confront this same question.  I hope that in sharing how I explored it, it will be offer value to any new supervisors out there too.

My enthusiasm for psychodynamic theory began over twenty years ago when I was studying psychoanalysis and I fell in love with the writings of Freud.  That enthusiasm and passion has stayed with me throughout my professional life.

To me, the way that Freud understands the mind and our responses as humans makes perfect sense.  As soon as I received the course handbook for the Diploma in Coaching Supervision, I scanned the session list for when we would be covering psychodynamic theory and began counting down until then.  The week before the session I excitedly clicked on the link for the preparatory reading.  I was hoping to find several texts to immerse myself in.  I wanted to understand how a familiar mindset would align with my supervision practice.  I was somewhat disappointed to discover only one article, especially as for other sessions there had been up to three pieces of reading.

I reviewed our bibliography for recommendations, yet there was nothing specific there.  Following that I did a quick search online to see if there were any books explicitly related specifically to coaching supervision and psychodynamic theory, but I was drawing a blank.

Undeterred, I was the first person on the call for that session. One of my objectives was to ask our trainer, Yannick Jacob, whether there really was very little writing around this or if I was looking in the wrong place?  Yannick confirmed my suspicions.  There is not much written around this topic.  That session reignited my passion for Freud and the application of psychodynamic theory.  I began to consider how this approach could sit within the field of coaching supervision.  How can it inform and support our work?  Where, and what, could the benefit(s) be?

Before I continued my assumption about the scarcity of relevant texts I decided to do further research.  To date I have not uncovered a vast amount of study or work on this subject.

Is there really a lack of information around this?

There are currently no books devoted to the subject of psychodynamic theory within coaching supervision.  There are only several articles and short pieces.

Catherine Sandler has written a chapter on the subject, titled “The Use of Psychodynamic Theory in Coaching Supervision” found in Bachkirova T, Jackson P and Clutterbuck D (eds), (2011).  Psychodynamic theory is clearly a passion for her as this chapter was written around the same time as her book Executive Coaching: A Psychodynamic Approach.   Sandler focuses extensively on the application of psychodynamic theory within executive coaching.  In her article on supervision, Sandler mentions how relevant areas of psychodynamics could be applied in the supervision setting.  She makes particular reference to the concepts of transference, countertransference and the areas of defence mechanisms.  When explored, they can become invaluable tools in the understanding of the inner worlds of the coach and their coachee. In my opinion this would imply a strong reason for their application in both coaching and coaching supervision.

Another chapter concerning psychodynamic theory within coaching supervision is by Christine Thornton’s work in the book, Coaching Supervision: A Practical Guide for Supervisees, by Clutterbuck D, Whitaker C and Lucas M (Eds), (2016).

In her chapter, Thornton is less concerned with the mechanics of psychodynamics. She only briefly mentions the unconscious and focuses on more adaptions of the theory such as the Johari window.  Psychodynamics only merits a few pages in a more extensive chapter encompassing other schools of approach to coaching supervision.

Additionally, I found a section dedicated to psychodynamic perspectives by Lynda Tongue in 101 Coaching Supervision Techniques, Approaches, Enquiries and Experiments, Lucas M, (2020).  Tongue does not give a comprehensive description of psychodynamic techniques and ways to apply these in coaching supervision.  Instead, she leaps into her chapter by aligning it firmly in the camp of Transactional Analysis (TA).

When reading her introduction, it might appear that the concepts of transference and countertransference were relatively new concepts introduced in the 1960s, as if Freud, over sixty years earlier, had not introduced them in his Studies on Hysteria (1895).  TA was developed by Eric Berne in the 1960s.  Whilst Freud influenced Berne, TA does not cover all aspects of psychodynamics.

The approaches that Tongue (and others) outline are at best rudimentary and give very little depth to the methods that are being described.  In my opinion, working with people at this level the outline of an exercise is not enough.

Interestingly, in the references for the section on Transference and Countertransference (merely two and a half well-spaced pages) the authors of the section cite only two references.  Neither of these are Sandler’s article.  Given that this book is written approximately eight years after Sandler’s (easily accessible) article, this seems a glaring omission.

While not dedicating a specific chapter or section to the theme of psychodynamics within his book, Supervision in Action, de Haan weaves the key psychodynamic concepts of transference and countertransference throughout.  Transference and countertransference are central aspects of the supervisory relationship for de Haan and he describes supervision as a “unique” place to discover them.  He also refers to defence mechanisms such as splitting and projection.  Despite de Haan’s evident appreciation for psychodynamics he prefers to discuss what he calls “relational” coaching and coaching supervision.  Unless you had understood that the origins of transference and other such phenomena were psychodynamic in nature you might not locate de Haan in such a review of psychodynamic theory within coaching supervision or coaching.

In Coaching Supervision by Birch and Welch (2019), Dr Sandra Wilson discusses the psychodynamic model relating to our unconscious mind.  She then links it to research she has completed around coaches, their senses of self (idealised, authentic and unconscious) and how this can be tied into supervision.  Wilson does refer to areas including transference and defence mechanisms.   Yet her conclusion that supervision, despite being a “one person intervention”, is an “extension of the multi-party psychology that is coaching” seems to miss the depth of understanding that a fully psychodynamic perspective brings.

These articles are what I have so far been able to source, most of which refer specifically to applying psychodynamic theory within coaching supervision.  I was slightly more successful in finding books and articles relating to psychodynamic theory and coaching.  As coaching supervision is yet to become as an established discipline as coaching, this is perhaps not surprising.

As previously mentioned, Sandler devotes an entire book to applying psychodynamic theory in executive coaching (Sandler, 2011).  In this book, she covers the main concepts of psychodynamic theory, links them to use when working with executive clients and illustrates with case studies.  Whilst this book is dedicated to executive coaching, I would argue that the principles are the same.  It is not the coaching methods that differ when coaching executive clients and life/ personal development clients, it is the context.  We are all people with unconscious and conscious minds, and the applications are transferable.  Sandler does reference coaching supervision within this book, although only highlighting best practice.

