Dr. Svea van der Hoorn explores coaching ethics in the context of mental health of the coachee. This presentation was used in a webinar presented for Coacharya, a coach training organization. For a recording of the webinar and additional background, see https://coacharya.com/blog/mental-health-svea-van-der-hoorn-webinar/

1. Coacharya Mastery in Leadership Series
22 January 2020
Mental Health in the Workplace –
A leadership and coaching conundrum
“The challenge of working ethically means that we will inevitably
encounter situa>ons that require responses to unexpected issues,
resolu>on of dilemmas, and solu>ons to problems.”
ICF Defini;on of Coaching
ICF Revised (2019) Code of Ethics
ICF Updated (2019) Core Competency Model – UCC1 and UCC2
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626
Some of my explora;ons and learnings …
• David Boud – Adult Learning Theory – experien;al learning
• Senior Manager – CCMA – statutory Labour Law ins;tu;on
• Academic and researcher – map and territory
• Living systems thinking – Gregory Bateson; Fritjof Capra
• Leadership – Margaret Wheatley; Derek Sivers
• ICF ACTP and MCC – complexity; diversity; quality assurance
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626

2. What perplexed me when I started coaching a^er years of working as a
psychologist ….
What I heard people say ….
“ Coaches work with people who are well …..
Counsellors/therapists/psychologists work with people with mental
health issues”
A boundary issue? A ques>on of territory?
An ethical ques>on - a ques>on about scope of prac>ce, remit
A call for self-regula>on in the world of
subtle signals uncertainty
The prevalence of mental illness – The GLOCAL reality
• Mental disorders are commonly occurring and o^en seriously
impairing in many countries throughout the world. The
life;me DSM-IV disorder prevalence es;mates (combining
anxiety, mood, externalizing, and substance use disorders)
are 18.1–36.1%
• According to the only representa;ve study conducted so far
in South Africa, 30.3% of adults will have suffered from some
form of mental disorder in a life;me
• Media – movies, DVDs, ar;cles in magazines, newspaper,
blogs, interest groups.
• Your Lived experience?
Expansion of treatment could be cost-effec>ve both from both
employer and societal perspec>ves.

3. On Leadership …
• Gazillions of textbooks, video clips, theories, models – all claim that
they are right/significant. Silver bullet?
• Margaret Wheatley – A leader is someone who steps up to serve
when the community has a need
Willing to be disturbed –
hmps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M81kQ-XKGF4
• Derek Sivers – a lone nut who inspires and welcomes a first, and
then more followers
hmps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu3xpp5BbHU&t=1s
• The mnemonic game LEADER
• The metaphor game - ship
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626
Mental Health and Mental Illness – in the context of coaching
If we say we are interested in promo;ng mental health why is our
professional language about mental health so impoverished and
restricted in comparison with our language about mental illness?
Mental Health – a defini.on – World Health Organisa.on
Mental health is a “state of well-being in which every individual:
• realises his or her own poten;al
• Can cope with the normal stresses of life
• Can work produc;vely and fruitully
• Is able to make a contribu;on to her or his community”.
A resource: WHO-AIMS Report of Mental Health System in South Africa (2007)

4. ICF Defini;on of Coaching
“ICF defines coaching as partnering with clients in a thought-
provoking and crea;ve process that inspires them to maximize
their personal and professional poten;al.”
Hidden in FAQs - hmps://coachfedera;on.org/faqs
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626
Coaching pre-supposi>ons
Coaches work with a clinically well popula;on in terms of mental
health.
“The suffering func;onal” vs “the suffering dysfunc;onal” vs “the
mentally ill”
At a minimum every execu>ve who is to receive coaching should
first receive a psychological evalua>on” - Berglas cited in Buckley &
Buckley p 12
Func>oning appropriately relies on context and judgment - it’s a
construc>on not a fact
“They were okay when we started…”

5. ICF Revised (2019) Code of Ethics
• 2015 revision was a jump the curve leap –
No No No Don’t to aspire to Be and Do as follows ….
• 2019 con;nues the focus on how to show up as a professional
coach
• Partnering – discernment; dignity; respect – trustworthiness
Ambiguity; uncertainty; ever-changing and yet stability-seeking
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626
UCC1 – Demonstrates Ethical Prac;ce
Defini;on: Understands and consistently applies coaching ethics and
standards of coaching
1. Demonstrates personal integrity and honesty in interac;ons with
clients, sponsors and relevant stakeholders
2. Is sensi;ve to clients' iden;ty, environment, experiences, values
and beliefs
3. Uses language appropriate and respectul to clients, sponsors and
relevant stakeholders
4. Abides by the ICF Code of Ethics and upholds the Core Values
5. Maintains confiden;ality with client informa;on per stakeholder
agreements and per;nent laws
6. Maintains the dis;nc;ons between coaching, consul;ng,
psychotherapy and other support professions
7. Refers clients to other support professionals, as appropriate
Resource - h[ps://coachfedera>on.org/profile/member-toolkit
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626

