What is coaching?

The term "coach" is English and means "carriage/coach". If one considers the picture of a carriage/coach as "an aid, a means of transport in order to get on the road and to reach a destination"(1) then this picture actually conveys the main aspect of coaching.
The user of the coach (the person being coached is called the coachee) makes use of this aid, but decides about the direction and/or the destination himself. The coach knows the routes, can estimate distances and journey times, can provide for the quality of progress and for appropriate breaks; the coach is therefore responsible for the process whilst also acting as a neutral travel companion or discussion and interaction partner.

Coaching is a personal and solution-focused supportive process in which it is definitively about the person to be coached (the coachee) and the achievement of their personal aims.

The coach does not actually provide the solutions, but supports the coachee - according to the motto "help me to do it myself"(2) - to self-reflect himself, to discover his behaviour and mindset and view things and situations from a different angle. This heightened perception makes it possible to describe, to explain, to experience and to assess things and situations differently; it thus expands the coachee’s scope. The next step is for the coachee to act according to his strengths and abilities in a more courageous and calm manner, i.e. to approach things differently, to use the opportunities to change himself, to develop and to grow (even beyond himself) or else to quite deliberately leave everything as it is and to assume responsibility for his actions or non-actions, so that he himself can find a suitable solution for his tasks or decisions and then realise these solutions.

Coaching is based on the pillars of freedom of will, equality, mutual respect and trust, absolute discretion, openness and honesty.

There are three important prerequisites for successful coaching:
1. One has to want it; one has to be prepared to take new steps of one’s own free will and self-responsibility.
2. One has to find someone who can offer directed support.
3. One must do it -> act and implement according to the motto "taking the first step in the right direction" or
    "one step further than before" and "more of that which does you good"(3).

Coaching is herewith separated clearly from any other form of therapy.

Psychological illnesses, addictive illnesses or other impairments of the ability to control oneself belong exclusively to the field of responsibility of appropriately-trained psychotherapists, doctors and medical facilities and not to the field of coaching (4).

Coaching is a very personal process and this means that the coach assures absolute discretion and confidentiality. This means that no information, be it spoken or written, about the subjects and content of the sessions can be passed on to third parties (people or instances) insofar as agreement has not been obtained from the coachee or other legal responsibilities for the disclosure exist (e.g. a punishable offence becoming known).

However, the coach is entitled, within the framework of quality assurance, to reflect upon his work in anonymous coaching situations in a peer consulting or supervisory group.

I conduct my work in accordance with the statutes of the Swiss Coaching Association (SCA) and the German Federation of Coaching and Training (dvct e.V.).

(1)  from "Coaching: Miteinander Ziele erreichen" by Maren Fischer-Epe, p.16, 4. Edition May 2007
(2) Montessori-principle
(3) Quote by Theo Schoenacker from "Studiengang für angewandtes Coaching" Urs Bärtschi
(4) from "Begriffsdefinition Coaching nach DBVC (Deutscher Bundesverband Coaching e.V.)"