As accomplished coaches, who do we process our “stuff” with? Who can we trust enough to bare our souls; our deepest, darkest vulnerabilities and fears to? Do we even need to, and are we even willing to? Is it enough to have reached a level of designation from a credentialing organization?

This is the intersect into coaching supervision.

The term “coaching supervision” carries a great deception - it leaves one with visions of being evaluated by someone holding a clipboard checking off little boxes in judgement of your demonstrated skills. The concept of supervision is just that - a concept, a social construct.

We, Lily and Michele, are two coaches on a journey into the heart of coaching supervision, the space created where a new truth can emerge. When two or more people come together in a connected relationship, accompanied by presence and curiosity, magic can happen.

We are learners participating in the first North American cohort of the Coaching Supervision Academy Diploma Course (http://coachingsupervisionacademy.com/). We welcome you to join us on our journey, as we blog about our experiences as supervisors and our learnings from the course.

Lily’s journey

About a year ago, I recognized that I had plateaued in my coaching practice. In searching for how to deepen my own coaching practice, and to add value to the internal coach development work that I am responsible for, I stumbled upon supervision. I quickly realized the value of working with someone who could create a sacred place with me to work on what was getting in my way of moving from a good coach to a better coach. I have come to appreciate the sacred space that can be created for the deep work that happens between the supervisor and the supervisee. The freedom to process whatever I need to process and to say whatever needs to be said without being judged is a very unique and special space. It's where I can grow and deepen my ability to be fully present with my clients, dancing in the moment. I'm looking forward to blogging about my journey to become a CSA coach supervisor.

Michele’s journey

After 15 years of practice I stepped onto the path of coaching supervision seeking to reveal a deeper understanding of “Who” I am and “How” I want to be as a coach. I wanted to reignite the intimacy with the sacred space that lies within; rekindle the joy of coaching that comes in the beginning when we sit for the first time, in front of the client, with a beginner’s mind.

About a year ago while coaching a client, I suddenly witnessed myself feeling a great deal of doubt about the value I was adding. Later that day, I felt discouraged because I realized I had not challenged the client’s thinking and perspective on the topic at hand. In that moment, I had relinquished my coaching skills and fallen into collusion with the client. It may have been triggered by what the client was saying, or could be that my attention was being pulled away because I was overriding an emerging feeling, possibly being triggered by the client’s story.

I wanted to discover what was at play when coaching this client. I asked myself what stopped me from challenging him. What pulled me off course and caused me to lose my way in that moment? I needed a space where I could partner in reflection and be held by deep acceptance and allowing. Now having experienced supervision, I know it would have enabled me to inquire into my experience of angst and doubt. It would have revealed a hidden reality that wanted to be seen and would have informed, more fully, my coaching relationship with this client.

Lily and I would like to invite you to join us on our journey. We will share our stories of learning; the joys and challenges that will reveal themselves to us as we walk this path together and find our way back to the sacred space within.

Michele Roy can be reached at CoachRoy@telus.net

Lily Seto can be reached at lilyseto@telus.net