Do you know what psychological safety is?
The term ‘psychological safety’ is something I have been hearing more and more of, in conversations, LinkedIn articles and by therapists and coaches. It’s something I have wanted to write about for a while and in this article, I hope to explain what psychological safety is, why it is important in coaching and what coaching clients can look out for when they are looking for a coach.
What is psychological safety?
The term was coined by psychologist Carl Rogers back in the 1950s in his paper, Creativity. Here he established three associated processes to be able to establish psychological safety:
Accepting the individual as of unconditional worth
Providing a climate of which external evaluation is absent
Understanding empathically.
Many have gone on to develop this idea further but in Lesley Roberts’ book, Coaching Outdoors (2022), she sums it up beautifully;
‘It refers to being able to be yourself, take risks and be vulnerable without negative consequences. It’s about feeling safe.’
In my own words, I believe psychological safety is about implicitly trusting someone in an environment where the individual can be themselves, without masking or censoring their identity. It is to feel safe without fear of judgement or regret of being vulnerable.
Why is psychological safety important in coaching?
When we’re setting up a new coaching relationship, the client and coach want to build a sense of trust between each other. The client will often want to know that they can be vulnerable with the coach without a fear of judgement, breach of confidentiality and feel that the coach will hold a safe space for them.
The foundations of this trust can be built in the initial chemistry session, where both coach and client can talk informally about expectations, hopes and goals and why the client has come to coaching and in turn, what the coach can and cannot support them with. Furthermore, and stating the obvious here, it’s about seeing if there is a chemistry in the relationship. Without chemistry, coaching may not be as impactful or effective; clients may not bring their authentic self to the session and the coach may also face struggles. It’s a two-way process after all.
As well as the chemistry session, trust can be built in the contract or coaching agreement document, again, before the coaching programme begins. This puts in writing expectations, boundaries, what coaching can and cannot provide for the individual and expected behaviours of both the coach and client. It builds the foundation of the relationship.
If there is a lack of trust and clients do not feel psychologically safe, then the coaching is redundant and in fact, pretty pointless.
How can I tell if a coach will make me feel psychologically safe?
We’ve all heard of ‘gut instincts’, well that applies here. If you engage with a potential coach and you’re not sure they’re right for you, then you are probably right. However, if you want to test the waters, ask them questions, see if they offer a chemistry session so you can get to know them and don’t feel obliged to go ahead with a coaching programme if it doesn’t feel right. The focus should always be on the client and not the coach. If a coach is listing their achievements and accolades and not listening the to client right at the very beginning, chances are, they’re not in this for the right reasons.
How can I make a client feel psychologically safe?
Coaching is still an unregulated area and therefore it’s important to demonstrate to your clients upfront and throughout your coaching relationship that there are processes, boundaries and a general duty of care.
A list of suggestions include:
Having open and honest communications before and during the coaching programme.
Having solid contracting and a code of ethics that both client and coach adhere to.
A clear understanding of how to end the coaching relationship should either coach or client want to.
Regular check ins at the beginning and end of sessions.
Emphasising confidentiality and the session being client-led.
Maintaining professional boundaries and not blurring the lines of the client and coach relationship.
Creating a judgement-free, safe space.
Active listening – as a coach, you should already have this skill – lean into it. Once you’ve been through the formalities of the coaching agreement, it’s the client who should be doing most of the talking.
Having regular coaching supervision and being part of a recognised coaching membership body where you can access CPD and peer learning.
If you would like to add your thoughts on psychological safety and coaching, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