There are several other books including chapters on the use of psychodynamic approaches within coaching.  In The Complete Handbook of Coaching by Cox, Bachkirova and Clutterbuck, (2014), Graham Lee opens with “The Psychodynamic Approach to Coaching”.  Here he looks at the origins of the psychodynamic movement (not limiting himself to Freud).  He then covers what makes for a psychodynamic approach and links this to several areas of coaching.   He concludes by examining the strengths and the “limitations” of the psychodynamic approach to give the coach the best understanding of where this method would be appropriate.  Other similar chapters can be found in books including Peltier’s The Psychology of Executive Coaching, (2010).  Here he outlines psychodynamic and related concepts and links them to their potential use in executive coaching.  In addition, Vera Zagier Roberts and Halina Brunning discuss the concepts in their chapter in Palmer and Whybrow’s Handbook of Coaching Psychology, (2007).  This chapter is aimed at those interested in systems-psychodynamics coaching.  While Andrew Day in De Haan and Sills’ book Coaching Relationships, (2012) calls his chapter “Working with unconscious relational process in coaching” the very first sentence references the psychoanalytic framework in coaching that he will be exploring.

In considering the literature available, both for coaching and for coaching supervision, psychodynamic theory does not seem to feature as strongly as other areas within coaching right now (a quick online search gave me the option of at least nine books on coaching and Positive Psychology).  There is definitely information out there, but not much, and at times, it has to be hunted out

Why is psychodynamic theory not as popular as other areas of exploration?

It is true to say that Freud and other early psychoanalytic writers (Jung, Klein etc) are not currently a fashionable read.  As Peltier (2010) notes, there is an unfavourable stereotypical view of the psychoanalytic psychotherapist, known to be part of “Woody Allen jokes”.  Peltier goes as far as to say that such stereotypes can “seriously damage a coach’s attractiveness and credibility”.  It makes sense that given so many options and other schools of thought, a psychodynamic view might not be the first choice of a new coach or supervisor.  It could also be argued that some writers even try to avoid the psychodynamic label.  De Haan (De Haan, 2012) and Day (De Haan and Sills, 2012) both opt for the term “relational”, despite making several references to the unconscious and unconscious processes throughout.

Another factor might be to do with Freud’s texts being a challenge for the modern reader to comprehend.  He began to write in the 1890s, a different point in history to where we are now.  He came from a world with very different attitudes to ones that we hold today, particularly around women.  The women that he was treating lived lives that are virtually unrecognisable compared to present day.  Freud trained primarily as a medical doctor and used technical terms as such. He worked with an almost mechanical description of the mind.

Simply put, it’s not an easy read.

It is a little unfair perhaps to lay all the blame for that at Freud’s door.  His work was initially written in his native German and then translated into English (for The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud) mostly by James Strachey.  There has been much debate over the years as to the accuracy of Strachey’s translations.  For example, Strachey uses the word “instinct” rather than “drive” to translate the German word “Trieb” which completely alters the meaning for the English reader.  Since Freud’s work is now not subject to copyright laws, there are updated, more readable, translations becoming available, which can open up his writings to a whole new audience.

From a personal perspective, I wonder if people have fallen a little bit out of love with Freud and his concepts because they are pretty complicated to understand?  Some other areas can be more easily accessible to the modern reader.  For example, TA gives us models to work with, such as the parent-adult-child ego states and the drama/ winner’s triangle.  At first glance, these can seem more understandable than either Freud’s concepts of the Id, Ego and Superego or his ideas concerning object cathexis.  Freud’s approach also forces us to look at some less pleasant aspects of our psyche.  His writings encourage us to explore ourselves in a way that other forms of psychological work do not necessarily do.  Freud argues that we use defence mechanisms to keep us psychologically safe and to help avoid anxiety.  I question if, in not reading/ applying Freud’s theories, we are using such defence mechanisms to keep ourselves safe from having to look at the things we might find difficult?  It is hard to recognise that we might be repeating a pattern of behaviour or responding in a certain way (adopting a position of denial/ repression/ displacement etc), so it becomes safer to not have to think about it at all.

How do we apply psychodynamic theory in coaching supervision?

Is there merit for a greater concentration in this field, or am I just drawn towards it because I have enjoyed studying it previously?  I successfully applied several techniques in my coaching practice. Am I just assuming that it could work in supervision?  Areas in my coaching practice that have proved effective with clients include:

• Looking at defence mechanisms; why clients are responding in certain ways and what are they defending themselves against?
• Transference relationships; why some clients are repeating similar structures within relationships over and over again, recognising patterns of behaviour
• Unconscious motivation; working with clients around their choices
• Examining what the client either consciously or unconsciously avoids

What has made this work has been that I have an understanding of the psychodynamic approach, so I am not going in blindly.  Within this I also appreciate the importance of creating a safe space for the client to look at these potentially challenging and problematic areas.  To refer back to De Haan and his idea of relational work, the relationship between myself and the coachee has to be right for this to work and be beneficial for the client.  I am also aware that some clients respond well to this approach and some clients do not want to be in this space.  It is not what they have come to coaching for.  These approaches have worked when those conditions are met: the relationship is strong and psychologically secure, and the client is open and responsive to working this way.

Does this still hold for supervision?

I do not think that there is any difference in the supervision relationship; it also has to be correct, and the supervisee has to be open to working in this way.  Otherwise either the coachee or supervisee will feel unheard and the agenda becomes mine (as either coach or supervisor) and not that of my client.

As there is very little written about this at length or in depth, I have drawn on Sandler’s views on this in relation to coaching (Sandler, 2011) and examined whether this would be applicable in the supervision space.  Sandler strongly believes in the use of a psychodynamic approach within (executive) coaching and states that “through skilful use, it can inform and enhance the practice of executive coaching”.  She outlines that Freud sees the interplay between unconscious and conscious thoughts as being continual, happening all the time and applying to each of us.

We all use defence mechanisms when being coached to protect us from anxiety.  Therefore, I feel that we could adopt similar positions in supervision.  Sandler highlights Freud’s assertion that we tend to push all the unpleasant and difficult feelings away from our conscious thoughts.  We do not like to think about certain things.  This is certainly relevant to supervision where it can be difficult to bring up areas of our work that we might not be happy with or that we feel shame around.

It would be completely understandable for a supervisee to employ defence mechanisms in these situations.  A skilled supervisor, well-versed in the understanding of such defence mechanisms could safely and securely bring this into the supervision space.  This would allow for the supervisee and supervisor to work through these areas, allowing the supervisee to understand themselves at a deeper level and enhance their work with their clients.

