Coaching Agreement

The below coaching agreement is provided as an example and a preview. A copy will be available for your review and completion when you initiate coaching.

Coach and Client Expectations

As your coach, you can count on me to provide an environment for you to be able to hear yourself, explore new perspectives, connect with your own clarity, and take generative action towards your commitments and aspirations. 

To support such an environment you can expect me to:

  • Honor confidentiality.

  • Be a dedicated collaborator.

  • Listen deeply with meaningful inquiry to support your awareness.

  • Act as a mirror to support your clarity and provide feedback when asked.

  • Be a resource to support you with accomplishing your intentions.

  • Celebrate your progress and accomplishments.

  • Arrive on time and ready for our sessions.

I count on you, as my client, to:

  • Commit yourself to intentions that are meaningful and significant to you.

  • Invite new perspectives, possibilities, and expanded awareness.

  • Take action around ideas and insights that you commit to in our sessions.

  • Follow your wisdom and discernment, moving at a pace that is right for you.

  • Provide feedback about what is and is not working for you in our coaching.

  • Own and celebrate your progress and your accomplishments.

  • Arrive on time and ready for our sessions.

I am in this together with you, in service to your relationship with your present and future selves—living and caring for yourself today in ways that the many future"yous" will appreciate and be grateful for. 

___

Coaching Agreement Specifics

Coaching Duration and Scheduling

Coaching is provided on a self-selected pace (weekly, twice per month, once per month, or 'as-needed' basis), for a custom duration. Our timeline will be discerned together based on your needs.

Upon your enrollment in the coaching experience, you will be emailed a link to create a 'coaching portal' account. You may access your account at any time during our coaching process to view notes, schedule sessions, make payments, change payment information, etc. Easy login access to the coaching portal is permanently available on my website, https://heatherjohnson.coach

Scheduling is dynamic and flexible. At the close of each session we will schedule the next. Alternatively, every client also has access to schedule their own sessions in my calendar at any time through the coaching portal. Sessions are typically scheduled within a window of one week to one month in advance. This approach provides the advantage of adapting to life's changes with minimal rescheduling.

Method of Contact for Coaching

Our coaching sessions are 50 minutes in duration and will be held via Zoom. 

When you add a scheduled meeting to your calendar, you will find the specific and unique link for our meeting in your calendar details—this link will change from session to session.

In the case that Zoom is not possible, we may hold our session by phone—please indicate to me your preference at the beginning of our coaching journey. 

On occasion, you may have an urgent question, a request for feedback, or a need fora confidential response to some situation where you don't want to wait for your next call. You may either send a message to me through the coaching portal, email me at contact@heatherjohnson.coach, or send a text to 360.739.0919.

Coaching Call Recording and Notes

By default I record all sessions with an AI Notetaker.

Through much experimentation I have found this to be the most supportive and helpful for clients' journeys, for the following purposes:

  • The generation of high-quality session notes that help deepen insights and clarity.

  • A securely saved video recording of the Zoom session to return to when supportive. 

  • A full transcript when desired—when insightful expressions are shared, profound wisdom dropped—you know that these expressions will be saved and available.

Notes are saved directly into your coaching portal then emailed to you. Please know that if you would prefer any of the following, I will happily oblige:

  • Session notes be saved only within the coaching portal requiring login access to view, without them being emailed to you.

  • Sessions not be recorded at all, but rather supported by handwritten notes gathered during the session.

  • Sessions neither being recorded nor notes taken or shared.

Cancellation / Rescheduling Policy

You may cancel or reschedule through the coaching portal up to 48 hours in advance of our meeting with no 'penalty'. For cancellations within 48 hours of our meeting, please send a message to me through the coaching portal, or email to contact@heatherjohnson.coach or text at360.739.0919—I will attempt in good faith to reschedule but do reserve the right to bill for the missed coaching session. 

Resources and Learning

I share relevant and meaningful resources and learning through my blog, with one to four succinct posts per month. As part of the coaching set-up process I will manually add you to this email list. You may opt-out at any time through the unsubscribe link that you will find at the bottom of these messages.

Termination

Either the Client or the Coach may terminate this Agreement at any time via a message through the coaching portal or email sent tocontact@heatherjohnson.coach. Client agrees to compensate the Coach for all coaching services rendered through and including the effective date of termination of the coaching relationship. 

