Coaching Client Form

Cathy Smith Coaching is a business that provides professional and personal coaching.

What is Coaching

Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. It is designed to facilitate the creation/development of personal, professional or business goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/ plan for achieving those goals.

Coaching is not advice, therapy, or counselling, it may address specific personal projects, business successes or general conditions in the client’s life or profession. The premise of coaching is that the client is whole, creative and resourceful and has the answers needed to reach their goals and as a coach, we facilitate this process.

Coaching is advice free, judgement free, solution focused, future focused, client centred, based on an equal partnership between coach and client and is strength based. Throughout the working relationship, the coach will engage in direct, personal and group conversations where applicable.

The client (you) can count on the coach to be honest and straightforward in asking questions and making requests. The client understands that the power of the coaching relationship can only be granted by the client, and the client agrees to do just that: have the coaching relationship be powerful.

If the client believes the coaching is not working as desired, the client will communicate that belief, and take action to return the power to the coaching relationship.

Ways of Working Together

• listen to your attentively and without judgement or my own agenda
• be open and honest
• where appropriate I will use a powerful questioning and reflections to encourage you to arrive at your own answers
• encourage realistic expectations and goals
• partner with you to identify creative solutions to solve any barriers or blocks you may be experiencing
• be punctual and responsive
• recognise early whether our relationship is working for you and if not, we will discuss solutions
• acknowledge if you have an issue that is outside my scope of knowledge and skill and I will recommend other options for you

• will be open and honest and I will share personal information, where appropriate, that will help me move forward towards my desired outcome
• am ready to become more self-aware and I am open to suggestions and trying new things
• am ready to take responsibility to make and sustain changes in the areas I am wanting to be coached
• understand that setbacks are normal on the path of change and necessary to establish new behaviours
• will be punctual and responsive
• will ask for support, feedback or resources I may need from my coach
• will let my coach know if at any time I have any concerned about our coaching relationship
• understand the results of this program cannot be guaranteed and that my progress depends on my effort and commitment in and outside of the sessions

Agreement Details

1. The coaching program may involve all areas of the client’s life including work, finances, health, relationships, education and recreation. I acknowledge the decision on how to handle these situations/ issues and implement my choices is exclusively my responsibility
2. The client understands that all coaching sessions will be conducted by Cathy Smith and no substitutes will be provided unless agreed upon in writing
3. It is solely the clients responsible for creating and implementing his/her own physical, mental and emotional well-being, decisions, choices, actions and results arising out of or resulting from the coaching relationship and his/her coaching calls and interactions with the coach. As such, the client agrees that the coach is not and will not be liable or responsible for any actions or inaction, or for any direct or indirect result of any service provided by the coach. The client understands that coaching is not counselling, psychotherapy or any other form of therapy and does not substitute for therapy if needed, and does not prevent, cure, or treat any mental disorder or medical disease.
4. If the client is under the care of a mental health professional, they will discuss with their mental health professional if coaching is suitable
5. Coaching is not to be used in lieu of professional advice such as legal, medical, financial, business, spiritual or any other professional area. All decisions in these areas are exclusively the client’s own and any decisions and actions taken are the responsibility of the client.
6. If applicable, I understand and have discussed with my manager/supervisor and any other stakeholders who have an interest in these coaching sessions what their role and responsibilities will be
7. You engage us, the coach, to provide coaching, workshops or psychometric testing as an independent. Nothing contained in this agreement will constitute or deem us or any of our employees or agents to be your partner, employee or agent, or vice versa

1. If I believe it is appropriate at any time during the coaching relationship, I may offer resources, tools and connections to other people that we think may benefit the client. I will seek your explicit permission before making any such suggestion/s and the suggestions is not an endorsement or obligation and the client is required to make their own decision about the suggestion/s
2. I will be completely transparent in our skills, ability, confidence and competence and we will advise the client if, for any reason, I feel ‘out of our depth’, unprepared or unable to fulfil our responsibilities to them
3. At all times during the coaching agreement, the coach agrees to adhere to the ethics and standards of behaviour established by The International Coach Federation (ICF). It is recommended that the client review the ICF code of ethics and applicable standards of behaviour at https://coachfederation.org/code-of-ethics

Payment and Session Information

1. Payment is due in full, prior to the commencement of the first session, unless otherwise agreed.
2. Payment plans may be available at the sole discretion of Cathy Smith Coaching Payment can be made by cash, direct bank transfer, credit card or EFTPOS
3. All payments are to be made in Australian Dollars ($ AU)
4. Invoices will be provided to the client in advance, at the time of payment or within 48 hours of payment being made depending on payment method
5. I understand that the coaching will be delivered either online via Zoom