Sandler also references the repeating patterns that we have woven through our lives, whether positive or negative, all “reassuringly familiar”, namely Freud’s repetition compulsion.  The reasons as to why this phenomenon happens are too comprehensive to discuss here. Yet a skilled supervisor would be able to work with a supervisee to name this situation and to look at what is happening for the supervisee in their work.  Closely linked to the compulsion to repeat are the ideas of transference and countertransference, relevant to both coaching and coaching supervision by the nature of their modality.  Working with the transference and countertransference are such rich areas to explore in both these relationships. It seems a wasted opportunity not to be aware of the information that they surface.

In addition, Sandler references the “hot issue” for the client, whether they consciously know it or not, being the one where they presently have the fiercest emotions.  If we don’t explore these with the supervisee, we risk avoiding looking at the critical aspects of what is happening for them.  The sessions could end up being superficial, which is a waste for everyone – supervisor, supervisee and their coaching client.

We all have an unconscious world which impacts us.  A psychoanalytic approach gives us the tools to start to understand this with our coaching clients and, I would argue, with our coaching supervisees.

Final Thoughts

From my quick trip around the area of psychodynamic theory in coaching supervision I am left with one thought: I want to bring Freud back.

For me, the universality of his discoveries of our unconscious/ conscious minds and the dynamics that go on both for ourselves and in relation to others is too important not to bring into the coaching supervision space.  I recognise that this is an area that requires further in-depth research and reading around it.

I feel that there also needs to be more structured training in this area for coaches and supervisors.  It takes at least three years to train to become a psychodynamic psychotherapist, because of the sensitive nature of their work.  Coaches and supervisors do not necessarily need this level of training.  However, should they choose to use these approaches then a deeper understanding, including what their boundaries of working within this field are, would ensure greater psychological safety for the client.

Maybe the question for me as a supervisor – who champions this approach – then becomes: what is my part in ensuring that if these approaches are used in supervision, it is done in an appropriate professional manner ensuring the supervisee’s safety?

References:

Bachkirova T, Jackson P and Clutterbuck D (eds), Coaching and Mentoring Supervision, OUP, 2011

Birch J and Welch P, Coaching Supervision, Routledge, 2019

Clutterbuck D, Whittaker C and Lucas M (eds), Coaching Supervision: A Practical Guide for Supervisees, Routledge, 2016

Cox E, Bachkirova T and Clutterbuck B (eds), The Complete Handbook of Coaching Second Edition, Sage, 2014

De Haan E, Supervision in Action, OUP, 2012

De Haan E and Sills C, Coaching Relationships, Libri Publishing, 2012

Laplanche J and Pontalis JB, The Language of Psychoanalysis, Karnac Books, 1988 (first published 1973)

Lucas M (ed), 101 Coaching Supervision Techniques, Approaches, Enquiries and Experiments, Routledge, 2020

Palmer S and Whybrow A, Handbook of Coaching Psychology, Routledge, 2007

Peltier B, The Psychology of Executive Coaching, Routledge, 2010

Sandler C, Executive Coaching: A Psychodynamic Approach, OUP, 2011

“Supervision is just another form of coaching!”

“Coaching and supervision…don’t they pretty much do the same?”

These questions, and others like them, are understandable.  Despite being separate professions, they co-exist in a space that shares many similarities and it is often assumed that being a supervisor is simply the next step for an experienced coach to “coach the coach”.

My experience with both coaching and supervision has shown me that, at times, there are indeed more similarities than differences in the relationships created during these two types of work. But, like many new supervisors, I have also had to confront the differences between them and learn new skills to help me supervise effectively.

As part of International Coaching Week, I’d like to add my piece to the puzzle and ask, “Is a good coach enough to become a supervisor, and if so, what characteristics make the difference? What makes a good coach supervisor?”

To tackle this, I will be comparing the industry definitions between the two, followed by an academic discussion of what goes into supervision and how it is used. Hopefully, the first approach will offer some hints to their scope and the elements that need to be present. The second approach will help us figure out the differentiation between the two.

So if you’re a coach, then keep reading, which might help you decide whether or not to take a plunge into supervision. Let’s begin!

Coach vs. Coaching Supervisor

We can start by agreeing with these definitions. While supervision is a growing industry and does not summarize all possible views, they are reputable sources and widely accepted as valid views.

We can see similarities that both coaches and supervisors know are all too familiar:

Partnership and Collaboration

A collaborative relationship is required in both cases, referring to chemistry and relationship-building elements as essential in work. 

Developmental and Supportive Angle

Both have an expected outcome that is something better than the starting point. There is an underlying principle of supporting the other party. 

Process

There is a processual element to both subjects that is acknowledge in the definitions.

Conversation

The process requires a conversational format which requires good listening to occur at a meaningful level. 

Now, let’s look at how they differ. 

What’s the Difference Between Coaching and Coaching Supervision?

Systemic Focus

In coaching, the client is both the beneficiary and the ‘object’ of the work.

In supervision, it is acknowledged there seems to be a much stronger systemic approach linked to the client, their organisation, and the systems within.

How does the client-coach relationship work? Is the coach doing their part?

Power Dynamics

The expression “being under the supervision of” is quite telling. There seems to be an imbalance of power between supervisee and supervisor. But, it is noted that in the literature, there is some debate as to whether supervision should be called supervision or something else. The fact is that the word is commonly used and implies a particular type of relationship.

Joint Reflection

In Hawkins’ definition, he uses the expression “collaborative learning,” and Bachkirova et al. use the phrase “interactive reflection and interpretative evaluation.” Unlike what happens in coaching where the coach remains detached and distant from active judgemental reflection, there seems to be a suggestion that in supervision, both parties are contributing actively to the reflections occurring in the space.

Expertise

Lastly, the definition of supervision suggests there is active sharing of expertise and knowledge from the supervisor to the supervisee. This also has an active  contribution to expand the supervisees pool of knowledge drawn from the  supervisor’s experience and knowledge.

This is all well and true, but we can further explore these differences by comparing the ICF Coaching Core competencies to the EMCC Supervision Competencies and map them as seen below:

Based on this, we can conclude that in order to be a supervisor, one precisely needs the broader perspective of viewing the systems involved in coaching than a coach. This is with the exception of systemic coaching though it is not as widely used yet.

To add to this, a supervisor knows how to share and impart knowledge that requires a slightly higher power position in relation to the coach (or supposed supervisee).

Now the question is, how do you become a good one?

