ABSTRACT
This first example focuses on the ‘chemistry session’. This is the session in which a potential client may meet one or more coaches in order to choose who they wish to work with. In this example the supervisor works with Sophie, a coach who has had a number of unsuccessful chemistry sessions and who is looking to explore whether a more existential approach could provide more success.
The chapter describes how the supervisor models the existential approach in the way they are with the supervisee. The supervisee had previously used a more structured CBT-based approach, usually using the same exercises and techniques. The existential supervisor encouraged her to try a more phenomenological approach and to face the uncertainty of not being in charge and not knowing how the client may respond.
Although the use of some existential and phenomenological ideas succeeded in its aim, in that the client wished to continue to work with Sophie, Sophie found that the uncertainty, and lack of the use of exercises made her very anxious. For those reasons she decided to revert to her more familiar approach and not continue to coach this client.
