How to prepare for Coaching SuperVision
SuperVision is a generous reflection, central to responsible coaching.
It is generous because it keeps the interests and agenda of our clients at its core. It helps us identify how we can show up effectively as coaches to accompany our clients, and spot where our own history and biases might be interfering with the support our clients seek from us.
It is generous to our profession, by placing ethical practice in the foreground. Acting with greater ethical awareness and clarity enhances trust in the work that we do.
And it is generous to ourselves as coaches, providing a space for us to expand our own capacity. We see that other coaches share our doubts and insecurities. We notice the impact that holding space for our clients has on us as coaches, and consider how we can care for ourselves as part of a sustainable coaching practice.
Where to start
A particular situation from your coaching can provide a useful starting point for reflection. If you have a broader theme in mind, a specific example can help bring it to life. This might be something in a recent coaching session that felt odd, different, blocked, interesting or great. If you kept thinking about something following the session, that’s a good candidate for exploration.
Here are four questions that you can use to choose your starting point for SuperVision and identify what you would like from the reflection:
What recent situation, experience or question do I want to explore?
What leads me to choose this?
How would I like my supervisor to support me in exploring it?
What would I like to take away as learning or further reflection?
You do not have to know exactly what the issue is - getting a better feel for it is part of what happens in SuperVision. A sense that something deserves attention - even when you cannot yet explain why - is a good starting point.
Nor does it have to be something that went wrong. A session that went particularly well can be worth exploring, especially if you are curious about what made the difference.
A little practical preparation
Consider making a few brief notes: enough context to explain the situation, what caught your attention, and what you noticed in yourself. Capturing reflections soon after coaching can preserve details that might otherwise fade.
Check with your supervisor whether any materials are needed; don’t assume that you should bring recordings, transcripts or written accounts. Make sure your client agreements cover discussion of your work in SuperVision, and avoid names or identifying details that are not needed for the reflection. If you plan to share recordings or documents, check the relevant permissions first.
When starting with a supervisor or joining a SuperVision group, you can also bring questions about how you will work together: what to expect, how confidentiality will be handled, and what preparation your supervisor suggests.
For group SuperVision, being ready to share a situation can help the work get started. Come curious about what you might learn from other coaches’ enquiries, and ready to support their reflection through your listening and contributions.
Richard Smith, PCC, CSS
October 2026