The Ideal Coaching Supervisor

A study by Grant (2012) on Australia’s Supervision market of topics supervisees brought up in conversation revealed that, 95% of the respondents talk about coaching intervention. 49% talk about the coach’s experience of self while 18% talk about the coach and client relationship.

This is consistent with a global study led by McAnally and Asmus (2018). With 1280 participants, it was concluded that 77% of the supervision session was about coaching intervention. The majority of respondents noted that the most helpful supervision interventions related to content rather than process. They emphasized that the most helpful moment was when the supervisor offered their own perspective or experience on the matter. This helped coaches expand their thinking.

This is big. This not only tells us that coaches find supervision useful in the growth of their craft, but it also tells us what coaches look for in a good supervisor. Based on the responses, a good supervisor is able to draw from knowledge and experience and share that with their client. This is clearly different from what is expected in a coaching relationship (based on the ICF definition).

While coaches can find beneficial insights from a supervisor, it is essential also to understand what might undermine the supervision relationship. In a paper by Sheppard (2017) titled “How Coaching Supervisees Help and Hinder Their Supervision,” Sheppard identified three mechanisms in which supervisees (coaches) might undermine supervision. These are fear, power relations, and the drive for learning. These are concerns that are up to the supervisor to address, mitigate or leverage them. Let’s explore these.

Fear

Fear in the relationship can take the form of anxiety and inability to be vulnerable, shame (as described by Cohen (2014) and De Haan (2016)) or a feeling of not being good enough compared to the supervisor.

Power Relations

When a supervisor is not as experienced as the coach, power relations can become a concern. Suppose the supervisor does not have higher levels of knowledge and experience. This can result in supervisees becoming more anxious and taking less responsibility for the outcomes within the supervisory relationship.  

Drive for Learning

A desire to maximise their learning reduces a supervisees’ tendency to get in their own way and inhibit their supervision and allows the supervisor to define what and how the learning might occur. This is similar to growth mindset as seen in  coaching.

Just by looking at these three mechanisms, it becomes clear how the supervisor needs to be much more aware of the power imbalances that might occur in the relationship than a coach does. In fact, the whole premise of treating coaching clients as whole—creatively and resourcefully—means they should be seen as peers on level terms. It seems like in supervision, that might not be necessarily true. There’s often something the supervisor might have that the supervisee doesn’t—expertise, experience or knowledge. This can create a dynamic where the parties don’t see each others as peers. 

In the case of supervision, the supervisee is exposing their craft and approach in a way that can become comparable to the supervisor’s. Equally, the supervisor takes much more of a leading role than a coach does, by being able to direct the learning that takes place. While the supervision relationship—like the coaching relationship—should be judgment free, the fact is it can be easy to make comparisons between the parties that can create unhealthy dynamics in the relationship.

To summarise, a good supervisor is able to balance the ability to draw from their rich knowledge and expertise, while doing so in a way that doesn’t drive anxiety for the coach. Good supervisors are aware of mechanisms like fear, power dynamics, and pedagogy. They are aware of how these could affect a the coach-supervisor relationship.

So, is a Good Coach Enough to Become a Supervisor?

This exploration have me concluding otherwise. A good supervisor needs to have all the qualities of a good coach, but these are not enough.

Beyond being a good coach, a good supervisor requires elements that can be classed into two distinct categories:

The Hard Side

A good supervisor needs a wealth of experience, knowledge, and information to be able to fully support their client. One must include the ability to see beyond the client and think systemically. This category can be acted upon clearly—more experience is built over time of practice. More knowledge and information is built with investments in advanced training, education, reading and discussions. 

The Soft Side

Beyond good listening skills, presence and tact, a good supervisor also needs to have a high level of emotional intelligence. A good supervisor also needs to be able to impart knowledge and supplement development while being able to mitigate the effects that their expert power can have in the relationship.You also need to be able to evaluate and offer support, suggestions and alternatives through the formative functions. This is an aspect that coaches aren’t required to be doing. In fact, it is discouraged by the ICF’s standards.

Clearly, there are certain skills a supervisor is required to have that coach’s don’t. Being a supervisor is more nuanced and potentially has more layers. We can definitely say that the transition from coach to supervisor requires more training.

The Biggest Thing I Learned

I learned a lot from this personal exploration. I won’t be a good supervisor only if I’m a good coach trained as a supervisor. If the literature proves true, there are mechanisms I’ll need to include in my session to ensure I’m a good supervisor.

Consequently, I realised that knowledge and expertise is something that coaches (supervisees) look for in a coaching supervisor. Although this can naturally occur with experience, this can be fast tracked by narrowing down the scope of my practice.

In other words, I need to pick a niche.

While there is a never-ending debate in coaching (to niche or not to niche), this exploration has led me to an interesting result:

In my coaching, I am a generalist and took the conscious decision not to narrow down my scope. Therefore I have clients  from different walks of life and with different objectives.

However, as a supervisor, the need for tangible expertise has convinced me I will need to niche in an area where I believe I have superior knowledge. In my particular case, that is corporate coaching. I have both the experience of having worked there for many years and being coached while there, and the knowledge and skill of coaching clients that currently operate in that space.

While I will continue to move forward as a generalist coach, I will be considering becoming a focused, niche supervisor. I am not entirely sure of particulars yet, but I recognize that these are needs coaches are asking for that we, supervisors, should consider.

A month or so ago, whilst running a business mentoring group for coaches, I was pleasantly surprised by a question raised by one of the participants.

“I know this group is all about business” she said, “but I’m curious how other coaches continue to develop their coaching after qualifying.”

What a great question!  

It’s all too easy for coaches to focus on client acquisition to the detriment of their capacity, capability and maturity as a coach.  

As a group, we stopped to consider this question and I asked the group to share how they continue their journey of growth and learning as coaches.  Unsurprisingly, as the founder of a coaching supervision school, I wasn’t shy in suggesting that supervision should probably be a vital part of a coach’s ongoing growth!  

But it was fascinating to hear the range of methods coaches had from what books they read to how they learned from each other to the course they were taking.

Now, never one to turn down a golden opportunity to invent a memorable acronym, I put together PROSPER to capture the key areas they shared..

In this article, I’ll share the headline areas you might draw from but I would also love to hear what you do to develop in the comments.

PROSPER – 7 Ways to Continue Developing as a Coach

Practice

The first step is simply to continue practising your coaching.

