The Heart of Coaching Supervision

"The Heart of Coaching Supervision is an outstanding contribution to the literature. The editors have drawn together leading names in the field including Tatiana Bachkirova, Peter Hawkins and Linda Aspey to provide a kaleidoscope of chapters which will help those interested in understanding supervision practice to deepen their knowledge and enhance their practice through new insights and techniques which are at the forefront of thinking within coaching supervision." - Professor Jonathan Passmore, University of Evora, Portugal, and Henley Business School, UK

"The Heart of Coaching Supervision: Working with Reflection and Self-Care is an invaluable contribution to supervision text that does what the title says and encourages us to take notice of and listen to our inner resources in service of others.

This text is indispensable for supervision practice because of its ‘completeness’ about 'self'. Each chapter brings you a different perspective on supervision illustrating the author’s philosophy and approach to practice. Case studies reveal the extraordinary power of reflection for both the supervisor and the supervisee and the achievements of this combined wisdom.

What you’ll experience through the eyes of the authors, who willingly share their own vulnerabilities, is validation of us as human beings. We’re inspired to accept who and what we are with compassion that urges us to offer that same compassion to others; knowing we share a common humanity.

The eclectic contributions of authors exemplifying the kaleidoscope of humanity engages us with alternative and complementary approaches to supervision. You’ll read about topics you’ve possibly never experienced, or struggled to manage, or simply another perspective on a familiar theme.

Case studies visit working with refugees to everyday corporate scenarios that draw on emotions; sometimes the stories will make you laugh and maybe sometimes you’ll cry. Ultimately, you’ll learn from the practices of professional supervisors about the human condition unfolding and how the power of supervision ripples beyond the immediate conversation to benefit society as a whole." – Dr Lise Lewis, EMCC International Special Ambassador Promoting Supervision Worldwide

"Supervision is coming! While fairly unknown in the US and many other parts of the coaching world, supervision has been a vital mainstay of the profession in the UK and Europe. This book organizes the latest thinking from some of the masters of our field into one volume. You don’t want to miss this critical and vital development trend for the coaching profession." - Dr. Brian O. Underhill, Founder and CEO, CoachSource, LLC and author of Executive Coaching for Results: The Definitive Guide to Developing Organizational Leaders

"Being a coach supervisor is a great privilege — coaches bring to supervision their most interesting and challenging issues, making it a rich and eclectic form of learning for the supervisor as well as the supervisee. The Heart of Coaching Supervision: Working with Reflection and Self-Care captures the essence of supervision – less an intellectual process or activity, more a way of being and being with. The impressive cast of contributors each provides a different insight into how supervision nurtures coaches’ efficacy and well-being, enabling them in turn to nurture their clients.

The word ‘heart’ implies many things, but particularly compassion and courage – two qualities central to great leadership, great coaches and, as these pages illustrate, to great supervision. It takes both compassion and courage to truly listen; and deep listening to truly understand. The essays and case studies in this book explore what it means to value and to use self; how the differences between us can, through reflection, enhance the connectedness between us; and the importance of attention to well-being in all aspects of the client-coach-supervisor system.

If coaching is a stimulus to reflective conversation, and supervision is reflection on coaching, then this excellent book adds another valuable layer – reflections on how we reflect." - Professor David Clutterbuck, visiting professor, Sheffield Hallam and Oxford Brookes Universities, UK; external examiner, Ashridge coaching MBA; co-founder, European Mentoring and Coaching Council

"Context is essential to fully appreciate the power of a professional declaration. The practice of coaching is 30-35 years young, only formally organized for 22 years, and practitioners have enjoyed the benefit of coaching supervision for far less than that. In the context of a professional vocation, this time period is minuscule and reminds us to be in beginner’s mind, open and willing to be disturbed by ideas to invite disruption and innovation. Challenge to assumptions and bias requires leadership and maturity that perceives for a greater collective purpose than the self. The authors convened in this book embody this quality and bring both clear articulation and commitment to direct experience learning alive on each page. Each chapter opens the aperture of our camera lens so that we receive and absorb more of the reality in front of us as well as the abundant resources that life presents, even without us asking. Pursuit of excellence is a hallmark of being a professional and the practice of coaching supervision is an empowering and accelerating contribution. Choosing to engage it, learn it, provide it and courageously reflect and share our perspectives through this book, truly makes the whole of our profession greater than the sum of the parts." - Janet M. Harvey, ACS, MCC, CMC, Past President, Global ICF Board and ICF Foundation

"The Heart of Coaching Supervision: Working with Reflection and Self-Care is an invaluable contribution to supervision text that does what the title says and encourages us to take notice of and listen to our inner resources in service of others.

This text is indispensable for supervision practice because of its ‘completeness’ about 'self'. Each chapter brings you a different perspective on supervision illustrating the author’s philosophy and approach to practice. Case studies reveal the extraordinary power of reflection for both the supervisor and the supervisee and the achievements of this combined wisdom.

