Coaching and mentoring is not a defined field of practice within TA — rather it can fall into one of three fields depending on the nature of the contact and contract with the clients. We define coaching and mentoring as a space where ‘talking aloud is allowed’, and the purpose is for the talker to realise their own potential. The coach or mentor is enquiring, attuned and engaged with the intent to provoke a courageous conversation.
Often a mentor is regarded as someone who has ‘been there’ beforehand. In our experience the terms ‘coach’ and ‘mentor’ are often confused. It is noticeable that the private sector prefers the term ‘coach’, and the not-for-profit sector the term ‘mentor’. It has even been suggested that a mentor is often a volunteer, whilst a coach is paid!
Check out these articles on 'How to share the process of graduate advising' and 'How to communicate effectively in graduate advising', available on the FACETS open access journal. They draw on concepts from Educational Transactional Analysis to provide advisors and students with an understanding of the psychological aspects of graduate advising as a basis for effective communication. Supplementary materials with worksheets can be downloaded from facets-2015-0013 and facets-2015-0014.
Check out this interview in English and Portuguese by a consultant who has had Rosemary Napper delivering TA coaching programmes in Brazil.
Within TA the context of the coaching or mentoring determines the field of application:
Our occasional TA COACHING & MENTORING training programme takes place on a Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. It can provide optional accreditation with the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM at level 7) and is about 72 hours in total.
The focus is on how TA can inform the process of practising working one to one in any context, and includes concepts for understanding the impact of the systems a person is in, e.g. the family, an organisation and so on. There is emphasis on concepts from TA about roles, and also on non-conscious communication. The accreditation is either at Certificate level, which involves 20 hours of client work, or Diploma, which requires 120 hours of client work (over up to 2 years) with monthly supervision.
See also the specialist Coaching supervision groups and coaching one to one
TA Coaching qualifications from the Institute of Leadership and Management are available as an additional option in connection with the Organisational & Educational programme, and also the Counselling programme known as PEOPLE PRACTITIONER.
Trudi Newton and Rosemary Napper wrote a chapter in The Complete Handbook of Coaching, Cox, Batchkirova & Clutterbuck (2009), London: Sage.
Rosemary Napper wrote a chapter in: Lifescripts (2010). ed. Richard Erskine, which focuses on a coaching client.