This might seem obvious but many coaches find that, after qualifying, their coaching reduces drastically.  The immediate driver of qualification is behind you and now it’s time to focus on the business.

Attention moves to the commercial dimensions of coaching – a website, social media, brand development, blogging, and so much more.  

Coaching is parked whilst the business is put in place. 

But businesses take time to develop and if all your energy gets directed there and you stop coaching,  then development and growth stops too.  Indeed, it is very easy for your confidence as a coach to drop once you stop coaching.

So a vital step to continue to growing as a coach is to keep coaching. 

Find ways to coach even if it doesn’t fit your ideal coaching client or the fee isn’t quite right. 

I recall a member of my mentoring group sharing that she had someone who wanted to be coached by her but he wasn’t really a good fit for her niche and should he say “yes”.  I believe it is critical to keep coaching for your confidence and skill development and this trumps other considerations.

Are you continuing to practice your coaching?

Reading

When I first trained as a coach in the early part of the 2000s, the coaching literature was still pretty sparse.  It mainly comprised a few, now-classic, works such as Whitmore’s Coaching for Performance and Kimsey-House et al’s Coactive Coaching. The coaching field had yet to widely appreciate the contribution of psychology, psychotherapy and other helping professions – indeed, there was almost a deliberate response to eschew such approaches.  

Thankfully, much has changed since then.  

Coaching psychology has become well-established with an ever-growing range of books covering every conceivable concept. Related to this, the profession now appreciates and draws extensively from the whole range of talking professions.

This has made the list of books available to coaches almost endless and it might even feel overwhelming! But it’s also a rich source of new ideas, skills, and frameworks.

Books can challenge us, teach us, inspire us and make us question what we do.  They can connect dots, introduce new dots and show that the dots are actually dashes! 

Books have the capacity to transform our practice.

What areas of coaching do you think would be useful to read about?

Openness to Opportunities

A common theme in coaching is the discussion of niche. 

“What’s your niche?” is a question that echoes around coaching schools the world over.  And, at one level, it’s a sensible question.  Coaches have to consider how they find a place in the coaching world.

But it’s also potentially limiting. It can lead coaches to work with the same kind of clients on the same kind of issues in the same kinds of contexts in the same kind of ways.

We’ve found that coaches can experience huge developmental growth by embracing opportunities to work in settings that demand new ways of working or new styles of relationship.

One way to achieve that can be volunteering in coaching projects.

Many of the coaches who qualify at our sister school, Animas, have worked on a range of projects including Macmillan Cancer Trust, Help the Aged, Spark Inside, Yes Futures, Coach for Carers, More Happi and The Wilderness Trust.

In 2020, we created the post of Head of Social Impact to be more deliberate in our development of such opportunities and we now offer a project called Creating Space_ working with hundreds of teachers across the UK.

We’ve heard so many inspirational stories from coaches who have volunteered for our social impact projects and as well as the positive emotional outcome for themselves and their clients, they are expanding their skills, experience and scope.

How might you expand your scope through new opportunities?

Supervision

Supervision as a practice is often misunderstood. The word itself, as I wrote about in another article, doesn’t do justice to what actually takes place.

Supervision suggests a managerial, authoritative stance in which the coach must submit themselves to scrutiny.  Yet nothing could be further from the truth.  Erik de Haan describes supervision as reflection-in-relation and this perfectly captures the essence of it.

Quite simply, supervision is the space to step back from one’s practice and notice what’s going on through conversation with a fellow practitioner.

If coaching schools are the gateway to the profession, then supervision are the stopping off points to check your journey.  Supervision is the formal ongoing professional nurturing of your practice and yourself as a practitioner.

Unfortunately, supervision within the coaching profession is still only sporadically accessed and only poorly understood.  Certainly many coaching schools now provide supervision as part of their course but, once qualified, many coaches forget the vital importance of this ongoing inquiry and reflection with a more experienced coach.

I believe that receiving supervision is a vital part of a coach’s ongoing development and I’d encourage every coach who reads this to try out supervision.  You have little to lose and everything to gain!.  

Do you have a supervisor? How might you try it?

Peer Support, Associations and Community

Coaching can sometimes be a lonely profession.  

You coach your clients, all within confidentiality agreements, frequently by phone or virtual platform, and you spend time working on growing your practice through writing, social media, and other often solitary methods!

You see your supervisor to discuss your work and how you’re feeling about it but perhaps only once a month.

You can often feel alone.

That’s why building peer networks, joining associations and becoming an active part of a coaching community can be vital.

We’ve found that coaches feel more supported and confident when they have other coaches to bounce ideas off, share challenges with, get inspired by and generally feel understood.. 

From small WhatsApp groups to large LinkedIn and Facebook groups, coaches can create and join spaces that enable them to learn from each other’s practices.  This can provide a constant source of energy and motivation, a springboard for new ideas, and a sense of belonging.

Similarly, the more formal professional bodies can provide an excellent space for connecting to the other coaches whether through their events, webinars, networking, training or online forums.

What groups and networks do you belong to that support you coaching?

Education and Training

Education and additional training tend to be the go-to approach for further development after qualifying.  Coaching CPDs, advanced courses and academic studies abound.

There’s no doubt that further training can be an excellent way to develop as a coach.  New skills can enhance your work with clients and re-energise your own sense of self as a coach.

I have to say however over my years of supervision I have noticed the tendency for training to be a search for the missing piece.  There can often be a sense of “when I do this next course, I’ll be ready to start coaching for real!”

The risk is that the focus is always on acquiring new skills rather than honing and developing existing skills.

New skills are unquestionably valuable but they need to be developed alongside the developmental approaches that enable continued confidence and mastery of existing coaching skills.

To my mind, it was a very positive step when the International Coaching Federation recognised supervision as CPD alongside the skills development of accredited training.

That said, training is a vital part of a coach’s ongoing development and this is recognised by all the professional bodies which require ongoing CPD for renewal of their coaching credentials.

What new skills do you think would serve your clients or help you take the next step in your coaching journey?

Reflective Practice 

The final piece is one that is so often overlooked and yet so vital.

Malcolm Gladwell introduced the now well-known concept that to master any skill takes 10,000 hours of practice.  However, there’s a difference between 10,000 hours of deliberate, reflective practice and the same one hour done 10,000 times!

