Microsoft Word - Nicole Weiss Coaching2.docx

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Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

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COACHING AGREEMENT

Welcome to my coaching pracce. This document constutes an understanding and a contract

between us (the “Agreement”) and you should read it carefully and raise any quesons and/or

concerns that you may have before you sign it.

Descripon of Services

The services to be provided by Nicole Weiss are coaching and/or tele-coaching as designed

jointly with you, the Client.

An inial assessment will be used to provide valuable informaon to guide and focus our

coaching relaonship. An assessment will provide new explanaons for behaviors, discover new

possibilies and generate a baseline of informaon about you, the Client.

Fees

The fee for an inial assessment is _____ and, once a plan is agreed upon, coaching sessions

will be charged at the rate of _____ per 45-minute session.

Professional me spent outside of coaching sessions, including but not limited to, between-

session phone calls or email exchanges, reviewing tapes of sessions, report-wring and reading

or reviewing documents will be billed on a pro-rated basis, rounded up to the nearest tenth of

an hour. If I am required to aend meengs outside of my oﬃces, you agree to pay for all me I

spend traveling to the locaon of such meengs. Fees for coaching sessions must be paid

promptly on the day the session occurs, unless otherwise agreed upon.

Cancellaons

You must give 24 hours noce if you need to cancel or change the me of an appointment.

Otherwise, you will be charged for the session in full. I agree to make every eﬀort to reschedule

sessions which are cancelled in a mely manner.

Diﬀerences between Coaching and Psychotherapy

Coaching is diﬀerent from psychotherapy — it neither is, nor purports to be, a substute for

psychotherapy.

www.nicolecweiss.com

1767 Grand Ave., #4 San Diego, CA 92109

(619) 318-5012

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Inadditiontobeingacoach,IamalsoatherapistlicensedinCalifornia,withtrainingand

experienceindiagnosingandtreatingemotionalproblems.Whiletherearesomesimilarities

betweencoachingandpsychotherapy,theyareverydifferentendeavorsanditisimportant

thatyouunderstandthedifferencesbetweenthem.Psychotherapyisahealthcareserviceand

isusuallyreimbursablethroughhealthinsurancepolicies.Thisisnottrueforcoaching.Both

coachingandpsychotherapyutilizeknowledgeofhumanbehavior,motivation,behavioral

changeandinteractivecounselingtechniques.Themajordifferencesareinthefocus,goalsand

levelofprofessionalresponsibility.

Focus&Goals

ThefocusofcoachingisdevelopmentandimplementationofstrategiestoreachClient‐

identifiedgoalswhichwillenhanceperformanceandpersonalsatisfaction.Coachingmay

addressspecificpersonalprojects,lifebalance,jobperformanceandsatisfaction,orgeneral

conditionsintheclient'slife,business,orprofession.Coachingutilizespersonalstrategic

planning,valuesclarification,brainstorming,motivationalcounselingandothercounseling

techniques.Decidinghowtohandletheseissuesandincorporatecoachingintothoseareasis

exclusivelyyourresponsibility.

Theprimaryfociofpsychotherapyareidentification,diagnosisandtreatmentofmentaland

nervousdisorders.Thegoalsofpsychotherapyinclude:alleviatingsymptoms;understanding

theunderlyingdynamicswhichcreatesymptoms;changingdysfunctionalbehaviorswhichare

theresultofthesedisorders;anddevelopingnewstrategiesforsuccessfullycopingwiththe

psychologicalchallengeswhichweallface.

TheTherapist/PatientRelationship

Mostresearchonpsychotherapyoutcomesindicatesthatthequalityoftherelationshipismost

closelycorrelatedwiththerapeuticprogress.Psychotherapypatientsareoftenemotionally

vulnerable.Thisvulnerabilityisincreasedbytheexpectationthattheywilldiscussveryintimate

personaldataandexposefeelingsaboutthemselvesaboutwhichtheyareunderstandably

sensitive.Thelifeexperiencesofpsychotherapypatientsoftenmaketrustdifficulttoachieve.

Thesefactorsgivepsychotherapistsgreatly‐disproportionatepowerthatcreatesafiduciary

responsibilitytoprotectthesafetyoftheirclientsandto“aboveallelse,donoharm.”

TheCoach/PatientRelationship

Therelationshipbetweenthecoachandclientisspecificallydesignedtoavoidthepower

differentialsthatoccurinthepsychotherapyrelationship.Theclientsetstheagendaandthe

successoftheenterprisedependsontheclient'swillingnesstotakerisksandtrynew

approaches.Therelationshipisdesignedtobemoredirectandchallenging.Youcancounton

yourcoachtobehonestandstraightforward,askingpowerfulquestionsandusingchallenging

techniquestomoveyouforward.Youareexpectedtoevaluateprogressand,whencoachingis

notworkingasyouwish,youshouldimmediatelyinformmesowecanbothtakestepsto

correcttheproblem.

