Coaching Agreement

I look forward to working with you and am deeply committed to helping you create and achieve your vision for your life and career.  Together we will explore what you want and what your natural and most powerful way of achieving it is.  It’s important that we have a clear understanding about our work together.  Please read the agreement carefully before scheduling your coaching because the act of scheduling your first coaching session with me represents your legal agreement that you have read, understand, and agree to be bound by these terms.

 

Client and Coach acknowledge and agree that:

Coaching is

• Coaching is a partnership (defined as an alliance, not a legal business partnership) between the Coach and the Client.

• Coaching services are designed to facilitate the creation/development of personal, professional, or career goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving those goals.

• Coaching includes no guarantees or warranties, expressed or implied, about any results to be achieved.

Coaching is not

• Coaching is not therapy, counseling or advice giving, and is not a substitute for psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, mental health care, substance abuse treatment, legal, medical, or other professional services.

• Coaching does not prevent, cure, or treat any mental disorder or medical disease, and it is the Client’s responsibility to seek such independent professional guidance as needed.

Responsibility

• I will maintain the ethics and standards of professional behavior established by the International Coach Federation (ICF).  The ICF Code of Ethics is available here: https://coachfederation.org/code-of-ethics.

• You are responsible for your own personal, physical, mental, and emotional well-being, and you are solely responsible for your decisions, choices, actions, and results.

• You agree that I will not be liable or responsible to you - including any of your heirs, representatives, transferees, successors, or assigns - for any actions or inaction related to my provision of Coaching services, or for any direct or indirect result of any Coaching services provided by me.  You agree to full indemnify, hold harmless and defend me against any and all Claims of liability, damage, loss, or expense - including reasonable attorney’s fees, and direct and indirect expenses of litigation - incurred or imposed upon me in connection with providing Coaching services hereunder.  For purposes of the preceding sentence, “Claims” shall include but not be limited to claims, suits, legal filings, actions, demands or judgments under any theory of liability.  The rights and obligations in the previous two sentences shall survive into perpetuity, and shall be binding upon your, and inure to the benefit of my, respective heirs, representatives, transferees, successors, and assigns.

 

Confidentiality and exceptions to confidentiality

• I will follow industry standard “best practices” to maintain the contents of your Coaching sessions and personal records in confidence. 

• Notwithstanding the foregoing:

  • I may notify appropriate mental health professionals and/or authorities if I, in my sole and exclusive judgment, believe that you represent a danger to self or others.

  • I may share topics with other coaching professionals for training, supervision, and mentoring purposes without divulging any of your identifying information.

  • Our communications via text and email are not encrypted nor secure, and therefore no such communication between you and me, whether direct or indirect, are confidential. 

  • I may divulge your personal and confidential information pursuant to a court order requiring me to do so.

 

Rescheduling and Missed Appointments

 

• I reserve your appointment time strictly for You.  I do understand that emergencies can happen.  Therefore, if an emergency keeps you from attending a session, notify me as soon as possible.  “Emergencies” include events like death in the family, serious accidents, serious illness, and hospitalization. 

• If you must reschedule an appointment you may do so (1) if more than 48 hours in advance, through my website, or (2) if less than 48 hours but more than 24 hours in advance, via email to deanne@higherlevelhappiness.com.  

• Except when caused by an emergency, all Coaching fees for a Coaching session become fully earned by me and non-refundable to you upon 24 hours in advance of that scheduled session.

 

Payment:  Payment is due when you schedule the appointment through the payment options on my website unless make other arrangements are made with me in advance.  My standard coaching/mentoring/inquiry rates are listed on my website www.higherlevelhappiness.com (less applicable discounts should you choose to purchase a package or event).  If you choose to purchase a package or sign up for an event, this is a solid commitment to complete our work together.  No refunds will be granted for any reason other than an Emergency as described above.

 

Communication: Please feel free to leave messages on my voicemail or text. If your call is urgent, please let me know and I will call you back at my earliest availability. You may also reach me via email at deanne@higherlevelhappiness.com. I will respond to your email as time permits. I am happy to support you briefly (10 minutes or less) over the phone (at times other than our scheduled sessions) when I am free of other commitments. If we do have an extended telephone consultation, this will be billed at the rate of your individual sessions in 15-minute blocks.

 

Termination of Our Work: Because a good termination process is important to your personal growth, I ask that you give me a one-session notice of your desire to terminate our working relationship.

 

It is an honor to have you as my client.