There’s a natural assumption that the more you do something the better you get.  And there might be an element of truth to this.  Certainly the skill becomes more easy to access, more repeatable, more unconscious. 

But does it get better?

You only have to look at how drivers become increasingly complacent with time as they pay less attention to the correct and safer way to drive and develop increasingly poor habits.  Indeed, driving is one of the skills that anyone who does it most easily acquires thousands of hours of practice.  Yet does that make them a great driver?

It is the act of reflecting on practice that enables a skill to be consciously and meaningfully improved.

In supervision, we often talk about helping coaches develop the Internal Supervisor.  They begin to ask the same questions that a supervisor might.  This is enhanced further when those internal questions get externalised through, for example, a coaching journal.  

The coach grows when they take time after each client to think about what happened, what they might do differently, what they need to learn, how they were feeling, why they were feeling that way, and much more.

Reflective practice is the art of taking the time to be deliberate in what you are learning about yourself and your profession. 

It’s so easy to ignore this and to think we’ll get round to it at some point.  But start now and you will soon make this a habit that strengthens your coaching and makes every hour count!

What reflective practice are you doing or how might you start?

Conclusion

Together, I think these seven areas represent the key opportunities for you as a coach to develop your skills, grow your confidence, expand your experience and enhance your understanding.

Some of these areas cost nothing but time and can be done daily.

Others cost more and only take place occasionally but introduce the wisdom and skills of another coach who can help bring new light to areas of your practice that you might otherwise not see.

Some focus on developing current skills, whilst others focus on new skills and new knowledge.

Some are introspective, others introspective.

All are valuable and all will support you to grow as a coach.

I would encourage you to look across all seven and ask yourself whether you are meeting each in some way.  If not, what do you need to do differently?

Do you want to identify a knowledge gap that a book might help address?  Will you seek out a coaching circle to practise and reflect? Do you want to find a coaching supervisor? Will you begin contributing to a LinkedIn group and build a network of coaches to share ideas? Will you start a journal?

No matter what you have or haven’t done far, the new element of your growth as a coach can start right here.

And please, let me know in the comments below what you do to be deliberate in how you develop as a coach.  What have you read recently? What have you learned? Where do you connect? How do you reflect?

Oh, and to misquote Spock, Coach Long and Prosper!

One of the most frequent questions we get asked by someone looking to train with us is: “Am I ready to be a coaching supervisor?”

Of course, the question is one that we can’t answer definitively because so much depends on the person’s own readiness and temperament but to help you decide for yourself we’ve put together a list of the core criteria to check if you’re ready.

Seven always seems to be the magical number for lists and so here are seven points to check whether you might indeed be ready to become a coaching supervisor. 

Check them off and see how many apply to you!

Are you a qualified coach?

The first one is pretty self-explanatory but actually, it’s surprising the number of people who are curious about becoming a coaching supervisor who aren’t yet qualified as coaches.

This is a must!

To be a coaching supervisor, you will have qualifed as a coach on a recognised coach training programme.

Whilst we don’t deny that a useful conversation can be had by anyone who is curious and interested in what a coach’s work with clients, this wouldn’t constitute supervision.

The first thing any coach would expect of a supervisor is that they are qualified and have excellent knowledge and skills in coaching.  

They would expect you to understand the dilemmas of coaching, to have experience working with different issues, to know theory and. practice and to be able to advise, guide and ask the right questions.

Are you qualified as a coach from an accredited training programme?

OK, so that’s a pretty obvious one and if you tick this then, great you’re in the right place!

Do you have the right level of coaching experience?

So you’re qualified as a coach but do you have the requisite level of experience?

This is a much trickier question than it might first appear.

We suggest that a coach should have around 250 hours of experience before looking to become a coaching supervisor but it’s not always so clear-cut.

For example, an experienced psychotherapist who later trains as a coach might be ready to become a coaching supervisor sooner based on the many hours of related work in his or her original field.  Indeed, there are many such talking professions that would shortcut a coach’s need for coach-specific experience.  

As a supervision school, we treat this question on a case-by-case basis with the underlying assumption that around 250 hours is a good guideline.  The bigger question is whether you feel you have the experience to be both credible and skilled as a coaching supervisor.

Coaches who join ICCS to become supervisors, often have more than 750 hours of coaching experience and yet coaches with far less experience can thrive very happily in the group.

Do you feel you have the experience and know-how to be a coaching supervisor?

Do you have a context to do the coaching supervision work?

The next question concerns where and with whom you’ll do the coaching supervision.

We find that those who get the most from the training have a context to do the work. 

Perhaps you are part of an organisation with a coaching function, or you know coaches who you tend to support in different ways.  

Of course, just as when you trained to become a coach you had to find clients to work with, so you can find coaches to supervise using all the same kinds of approaches to getting clients.

The key though is knowing how you’re going to apply the skills so that you can build your confidence through application and experience.

Coming into the coaching supervision training with a sense of where you’re going to do the work is a great place to be in.

So, do you know who would like to supervise? Do you have a sense of the context and work you would like to do?

Do you have the time to study and to do the supervision practice?

The next question is whether you have time to become a coaching supervisor.

Just like becoming a coach, training as a coaching supervisor takes study, practice, reading and reflection.

To be ready to become a coaching supervisor is to have time to dedicate to it.   

As an example, if you were to train as a coaching supervisor with ICCS, you would embark on a course that lasts around 7 months, and you’d commit time to complete 25 hours of supervision outside of the training. 

We estimate a minimum of 200 hours of study and practice over the 7 months and, of course, in reality, you’ll almost certainly want to do more as you fall in love with it!

Do you have the time to dedicate to it?

Do you have a love of coaching and helping coaches?

Here’s an interesting one! 

Becoming a coaching supervisor is not something you do because you have to – you do it because you choose to!

And it makes sense to choose what you love.

Over time, some coaches become disaffected with the profession, others naturally move to other pursuits or careers. 

Supervision is not just the next step on a rung.  It’s a reflection of someone’s love of coaching.

To be a coaching supervisor is to love coaching and to want to support coaches, the coaching profession and the clients and organisations that engage with coaching.

To be a coaching supervisor is to love continuous learning and mastery of coaching, to become fascinated by what coaches struggle with, to connect to the aims and ethics of the profession, to truly embrace the journey of becoming a coaching role model.

All the coaches who join ICCS’s programme love coaching and love working with coaches.

