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Right on cue, Amanda Ridings, CSA graduate,  has sent in this piece.  I hope that you find it useful and that it might whet your appetite to read ‘Pause for Breath’ her recent, excellent book on dialogue .  Edna Murdoch   ———————————————————————————————————————————————————  See how nature – trees, flowers, grass -grows in silence; See the stars, […]

It’s been so interesting this week to see the shift in the attitude of St Paul’s, to the demonstrators. This is the stuff of contracting and re-contracting. Full marks to the church for changing its position after dialogue with the demonstrators. Full marks too, not only for a key figure to get out of the […]

There is much discussion in coaching, at the moment, about mindfulness. Fiona Adamson, who helped to establish CSA and currently supervises some of our students, writes the superb piece below. It sets out clearly, the benefits of a mindfulness approach in coaching.  Although it is written for coach supervisors, it applies just as well to […]

Last week, we (CSA) began the sixth annual training for coach supervisors.  You can picture this new group – training team included! – eager to get going after much pre-course preparation.  I am always fascinated by these first minutes/hours in a new situation, particularly one which brings together a group of very experienced coaches, many […]

  I am intrigued to discover that this autumn, OUP are publishing a scholarly volume of essays on the theme of Pathological Altruism.  The NYT says that: ‘The book is the first comprehensive treatment of the idea that when ostensibly generous “how can I help you?” behavior is taken to extremes, misapplied or stridently rhapsodized, […]

“Unconditional presence is the most powerful transmuting force there is”  John Welwood. I wish that our coaching training courses could give much more time to ‘unconditional presence.’ In our (CSA’s) coaching supervision training, we work throughout the nine months to ensure that our supervisors use  ‘unconditional presence’ and mindfulness to support their work with coaches. […]

Coaching Presence Over the next few weeks, I will be writing about coaching presence and how very important it is for us to cultivate profound presence – not  just extra awareness.  To begin, I would like to offer you a quotation that says it all in my book and then, a simple practical preparation for […]

A key element of coaching supervision is the exploration of the relationship between coach and coachee, as well as the one taking place inside the coach – the internal conversation often referred to as the ‘Internal Supervisor’. Coaching Supervision appreciates that while the observable business of coaching is going on – meetings, contracting, outlining coaching […]

One way of exploring what coaching supervision should really look like, is to think of it as a process of Reflection, Insight and Support. This way of understanding it underlines the fact that supervision enhances ‘seeing’ – the seeing into one’s practice – as well as the illumination of subtle processes in coaching conversations and […]

Coaches bring a variety of topics and ‘feelings’ to reflect on in supervision as indeed I do when I work with my own Supervisor. It has become increasingly apparent to me that one particular ‘challenge’ raises its head frequently in the relationship Coaches have with their coaching clients and that is the apparently thorny matter […]