___

I, as Coach, represent, warrant and agree as follows: 

Confidentiality 

All information provided by you to me during the course of the coaching relationship will be deemed "Confidential Information" and kept strictly private unless otherwise agreed in writing. I will not disclose any communications, either verbal or written, that have taken place either between you and I or with regard to this Agreement without your prior written consent. 

This confidentiality restriction also applies to testimonials, which I may use for promotional reasons only with your consent. I default to anonymity in connection with any testimonials to be used, unless specific permission for use of name and affiliation is provided.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, "Confidential Information" does not include information that is:

  • Previously known to the Coach prior to discussions regarding this Agreement, freefrom any obligation to keep it confidential, OR

  • Publicly disclosed by the Client either prior to or subsequent to the receipt by theCoach of such information, OR

  • Independently developed by the Coach without any access to ConfidentialInformation, OR

  • Rightfully obtained by the Coach from a third party lawfully in possession ofConfidential Information who is not bound by confidentiality obligations to theClient.

The Coach may disclose Confidential Information if required to do so under applicable law, rule or order; provided that the Coach, where reasonably practicable and to the extent legally permissible, provides the Client with prior written notice of the required disclosure. The Coach will close and archive the coaching portal account within either 60 days of completion of coaching or upon termination of thisAgreement.

Release of Information

The Coach engages in training and continuing education pursuing and/or maintaining Coaching Credentials. That process requires the names and contact information of all Clients for possible verification by coaching certification bodies. By signing this agreement, you agree to have only your initials, start and end dates of coaching, and dates of sessions shared with parties involved in this process for the sole and necessary purpose of verifying the coaching relationship; no personal notes will be shared.

According to the ethics of the coaching profession, topics may be anonymously and hypothetically shared with other coaching professionals for training, supervision, mentoring, evaluation, and for coach professional development and/or consultation purposes. 

Description of Coaching 

Coaching is partnership (defined as an alliance, not a legal business partnership) between the Coach and the Client in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the client to maximize personal potential. It is designed to facilitate the creation/development of personal goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving those goals. 

Coach-Client Relationship 

Coach agrees to maintain the ethics and standards of behavior established by the National Board of Health and Wellness Coaches ("NBHWC") and the International Coach Federation ("ICF"). 

Client is solely 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 services provided by the Coach. 

Client understands that the role of the Coach is not to provide healthcare, medical, or nutrition therapy services; or diagnose, treat, or cure any disease, condition, or other physical or mental ailment of the human body. 

Rather, Coach is a mentor and guide who has been trained in coaching modalities, including 'health coaching', and 'generative pathways' coaching to help Client reach their own goals by devising and implementing positive, sustainable changes. Client understands that Coach is not acting in the capacity of a doctor, registered dietitian/nutritionist, or other licensed or registered professional and that any advicegiven by Coach is not meant to take the place of advice by these professionals. 

Client also understands that coaching is not to be used as a substitute for counseling, psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, or other professional advice by legal, medical or other qualified professionals, and that it is the Client’s exclusive responsibility to seek such independent professional guidance as needed. 

If Client is under the care of a healthcare professional or currently uses prescription medications, Client should discuss any dietary changes or potential dietary supplement use with their doctor and should not discontinue any prescription medications without first consulting their doctor. 

If Client is currently under the care of a mental health professional, it is recommended that the Client promptly inform the mental health care provider of thenature and extent of the coaching relationship agreed upon by the Client and theCoach.

Limited Liability

Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, the Coach makes no guarantees, representations or warranties of any kind or nature, 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.

Entire Agreement

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. ThisAgreement supersedes all prior written and oral representations. The Agreement may not be amended, altered or supplemented except in writing signed by both the Coach and theClient.

Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises out of this Agreement that cannot be resolved by mutual consent, theClient and Coach agree to attempt to mediate in good faith for up to 30 days after notice given. If the dispute is not so resolved, and in the event of legal action, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover attorney’s fees and court costs from the other party.

Severability

If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, the remaining provisions shall continue to be valid and enforceable. If the Court finds that any provision of this Agreement is invalid or unenforceable, but that by limiting such provision it would become valid and enforceable, then such provision shall be deemed to be written, construed, and enforced as so limited.

Waiver

The failure of either party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver or limitation of that party's right to subsequently enforce and compel strict compliance with every provision of this Agreement.

Applicable Law

This Agreement shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of WA, without giving effect to any conflicts of laws provisions.

Binding Effect

This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and permissible assigns. Please sign this Client Agreement prior to the first scheduled coaching meeting. 

I, _________, hereby accept these terms.