Do you love coaching and supporting coaches?

Are you open to new ways of working?

A fascinating part of the journey to becoming a coaching supervisor is loosening up our attachment to certain coaching principles and practices.

Whilst coaching supervision is about coaching and whilst it is extremely related in its relational approach, it is also different. 

Coaches typically find the wider scope of behaviours and interventions in coaching supervision liberating and joyful.  They often feel unbound and set free to be more expressive.

Only occasionally do we come across a coach who is so firmly wedded to the specific practices of coaching that they struggle to fully step into the role of coaching supervisor.

One example of this is the wider, systemic view the supervisor has across the whole coaching field.  Whilst a coach’s main concern is their client, a coaching supervisor is concerned about their supervisee, the supervisee’s client, the system sponsoring the coaching and the coaching profession as a whole.  This might necessitate them to be more challenging of a coach who is demonstrating some unethical practices (whether knowingly or not) or to raise concerns about the outcomes of a coaching engagement.  All done with love and collaboration but nonetheless, this can feel different from the more classically person-centred approach that is coaching.

Are you open to widening the ways in which you work? Are you ready to spread your wings?

Are you ready to have a new level of authority and presence?

Finally, and related to the last point, are the twin themes of authority and presence.

This is something that Peter Hawkins writes extensively about in the classic work, “Supervision in the Helping Professions”.

Perhaps more than most disciplines, humanistic forms of coaching have taken a path of an egalitarian, collaborative relationship in which the coach’s “stuff” is set aside and their personality somewhat subdued. (Or, at least, in theory!)

As a coaching supervisor, however, the qualities of presence and authority are vital ingredients.  A coach in supervision wants to feel held and supported, yet not told or diminished.  This calls for the subtle but important use of authority and presence.

We’ve found that this step can feel like a quantum leap for some coaches when they become a supervisor as many have been accustomed to reducing their presence and authority in order that the client assumes more of both.

We know this is a journey and whilst some coaches seamlessly move towards this position of authority and presence, others can take several months to truly trust themselves as a supervisor who can inhabit this space with these twin qualities.

Do you feel ready to use your experience, knowledge and wisdom with authority and presence?

Summary

There may be other questions that you have around your readiness, but for us at the ICCS, we’ve found that these seven are the most vital points to check in on for yourself. 

Some are simple and straightforward – such as whether you are a qualified coach! Others are more complex, subjective and intuitive.

The starting point, though, is you.

How do you feel about your readiness?

Do you find yourself answering yes to these questions?

If so, maybe it’s time to consider training as a coaching supervisor.  If that sounds like you then we’d love to chat!

Why not check out our Diploma in Coaching Supervision and if it looks a good fit, apply to join us!

Who am I?

This question came up for me continuously throughout my learning journey with the ICCS. It was not  enough for me to have a fancy title or a well-targeted niche and the more I asked myself this question, the clearer it  became that I wanted to know, “Who am I, as my authentic self?”

There were times I felt like an imposter. If I didn’t know who I was, then how could I be a coach and build a credible business, let alone call myself a supervisor?

I had a burning desire to feel free, to be authentically and unapologetically me. Interestingly, there were many moments in my day-to-day life where I would feel connected to my authentic self, I would feel passionate and purposeful and alive. I noticed this was occurring whilst I was in one-to-one supervision sessions and I noticed there were times as a coach and a trainer I felt this liberation. When I stepped into a state of surrender and trusting my higher self , I was able to show up and serve the client in front of me powerfully.  

So what is the connection to supervision here?

A big part of me felt that I was just trying to be spiritual and that connecting to the state of surrender and my “higher self” did not belong in the supervision space. I noticed I  attached some shame around this and felt the “intuitive” space was reserved for those that acted or looked the part. At times I felt like a spiritual imposter. 

But I also felt there was something here for me to explore, question and, hopefully, resolve.  The inquiry took me on a journey of exploring transpersonal psychology and the work of Roberto Assagioli’s Psychosynthesis as well as other thinkers who tried to make sense of the greater calling, or higher self.

The Four Ways of Being 

For me, this journey all began with a simple framework that helped me to understand the process of when I felt that I was most connected to my higher self.

I first discovered the four ways of being on a Mindvalley class led by Michael Beckwith – a spiritual thought minister and author. 

He lays out these four ways:

1. Life happens to me – Victim consciousness 
2. Life happens by me – Consciously creating 
3. Life happens through me – Centre of consciousness (surrender and letting go) 
4. Life happens as me – One consciousness  

I felt I was my “Authentic Self” when I was at stage 3 – Life Happens Through Me. When I show up to sessions in a  state of surrender and trust, using tools and techniques was secondary to the state of surrender. 

However, as I reflected on my self-awareness further, on occasions I would surrender to an outer force. I wasn’t just  “letting go” I was putting my trust into something wider than me – almost like I had taken a seat in a vehicle, which I  would steer, but trusted the power was external to me. I did not need to question my thoughts, feelings, or even the outcome of the session. I trusted the entire process before the client had entered the room. I felt I was working with more than just my intuition. 

At this stage I didn’t have much more to hang my exploration on but then I discovered transpersonal psychology.

Psychodynamic Theory in Supervision

During the third module of the ICCS’s Diploma in Coaching Supervision, we explored psychodynamic theory in supervision. The fundamental  proposition was  that “Emotional disturbance is the result of intrapsychic forces that pit unconscious desires and  emotions, with personal and social construction, specifically as they relate to childhood experience.”  

We explored Freud’s three-part structure of the mind  

• Id – Truest form – Individual needs 
• Ego – Identity – How am I presenting myself to the world
• Superego – Ethical Norms – How I “should” be 

What really piqued my interest was the concept of transpersonal psychology and the work of Roberto Assagioli in particular. For Assagioli, the Superego exists outside of ourselves and within our “higher selves”.

In an interview in which Assagioli was asked about his views on the Freudian Superego he said:

The Self is different from the superego or “conscience.” To begin with, it is structurally and ontologically different. The superego, unlike the Self, cannot be considered to be an “entity.” It is a composite, made up of different elements having diverse origins. Freud describes the superego as being formed by the sum of introjections and commands and inhibitions and feelings of guilt and condemnation, all derived from the words and actions of parents and from the “moral” attitudes of a particular culture.