Itisveryimportanttounderstandthatcoachingisaprofessionalrelationship.Whileitmay

oftenfeellikeaclosepersonalrelationship,itisnotonethatcanextendbeyondprofessional

boundariesbothduringandafterourworktogether.Considerableexperienceshowsthatwhen

boundariesblur,thehard‐wonbenefitsgainedfromthecoachingrelationshipareendangered.

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ProfessionalAdvice



Coachingisnottobeusedinlieuoflicensedprofessionaladvice.Youagreetoseekprofessional

guidanceforlegal,medical,financial,business,spiritual,psychologicalorothermattersas

needed.Youunderstandthatalldecisionsintheseareasareyoursoleresponsibility.

Ifeitherofusrecognizesthatyouhaveaproblemthatwouldbenefitfrompsychotherapeutic

intervention,Iwillreferyoutoappropriateresources.Insomesituations,Imayinsistthatyou

initiatepsychotherapyandthatIhaveaccesstoyourpsychotherapistasaconditionofmy

continuingasyourcoach.

Waiver



Youacknowledgeandagreethatinthecourseofthecoachingservices,Imayaskquestions

thatarepersonal,challenging,ordisturbing.Youalsoacknowledgeandagreethatyouarefully

responsibleforyourphysical,mentalandemotionalwell‐being,andforanyactions,choices

anddecisionsmadeasaresultofthecoaching.Youwaiveandreleaseanyclaimsarisingor

resultsfrommyquestions,suggestionsandadvice(orlackthereof)andfromactions,choices

anddecisionsyoumaymake.

Confidentiality

Asalicensedclinicalsocialworker,Iamethicallyandlegallyboundtoprotectthe

confidentialityofourcommunicationsandrecords.Iwillreleaseinformationaboutourworkto

othersonlywithyourwrittenpermission.

Exceptions

TherearespecificsituationsinwhichIamlegallyobligatedtobreachconfidentialityinorderto

protectyouorothersfromharm.IfIhaveinformationthatindicatesthatachildorelderlyor

disabledpersonisbeingabused,ImustreportthattotheappropriateStateagency.IfaClientis

animminentrisktohim/herselformakesthreatsofimminentviolenceagainstanother,Iam

requiredtotakeprotectiveactions.Imustalsotakestepstopreventyoufromcommittinga

criminalorfraudulentact.Thesesituationsarequiterareincoachingpractices.Ifsucha

situationoccursinourrelationship,Iwillmakeeveryefforttodiscussitwithyoubeforetaking

anyaction.Imustalsorespondtoanycourtorderandbeabletosecurelegaladviceaboutmy

compliancewiththisAgreement.

Asyouarenodoubtaware,somemeansofcommunication,suchaswirelesstelephonesande‐

mailmaybenotsecurefromeavesdropping.Itisimpossibletoguaranteetheprotectionof

confidentialinformationincertaincircumstancesinvolvingcomputers.Thisisparticularlytrue

ofemailandinformationstoredoncomputersthatareconnectedtotheinternet.Inmy

practice(bothbusinessandhomeoffices),Itakemeasurestopreventunauthorizedaccessto

informationbyutilizingencryptionandotherformsofsecurityprotection.Youacknowledge

thatIcannotbeheldresponsibleforinstancesoflossofconfidentialitythroughwireless

telephoneorcomputerhacking.

TerminationofAgreement



Ifeitherpartywishestoendthiscoachingarrangement/Agreement,heorshewillnotifythe

otherpartyeitherbyphoneoremail.

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Youagreetoparticipateinafinalsessiontodiscussandassesscoachingissuessuchas

commitmentandfollow‐through,progresstowardgoalsandgoalaccomplishment,the

coachingprocess,etc.Ifyouwish,asix‐monthorone‐yearfollow‐upassessmentcanbe

discussed.

DisputeResolution

ThisAgreementshall,inallrespects,begovernedbythelawsoftheStateofCalifornia.Any

controversyorclaimarisingoutof,orrelatingtothisAgreement,orthebreachofthis

Agreement,shallbesettledbybindingarbitration,whichwilloccurviatelephonebyan

arbitratorthatwemutuallyagreeupon.Thecostsofthearbitrationshallbesharedequally

betweentheparties.

LimitationofDamages



YouunderstandthatImakenoguaranteesorwarranties,expressedorimplied,aboutany

resultstobeachieved.IfIamfoundliableforanylossordamageunderthisAgreement(except

forfraud),liabilityshallbelimitedtothelesserofthetotalpaymentsmadeunderthiscontract

orthelastsixmonthspayments.

ThisAgreementconstitutestheentireunderstandingandagreementoftheClientandCoach

andnoamendment,changeormodificationofthisAgreementshallbevalid,unlessinwriting

andsignedbythepartieshereto.

Bysigningbelow,IacknowledgethatIhavehadtheopportunitytoreviewthisAgreement,that

IunderstandallaspectsofitandIagreetoabidebyit.

_______________________ _______________________

Date Date

____________________________________ ____________________________________

Client NicoleWeiss