What if the client is telling secrets?
As a coach, unless the secrets are a threat of harm or an unreported crime, you follow your Code of Ethics and the Master Coaching Agreement to determine if anything is to be disclosed. Beyond that, the coach explores with a client their pros and cons of disclosing information, and their options for who they could talk to about it.
Foundational Information:
- Code of Ethics: agree to how information is exchanged because as a coach this informs how you handle it.
- Master Coaching Agreement because handling the exchange of information is documented here.
Questions:
What about this information is most significant?
How does the information impact you?
How does knowing it affect you?
What are the considerations for sharing this information?
What are the risks and benefits of sharing this information?
What is the best possible outcome? The worst? The most likely?
Who are the people that you could talk with about it?
What are their possible reactions?
What do you think they will want to have happen?
What advice do you have for someone else in this situation?
What is your process for handling it?
For a coach what counts is that unless there is a threat of harm or an unreported crime, your role is to help the client think it through and explore the possibilities. Ultimately what gets shared, with who, and how is their choice.