At this point, I found an idea that spoke to my search for transcending my own sense of ego and I knew my personal research project for my supervision qualification would be a fantastic opportunity to dive into this further; there was a desire to understand what I now know to be psychosynthesis.

What is psychosynthesis and who is Roberto Assagioli? 

Roberto Assagioli (1888-1974) worked as a doctor, psychotherapist and teacher. In 1909 he was introduced to Sigmund Freud and just a year later he began to move away from Freud’s psychoanalytic approach and towards what he called psychosynthesis. In the development of his psychology, he agreed with Freud that healing childhood trauma and developing a healthy ego were necessary aims of psychotherapy, but held the stance that human growth could not be limited to this alone. 

Psychosynthesis acknowledges our individual uniqueness and our connection to the whole. 

Psychosynthesis is interested in the whole building. We try to build an elevator, which will allow a person access to every level of his personality. After all, a building with only a basement is very limited. We want to open up the terrace where you can sunbathe or look at the stars. Our concern is the synthesis of all areas of personality. That means Psychosynthesis is holistic, global and inclusive. It is not against psychoanalysis or even behaviour modification but it insists that the needs for meaning, for higher values, for a spiritual life, are as real as biological or social needs.

Dr Roberto Assagioli

Self or “Soul” Awareness 

The diagram shows energies flow between our individual and collective consciousness and outside of us is the collective unconscious – from here, we can access the ideas and experiences of humanity as a whole. 

The “I “that sits in the middle is our self-awareness or “the observer” where we gather all our psychological resources into an independent identity. Assagioli believes that the “I” is not our thoughts, feelings, or senses, but a centre of pure consciousness and will. It has a field of consciousness where we become self-aware and can observe our thoughts and feelings. It is connected to the star at the top of the chart, which represents the soul, or the  “Transpersonal Self”. 

The soul is our innermost essence, the spiritual core with which we are connected to life. The soul contains our inherent goodness, truth, and beauty. It is the source of our need to make a difference in the world, the silent voice of our conscience. 

Many people have had the experience of the “Self” and have given testimony to it in various spiritual or religious ways.  Auguste Gratry, a 19th-century theologian, described his contact with it as follows: 

I felt as if it were an interior form, full of strength, beauty and joy, a form of light and flame, which sustained all my  being: a steadfast, unchanging form, always the same, which I recovered again and again during the course of my  life; yet I lost sight of it and forgot it at intervals, but always recognized it with joy and the exclamation: “Here is my  real being”

Auguste Gratry

The stages of psychosynthesis  

Assagioli outlined a dynamic process within psychosynthesis that broadly divides into four stages.

• Gaining deep and clear knowledge of one’s personality.
• Developing self-control of one’s personality.
• The realisation of one’s true Self and the creation of a unifying whole.
• Psychosynthesis as the reconstruction of the personality around a new centre.

Psychosynthesis is about integrating these elements in order to live a creative and meaningful life.

Whilst exploring psychosynthesis, however, I began to notice clear parallels with more humanistic schools of thought. In particular, I was surprised to find Maslow reflecting some of these ideas, though in a more secular manner, in his concept of metamotivation.

Maslow and Metamotivation 

Abraham Harold Maslow (1908 – 1970) is best known for creating his now well-known hierarchy of needs. He was an atheist and found it difficult to accept religious experience as valid. However, whilst he rejected organised religion and its beliefs, he wrote extensively on the human being’s need for the sacred and spoke of God in terms of beauty, truth and goodness. 

Maslow used the term metamotivation to describe self-actualized people who are driven by innate forces beyond their basic needs, so that they may explore and reach their full human potential. Maslow’s theory of motivation gave insight on individuals having the ability to be motivated by a calling, mission or life purpose. 

Whilst Maslow isn’t referring to a direct connection with the higher self, his reference to innate forces motivated by purpose is how I experience a connection to the higher self or soul. 

Love, Fear and Self in Supervision: An interview with Robin Sohet 

The missing piece of the puzzle for me was how my Higher Self could be part of my supervision without it being about me.

Here, the word of Robin Sohet, author of many supervision books including “In love with Supervision”, in an interview with Nick Bolton, founder of Animas and the ICCS, resonated with me.

Sohet talks about the power of our presence and describes the authority we have through this quality no matter what role we have in the room. 

When exploring a question around his use of eye 6 – the use of the self in supervision, Shohet said:

It’s absurd to think that you can extricate yourself because even in extrication you are still putting your “self” in in the way you extricate. So it’s absolutely absurd, and I will say it as strongly as that, to think you can extricate yourself. It is like the psychoanalyst thinking of themselves as a blank screen. People are impacting on each other all the time. We are always impacting on each other. We connect through our feelings. By focusing on yourself and trusting it, we are actually connecting with each other. I can let go and be me. If you solely focus on the other,  there is no one at home. I can be at home with myself and share with you.

 

Robin Shohet

Conclusion  

Whilst I feel I am still dipping my toe into the ocean of transpersonal psychology,  psychosynthesis and beyond, I can say my question of “Who am I at my most authentic level” is my superconscious self.  It does not need a fancy description; in this moment I am open to what is.

I feel a strong sense of trust in the journey I am taking.  The more I move forward in my professional career as a coach, trainer and, now, supervisor, the more I feel I am stepping into my higher purpose and accessing my Higher Self.

Since exploring this theory further, I have felt a stronger connection to who I am as a supervisor.  In a recent supervision session, I felt that my client was feeling disempowered and we uncovered that she too was actually on a journey to discover of her “authentic voice”. Yet, until then, she hadn’t known she was. In that moment, I knew that it was my purpose and passion to keep mastering my craft as a supervisor so that I can support coaches to connect with their authentic selves and feel empowered to create a purposeful living.  

Whilst I personally believe in the value of holding the position of my Higher Self in supervision, I also feel that it’s a deeply personal journey for each one of us.  Yet, whilst working with the “Higher Self” may not be the right fit for all supervisors, I truly believe there is certainly value in exploring the concept of the superconscious or self at a deeper level in order to amplify the work we do.

References: 

ICCS Session – Psychodynamics In Supervision  

The 15 commitments of conscious leadership – Jim Dethmer  

Kenneth Sorensen – The Rebirth of the Soul – Interview with Roberto Assagioli 

Kenneth Sorensen – Psychosynthesis 

Love, Fear and Self in Supervision: An interview with Robin Sohet and the ICCS 

Abraham Maslow – Wikipedia