A professional imperative

Like most support professions, professional coaching requires supervision. It is a process of growth (or even ‘hygiene’) and professionalisation of the coach in the service of the coachee(s).

It can take place in an individual relationship with the supervisor (individual supervision) and/or in a group with a supervisor (collective supervision or group supervision).

Supervision is based on a specific contractual approach: the coach's supervisor cannot be the coach's trainer (coaching or otherwise), therapist or peer (colleague or associate).

Therefore, a Practice Exchange Group can NOT substitute for a supervision space.

What does coach supervision allow for?

As a reflective process, it offers a privileged space for exchange, listening and reflection to improve both the practice and the professional identity of the coach.

It also offers the opportunity to analyse and overcome difficulties encountered in professional situations, to distance oneself from one's own practice and to resolve possible ethical or deontological dilemmas.

Finally, supervision is an element of peace of mind for clients and an indicator of professionalism for coaches.

What is the supervision process?

The supervision process is a reflective and interactive process in which the supervisor and supervisee are on equal footing.

It is based on the questioning of the coach, the client and the environment (or client system).

We talk about parity because it is an exchange between equals: the coach and the supervisor are both coaches.

For us, the image that best symbolizes supervision is that of a lighthouse, which guides a consultation and sheds light on the coaching situations that must be explored in order to continue moving forward in complete safety.

Supervision consist in  3 elements:

Support supervision

This supervision allows, among other things, the coach to put aside emotionally charged comments or to calm down in their practice to overcome possible blockages.

Resolution supervision

This supervision allows the coach who feels that he has reached an impasse to have the support of his colleagues (in the case of group supervision) and the insight of a supervisor to help him overcome the impasse.

Evolutionary supervision

The goal of this supervision is to challenge the coach and help them progress in their practice.

During a complete supervision cycle, the supervisor generally uses these 3 typologies to invite the coach or coaches to move from a broad vision to a more specific vision, or vice versa.

The differences and complementarities between individual supervision and group supervision

Individual supervision in coaching responds to the coach's request.

It is a space for expression and exchange in which the coach expresses the problems encountered during the coaching sessions and questions their practice.

The supervisor, thanks to his listening skills and experience, provides points of view and suggests avenues for reflection.

Individual supervision can take place face-to-face or remotely.

Group supervision in coaching is an invaluable help and support for all professional coaches.

Through exchanges between colleagues, it keeps you up to date with other practices and enriches your knowledge.

We recommend face-to-face group supervision, as it allows us to be more aware of group games and have a finer, richer view of what is at stake.

What types of supervision do we offer?

Individual supervision
Group supervision
Internal coach supervision

In short, a collaborative learning practice designed to continually improve the coach's capabilities through reflective dialogue that benefits coaches and their clients!

To find a supervisor consult our: online list or you can contact us by filling out this form: