4 Surprising Ways Coach Supervision Helps Us See What We Can’t See Alone

Even the most seasoned coaches have blind spots. In the sacred space we hold for others, it’s easy to forget we, too, need somewhere to bring our questions, doubts, and stirrings. Coach supervision helps us see what we’ve missed, feel what we’ve avoided, and discover what our clients might be showing us about ourselves.

 In a world that rewards speed and certainty, supervision invites us to pause, reflect, and listen for the wisdom beneath the surface. Because transformation doesn’t just happen in the coaching session, it begins with who we are becoming behind the scenes.

In May 2025, I completed my coach supervision certification, and what struck me most was how desperately we need these spaces in our profession. Coaching can be isolating work. We hold space for others’ transformation, but where do we go when we need space to examine our own practice? Even after decades as a coach, I’m happy to turn to my own Coach Supervisor.

What Coach Supervision Is 

When I tell people I now offer coach supervision, I often get blank looks or assumptions that it’s some sort of oversight or correction process. Supervision creates a reflective space, without judgment. 

Think of it as a sanctuary where you can bring your most challenging clients, your stuck moments, your deepest professional questions. It’s where you can say, “I don’t know what’s going on here,” or “I think I’m making this about me,” or “Something feels off, but I can’t name it.”

When Life Turns Upside Down

In one supervision session, I brought forward a client (a therapist in private practice facing profound shifts in her professional world) who felt completely stuck. I was struggling to help her.

As I painted the picture of someone frantically trying to use old strategies in a completely new reality, an image suddenly emerged in my mind. “She’s like the bug stuck on its back.” Kafka’s Metamorphosis flashed into my mind, a story I’d loved in high school.

My supervisor leaned in. “Tell me more about that.”

“She’s waving her legs, trying to right herself, but can’t. All her usual capabilities are still there, but they’re useless in this new form.”

Suddenly, everything clicked. The metaphor revealed that she didn’t need new strategies. She needed help navigating a fundamentally changed reality. 

That insight transformed how I coached her. I knew what our next step would be. I helped her stop fighting the transformation and start leaning into it. This is the magic of coach supervision.

The Kafka Connection

Franz Kafka was my favorite author in high school. His Metamorphosis is a surreal exploration of identity and alienation. Gregor Samsa wakes up as an insect. His world was familiar, yet utterly foreign. 

As I described this to my supervising coach, I knew my client wasn’t just experiencing change. She was experiencing a fundamental transformation of her reality. Her old ways of moving through the world (her established practice patterns, her professional identity, her sense of control) were suddenly inadequate, leaving her feeling helpless and exposed.

But here’s what supervision allowed: I didn’t just identify the problem. Through my supervisor’s skillful questioning, we explored what the metaphor revealed about my client’s needs. The solution wasn’t to try harder with the same movements, but to learn completely new ways of moving.

The Ripple Effect of Creating Reflective Space

When coaches have a reflective space, something powerful happens: our own growth fuels our clients’ transformation.

In supervision, I’ve watched coaches realize they were trying to fix their clients rather than be with them. I’ve seen coaches uncover their own emotional triggers and how these shaped their presence. I’ve witnessed breakthroughs in understanding what a difficult client relationship was revealing about the client’s needs.

These moments don’t just sharpen technique. They deepen compassion, presence, and intuition.

What Surprised Me About Coach Supervision

When I began my supervision training, I expected to learn about improving technique or spotting ethical risks. But what I found was more profound.

Pattern Recognition: Supervision helps us see the coaching patterns we repeat (who we’re drawn to, what triggers us, where we avoid going). It’s not about judgment; it’s about increasing self-awareness so we can show up more fully.

Creative Problem-Solving: Fresh perspectives unlock new possibilities. I’ve seen incredible innovations emerge in these conversations.

Emotional Resilience: Coaching difficult clients or working with heavy material can take a toll. Supervision provides a space to process the emotional toll so we can return to clients centered and clear.

Professional Longevity: The most enduring coaches I know prioritize their own reflective spaces. This work isn’t sustainable without tending to our own development.

 “Dream Big, Start Small.” Here’s the one thing you can do today.

Here’s a simple, 5–10 minute reflection to help identify where you may benefit from supervision. Bring a journal or mindfully reflect quietly.

1. Scan Your Coaching Practice

Where have I felt stuck, uncertain, or overly responsible?

Is there a client I keep thinking about after the session ends?

2. Notice Emotional Clues

What client situations bring up tension, anxiety, or self-doubt?

Are there moments I avoid exploring because they feel uncomfortable?

3. Look at Patterns

Am I noticing recurring themes in clients that mirror my own journey?

Is there a type of client or topic I shy away from?

Gently identify one area of your coaching you’re curious about — not to fix, but to explore more fully in supervision.

Why Supervision Matters

As coaches, we’re privileged to witness others in their becoming. But we can’t do this work in isolation. We need spaces to reflect, process, and grow — not just for our sake, but for the sake of those we serve.

Supervision isn’t just a professional development tool. It’s a practice of integrity. It reminds us that we, too, are always evolving. And that sometimes, like our clients, we find ourselves disoriented, flailing on our backs, uncertain… until someone helps us see: You’re not failing. You’re just in transformation.

And that insight — shared in a moment of reflection — can change everything.

If you’re interested in exploring coaching supervision and learning more about creating reflective space in your practice, I’d love to hear from you. Sometimes the most important conversations happen when we’re willing to examine not just what we do, but how we do it.