What is CoachING Supervision?

Coaching supervision is a practice that is available to individuals in helping professions to give practitioners a place to go to talk about challenges and questions that come up doing their coaching practice. 

“Coaching supervision offers coaches an opportunity to access continuous professional development through reflection and dialogue in a safe, supportive and confidential space.  If we look closer at the word itself: super-vision meaning over-sight, the practice of supervision is for the coach and their supervisor to reflect together and have over-sight of the coach’s practice in service of them being the very best coach they can be.”

 ICF, 2022

The function and scope of supervision covers learning and development, support of the coach, and safety and standards.  The coach brings “a case” or a question that they would like to pursue, but it is about something that affects their practice.  Here is a sample question:

“I am successful with clients all the time, but there is this one client with whom I can’t see to make any progress. He just brings the same topic over and over again.  Is it me?”

In supervision, the coach and supervisor reflect and explore the topic together from various angles and perspectives.  There may be a discussion of coaching competencies, or the discussion may go deeper.  Ultimately, the coach gains insight that can be integrated into their coaching.  The supervisor is supportive of the coach as they reflect on an issue together.  And it is a perfect place to discuss ethical questions and dilemmas that you might not feel comfortable talking about anywhere else.  

Coaching supervision resembles coaching in that the coach and supervisor contract with each other around how they will work and how similar boundaries of confidentiality are upheld. The focus of each supervision session will be clearly established and may have to do with a range of topics.  For example:

• Case analysis (i.e., The coach’s work with a particular client or a particular session with a client)
• Patterns and themes that the coach is noticing about their coaching practice across their client base
• Observations that the coach is having about themselves within the context of their coaching practice
• Review of the ICF Core Competencies or other coaching-related materials and how they are being evidenced in the coach’s practice

Coaching supervision can be done on a one-to-one basis or as part of a supervision group. The discipline requires specific training which covers at least one or more fields of (coaching) psychology as well as supervision models. A coaching supervisor is also most likely to be an experienced coach and also be self-aware and mindful of their own part in the coach-supervisor dynamic and relationship. For supervisors working with groups, an understanding of group dynamics and group development is needed as well as knowledge of group supervision processes and practices.

The practice of coaching is evolving all of the time so it is crucially important for coaches to continue their professional development post qualification. It bridges the gap between theory and practice. A coach can use their supervision sessions to be coached on real and specific issues in order to further their own personal development. Additionally, if a coach reaches an impasse with their client, they can refer to their supervisor to learn new tools and techniques, or refresh existing skills, and practice them in a safe environment. This is a very individualized and practical way of learning that can happen at the point of need. With this support, the coach can quickly unlock progress, engage and contribute in new ways, and improve the coaching experience. 

Ethics is another big area where supervision is beneficial. The line between right and wrong can move dependent upon people’s beliefs, morality and understanding of the world. During supervision, the coach can discuss information that is troubling them without breaching the confidentiality of the coaching relationship. For example, the coach may not like the client’s ethics, or they may feel uncomfortable about behaviors or issues that are raised during coaching.