6. Resource for referral – ICF Website
UCC1 – Demonstrates Ethical Prac;ce
7. Refers clients to other support professionals, as appropriate
Resource - h[ps://coachfedera>on.org/profile/member-toolkit
hmps://coachfedera;on.org/app/uploads/2017/12/WhentoRefer.pdf
PDF – 10 Top Indicators to refer a client to a mental health professional
“It is important to note that the appearance of any one of these
indicators, except for #10 which must be referred and followed up on
immediately, does not indicate the immediate need for a referral to a
psychotherapist or community mental health agency; everyone can
experience a very brief episode of any of the indicators. However, if you
see that several indicators are emerging and that the client is not
presen;ng as whole, competent and capable then it is ;me for a referral
to a mental health professional
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626
UCC2: 2. Embodies a Coaching Mindset
Defini;on: Develops and maintains a mindset that is open, curious,
flexible and client-centered
1. Acknowledges that clients are responsible for their own choices
2. Engages in ongoing learning and development as a coach
3. Develops an ongoing reflec;ve prac;ce to enhance one's coaching
4. Remains aware of and open to the influence of context and
culture on self and others
5. Uses awareness of self and one's intui;on to benefit clients
6. Develops and maintains the ability to regulate one's emo;ons
Mentally and emo;onally prepares for sessions
7. Seeks help from outside sources when necessary
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626

7. Ladder of Inference
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626
There’s
nothing so
wrong with
us,
that what’s
right with us,
can’t fix
NOTICING
Working in uncertainty territory?
The reason for a coaching rela;onship to exist is so that the client can
benefit. “If for any reason – psychological, physical or prac;cal the
client cannot enter in to the rela;onship then it will fail to achieve any
expected benefit” Buckley & Buckley p11
Early recogni>on:
- Recognise the signs – no.cing is sufficient.
- Check – inquire before you advocate
- Decide on a way forward – for you, for the client, for the coaching
- Contractual obliga;ons
- Ethical guidelines
- Prac;cal considera;ons
Pay a%en(on to the strength, frequency and severity of interference,
not the diagnos(c significance of the symptom itself.

8. Op>ons when mental illness signs show up
- Coach becomes uncertain
Op;ons:
1. Con;nue to coach with awareness of sensi;vity / vulnerability
2. Con;nue coaching and add other support /services
3. Stop coaching and support to seek other services via referral
4. Ini;ate emergency ac;on
What to ask instead of rumina>ng or specula>ng
Ask yourself 3 ques;ons:
• To what extent and in what ways can my coaching help?
(Remember the purpose of coaching – defini;on and
coaching agreement)
• What are my limita(ons? (despite my good inten;ons)
• Should my coaching con(nue? What will be an early sign
that I should stop coaching, and discuss referral instead?
Adapted from Buckley (2010)

9. What's wise when faced with mental
illness in the coaching context?
CONSULT – share the dilemma with someone who has appropriate
authority and exper;se
KEEP NOTES – informa;on and ac;ons NOT OPINIONS and
SUPPOSITIONS. Avoid diagnos;c language
DRAW ON RESOURCES – literature; colleagues; exper;se in the
client’s world eg GP
An example of a useful text – evidence-based prac;ce
Alan Carr – What works with children, adolescents, and adults? A
review of research on the effec.veness of psychotherapy.
hmps://books.google.co.za/books?
id=9n98AgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_atb#v=onepage&q&f=false
Coacharya Mastery in Leadership Series
22 January 2020
Mental Health in the Workplace –
A leadership and coaching conundrum
Thank you for a[ending.
I’d be glad to hear of any experiments you try and how they go.
Also if you’d like to learn more on this topic by a[ending
further online short courses (ICF-CCE) – drop me an e-mail or a
whatsapp
Dr Svea van der Hoorn E: svea@solu;onfocusedfutures.com M: +27 72 533 9626