Changes to Sessions or Coaching Agreement

1. If a client is late to a session there is no guarantee that the full session time can be offered. Where possible, the coach will provide the full session time. The full session fee will still be charged
2. If the client provides at least 24-hour notice to the coach to reschedule an appointment, there will be no fee charged. Should the client provide less than 24-hour notice to the coach but more than 6 hours, 50% of the session fee will be charged. Should. The client gives less than 6-hour notice or not show up for the session the full fee will be charged
3. Should the client be regularly rescheduling appointments, a discussion will be had between client and coach to attempt to rectify this to give the client the best opportunity to achieve their desired outcomes from the coaching
4. Should, on the odd occasion, the coach needs to reschedule an appointment with less than 24-hour notice, they will do their utmost to provide a new appointment time to suit the client
5. The client has the right to discontinue the coaching agreement any time. The client is to provide this in writing to the coach. Should this occur, and coaching sessions have been paid in advance, there will be no refund to the client
6. The coach has the right to discontinue the coaching agreement at any time. The coach is to provide this in writing to the client. Should this occur, and coaching sessions have been paid in advance, there will be a full refund to the client for all unused coaching sessions

Intellectual Property, Confidentiality and Privacy

During our discussions and arrangement, we may provide clients with access to information in relation to our business, Tools, business systems/ operations, case studies, that are not publicly available. The client acknowledges and agrees that:

1. They will not discuss or disclose this confidential information to anyone
2. they will not copy, distributes or share this information with anyone
3. they may copy any tools and techniques provided in our session and use them for their own personal use, not commercial use

Trust and openness are critical to a successful coaching relationship. We understand that clients May share with us personal or company information that is private. We commit that:

1. All the information shared is kept confidential and will not be disclosed to any person except where we are required by law or court order
2. The coach will not give out the name of any client as a reference without consent
3. if the client is an organisation or company they may, during the coaching relationship, divulge company plans, business dealings and other Proprietary information. The coach will not at any time, either directly or indirectly, use any such information for the coach’s own benefit
4. if you are a client receiving coaching via workplace coaching agreement, we will not disclose your information or details of our coaching sessions to any person, including your employer, except where the level of confidentiality agreed upon allows certain information to be shared, or when we acquired by law or court order
5. We adhere to the Privacy Act 1988 and the National Privacy Principles.
6. All information captured used by us solely for providing personalised coaching services to the client and maintaining our client database. It will be securely stored in a computer, dropbox or other secure virtual storage programs and apps and will be password protected.
7. If coaching is provided as part of a workplace coaching agreement the company and employee understand and agree that the employee must be provided with the necessary privacy to communicate freely and confidentially with the coach. The company agrees that the employee will not be compelled to participate, and neither the employee or the coach will be expected or compelled to disclose the substance of the coaching meetings to the company.
8. Technology provides both client and coach the ability to record coaching sessions. All parties agree and acknowledge that no session can be recorded without the express consent of both parties prior to the session.

The level of confidentiality for the coaching relationship in a corporate setting is determined prior to the commencement of the coaching relationship;

Level 1: Complete confidentiality (nothing is shared outside of the coaching relationship)

Level 2: Tight confidentiality (Coach reports back to the organisation after coachee signs off on reports)

Level 3: Limited confidentiality (Coach reports back to the organisation on areas requested by management. Coach meets with client and organisation periodically)

1. If a dispute arises out of this agreement that cannot be resolved by mutual consent, the client and coach agree to attempt to mediate in good faith for up to 30 days after notice has been given.
2. Should the client believe that the coach if not conducting themselves in a professional manner or in alignment with the ICF Code of Ethics then they can contact ICF for guidance

1. Except as expressly provided in this agreement, the coach makes no guarantees, representations or warranties of any kind of nature, or express or implied with respect to the coaching services negotiated, agreed-upon and rendered. In no event shall the coach be liable to the client for any indirect, consequential or special damages. Notwithstanding any damages that the client may incur, the coach’s entire liability under this agreement, and the client’s exclusive remedy shall be limited to the amount actually paid by the client to the coach under this agreement for all coaching services rendered through and including the termination date.
2. The client agrees that their participation in the coaching, including all activities, is entirely voluntary. The client expressly agrees to accept all risk of injury and/ or damage that may arise from your participation and decisions

This document reflects the entire agreement between the coach and the client and reflects a complete understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter. This agreement supersedes all prior written and oral agreements. The agreement may not be amended, altered or supplemented except in writing signed by both the coach and the client. The client agrees that they have read and understood the terms and conditions within this agreement and will abide by them. This agreement shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and permissible assigns.