How do we support the wellbeing of newly qualified and seasoned coaches?

When our Health & Wellbeing special interest group met recently, Helen O’Neill, Deputy Development Director of EMCC UK, helped them explore what mental health and wellbeing means for coaches, mentors and supervisors. Helen shares here the thoughts and reflections which came out of their discussion, which focus on clarity of expectation, resources, support networks, supervision, energy management and boundaries.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of work, wellbeing remains an important topic of discussion and focus. In professions such as coaching, practitioners are required to balance the wellbeing needs of their clients, while at the same time considering their own. And wellbeing needs aren’t uniform. They vary based on many factors, including an individual’s circumstances, personality, and the specific moment in time.

As coaches, mentors and supervisors, we understand this variability both intuitively and practically. Our commitment to our own wellbeing is not simply a commitment to self, but a professional obligation. As members of EMCC, we adhere to the Global Code of Ethics, which states:

‘Members will be fit and healthy enough to practice. If they are not, or are unsure if they are able to practice safely for health reasons, they will seek professional guidance or support.’

This ethical guideline raises important questions. What does it mean for us as individuals? How can EMCC support its members in managing their wellbeing effectively? And how do we do this at each stage of a coach’s career?

To explore these questions, the EMCC UK Health & Wellbeing special interest group (SIG) held a discussion in September. The session welcomed a number of first-time participants, as well as long-standing members.

Key themes

Some key themes emerged in our discussion.

Being clear about what we mean by wellbeing – Our discussion started with exploring the need for clarity in our own understanding of wellbeing, balancing our need to be well without feeling the need to ‘do wellbeing’. We spoke about the importance of connecting with self and owning what that state of being well means to us personally. We recognised that this might evolve or change over time, and that reconnecting with our definition of (and relationship with) wellbeing was a topic to revisit on a regular basis.

The availability of resources and signposting – We recognised the wealth of experience within EMCC, in the wellbeing space generally, and in our practitioners who specialise in this field. Wellbeing as a topic is frequently included on the schedules of our networking groups and SIGs, and we’d like to continue to build on this foundation, making it easier to navigate for our newer members, while continuing to share resources formally and informally.

The role of supervision – Supervision emerged as a core theme. For practitioners with established supervisory relationships, we recognised the importance of this type of support. For newly qualified coaches, we discussed the added challenge of finding and funding supervision for the first time. We shared experiences of moving from a coach-mentor structure during training to supervision, and how the process itself can impact wellbeing. How we facilitate, resource and signpost a range of supervisory options is something we can see evolving with the continued growth of the industry.

Building robust support networks – The discussion highlighted the diversity of practice within our profession. From how we coach to who we coach, and whether we work internally, within organisations, or run private practices. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to being a coach. This can mean that while the need for support is universal, what that support looks like can and does vary, particularly when we consider we may be supporting and competing with each other at the same time.

Energy management and boundaries – We all agreed on the importance of energy and boundary management in coaching, which by its nature can be an emotionally and cognitively demanding profession. For newly qualified coaches, this might also include the need to develop the skills required to start and run a business and we’ve seen from the popularity of the EMCC facilitated sessions in this area how important this is to our members. Seasoned coaches, on the other hand, might face different challenges, such as isolation, and adapting to advancements in the profession. We agreed there were universal focus areas on time effectiveness, rest, connectivity and balance, to name a few.

Conclusion

Bringing a group of coaches, mentors and supervisors together to discuss wellbeing revealed just how complex and nuanced the topic is. It highlighted once again how important wellbeing is to us and to our ability to serve.

Resources and information are useful. Supervision and facilitating access to it is a priority.

The conversation is one we'll continue to have as our industry, clients and the external environment evolve.

I, for one, don’t profess to have the answers. But what came through loud and clear in our discussion was the need to keep talking, to keep being curious, and for our membership body to keep adapting with us. I look forward to being part of that journey.

About this discussion

The group facilitators were Marian Rosefield MSc (MAPPCP), and Andrew A Parsons PhD.

Thanks to Helen O’Neill for providing her notes from the discussion.

To contact the group about this article, please email them here: healthandwellbeing.sig@emccuk.org

Photo by Milles Studio