What you’ll experience through the eyes of the authors, who willingly share their own vulnerabilities, is validation of us as human beings. We’re inspired to accept who and what we are with compassion that urges us to offer that same compassion to others; knowing we share a common humanity.

The eclectic contributions of authors exemplifying the kaleidoscope of humanity engages us with alternative and complementary approaches to supervision. You’ll read about topics you’ve possibly never experienced, or struggled to manage, or simply another perspective on a familiar theme.

Case studies visit working with refugees to everyday corporate scenarios that draw on emotions; sometimes the stories will make you laugh and maybe sometimes you’ll cry. Ultimately, you’ll learn from the practices of professional supervisors about the human condition unfolding and how the power of supervision ripples beyond the immediate conversation to benefit society as a whole." – Dr Lise Lewis, EMCC International Special Ambassador Promoting Supervision Worldwide

"The Heart of Coaching Supervision is an outstanding contribution to the literature. The editors have drawn together leading names in the field including Tatiana Bachkirova, Peter Hawkins and Linda Aspey to provide a kaleidoscope of chapters which will help those interested in understanding supervision practice to deepen their knowledge and enhance their practice through new insights and techniques which are at the forefront of thinking within coaching supervision." - Professor Jonathan Passmore, University of Evora, Portugal, and Henley Business School, UK

"In our pursuit of coaching excellence and mastery, to enhance the fulfilment, growth and performance of others and in business, we are constantly learning the ‘pillars’ of what truly makes a difference for a professional coach, to be at their best…Like an athlete, one of these is the need for reflective practice, and for a coach to work alongside a trusted partner to help them in this space.

This is where this wonderful, diverse book, ‘The Heart of Coaching Supervision’ is timely, and is an important piece of work for our emerging profession. In the spirit of collaboration and valuing different perspectives, it’s a necessary read for any serious coach who wants to best serve their clients. Thank you, to all the authors, for their contribution. I would highly recommend!" - Katherine Tulpa, Global CEO and Co-founder, Association for Coaching, www.associationforcoaching.com, UK.

"Being a coach supervisor is a great privilege — coaches bring to supervision their most interesting and challenging issues, making it a rich and eclectic form of learning for the supervisor as well as the supervisee. The Heart of Coaching Supervision: Working with Reflection and Self-Care captures the essence of supervision – less an intellectual process or activity, more a way of being and being with. The impressive cast of contributors each provides a different insight into how supervision nurtures coaches’ efficacy and well-being, enabling them in turn to nurture their clients.

The word ‘heart’ implies many things, but particularly compassion and courage – two qualities central to great leadership, great coaches and, as these pages illustrate, to great supervision. It takes both compassion and courage to truly listen; and deep listening to truly understand. The essays and case studies in this book explore what it means to value and to use self; how the differences between us can, through reflection, enhance the connectedness between us; and the importance of attention to well-being in all aspects of the client-coach-supervisor system.

If coaching is a stimulus to reflective conversation, and supervision is reflection on coaching, then this excellent book adds another valuable layer – reflections on how we reflect." - Professor David Clutterbuck, visiting professor, Henley Business School and Sheffield Hallam and Oxford Brookes Universities, UK; co-founder, European Mentoring and Coaching Council

"Context is essential to fully appreciate the power of a professional declaration. The practice of coaching is 30-35 years young, only formally organized for 22 years, and practitioners have enjoyed the benefit of coaching supervision for far less than that. In the context of a professional vocation, this time period is minuscule and reminds us to be in beginner’s mind, open and willing to be disturbed by ideas to invite disruption and innovation. Challenge to assumptions and bias requires leadership and maturity that perceives for a greater collective purpose than the self. The authors convened in this book embody this quality and bring both clear articulation and commitment to direct experience learning alive on each page. Each chapter opens the aperture of our camera lens so that we receive and absorb more of the reality in front of us as well as the abundant resources that life presents, even without us asking. Pursuit of excellence is a hallmark of being a professional and the practice of coaching supervision is an empowering and accelerating contribution. Choosing to engage it, learn it, provide it and courageously reflect and share our perspectives through this book, truly makes the whole of our profession greater than the sum of the parts." - Janet M. Harvey, ACS, MCC, CMC, Past President, Global ICF Board and ICF Foundation

"Supervision is coming! While fairly unknown in the US and many other parts of the coaching world, supervision has been a vital mainstay of the profession in the UK and Europe. This book organizes the latest thinking from some of the masters of our field into one volume. You don’t want to miss this critical and vital development trend for the coaching profession." - Dr. Brian O. Underhill, Founder and CEO, CoachSource, LLC and author of Executive Coaching for Results: The Definitive Guide to Developing Organizational Leaders