If I had a dollar for every time someone confused supervision, coaching, and mentor coaching, I’d be retired on a beach, sipping overpriced coconut water. But here we are, so let’s clear this up before someone accidentally hires a mentor coach when they actually need a therapist.

Coaching: The Art of Asking Annoyingly Good Questions

What It Is: Coaching is what happens when someone pays you to make them think hard. It’s a forward-focused, goal-oriented process that helps clients unlock their own brilliance. Coaches don’t fix problems. They hold up a mirror and say, “So, what are you going to do about it?”

How It Works:

• The client sets the agenda.
• The coach asks the kind of questions that make the client dramatically stare out a window.
• No advice, no therapy; just space for insight and action.

Real-Life Example: Imagine you’re stuck in a rut. Instead of your friend telling you to “just quit your job and move to Bali,” a coach asks, “What’s keeping you where you are?” and suddenly, you realize it’s not the job but your fear of change.

What It Actually Is:

• A future-focused conversation where the client does the heavy lifting.
• The coach asks questions, holds space, and lets you figure out your own brilliance.
• Absolutely zero unsolicited advice (which, let’s be honest, is a rarity these days).

Vibe Check:

• Think Socrates meets your favourite motivational speaker but with fewer TED Talk hand gestures.
• It’s all about unlocking potential, not fixing people.

Fun Stat: According to the ICF Global Coaching Study (2023), 86% of clients said coaching helped them achieve their goals faster than they would have alone.

Key Outcome: Clients walk away with clarity, a plan, and the realization that they hold the answers, not their horoscope app.

Mentor Coaching: When Your Coaching Gets Coached

What It Is: Mentor coaching is for coaches who need to get better at, well, coaching. It’s like having a wise, slightly judgmental Yoda who helps you level up your skills especially if you’re working toward a coaching credential.

How It Works:

• You coach someone while your mentor coach listens like a hawk.
• They give you feedback like, “Great job! But maybe stop interrupting clients to tell them about your own life.”
• You improve, become more competent, and hopefully less awkward.

What It Actually Is:

• Focused on developing a coach’s competence (because nodding enthusiastically is not a coaching skill).
• Your mentor coach listens to your sessions, and then gives constructive feedback; sometimes gently, with a “please never do that again” tone.
• Required for credentialing under ICF and EMCC standards.

Vibe Check:

• If coaching is a gym, mentor coaching is a personal trainer making sure you’re lifting weights correctly (instead of flinging dumbbells around and hoping for the best).
• Part tough love, part “I believe in you,”.

Reality Check: Without mentor coaching, a lot of coaches would be out there thinking “So… how does that make you feel?” is a groundbreaking question.

Real-Life Example: You’re convinced you nailed a coaching session, but your mentor coach points out that you were “helping too much.” It turns out you were giving advice disguised as questions. (“Have you thought about quitting your job and moving to Bali?”)

Key Outcome: You sharpen your coaching skills so that your clients actually get value and you don’t end up just being a motivational speaker with a nice notebook.

Supervision: The Therapist for Coaches (But Make It Professional)

Coaching supervision isn’t about fixing clients. It’s about protecting coaches from themselves.

What It Actually Is:

• A reflective practice where you unpack client sessions, ethical dilemmas, and the weird emotional baggage coaching brings up.
• Required in therapy and coaching psychology, but some coaches still resist it because “I don’t need supervision” sounds a lot like “I don’t need therapy.”
• Recognized by EMCC and ICF as essential for ethical, sustainable coaching.

Vibe Check:

• If coaching is a mirror and mentor coaching is a personal trainer, then supervision is a seasoned pro asking, “Hey, are you okay?”
• Less about techniques, and more about what’s happening inside the coach because burnout, projection, and imposter syndrome are very real.

EMCC Definition Drop: According to EMCC Global, supervision is “a safe space for reflective dialogue with a practicing supervisor, supporting the supervisee’s practice, development, and well-being.”

In other words? It’s where coaches process their own stuff so they don’t accidentally dump it onto clients.

How to Know Which One You Need

Mixing these up is like using salt instead of sugar in your coffee it might look right and same, but the results will be tragic.

If you’re in the coaching world, you’ll need all three at different points. Coaching for personal breakthroughs, mentor coaching for skill mastery, and supervision to stay sharp and ethical. If you’re serious about coaching, invest in the right support at the right time because winging it is only cute until someone gets emotionally scarred.

• Coaching = You grow.
• Mentor Coaching = You as a coach grow.
• Supervision = You don’t unknowingly bring your own mess into your coaching.

Confusing these is like ordering an espresso and expecting a bubble tea; technically both drinks, but wildly different experiences.

So, the next time someone says, “Oh, coaching and supervision are the same thing, right?” Send them this article. Or just stare at them in silence until they rethink their life choices.

Either works.

Now go forth and coach responsibly.

(References: Because even humor needs credibility.)

References:

• ICF Global Coaching Study, 2023: www.coachingfederation.org
• EMCC Supervision Definition: www.emccglobal.org