The Coaching Alliance

This Agreement is entered into by The Neuro-Affirming Partnership Ltd ("the Coach/Mentor") and __________________________ ("the Client"). This document sets out the professional boundaries, expectations, and ethical guidelines of our work together. Please read it carefully before our first session.

1. The Nature of the Relationship

Our objective is to support you in understanding your unique neurodivergent processing, adopting strategies that work with your brain, and building long-term stability.

  - A Collaborative Partnership: Coaching and mentoring are collaborative processes. The Practitioner provides the framework, psychoeducation, and strategic support, but the Client is responsible for their own decisions, actions, and life choices.

  - Neuro-Affirming Practice: We proudly validate both formal neurodevelopmental diagnoses and self-identification. We will always operate from a neuro-affirming standpoint, keeping your authentic self at the centre of the process.

2. Strict Non-Clinical Disclaimer

To adhere to professional coaching ethics (e.g., the AC/ICF Global Code of Ethics), we must clearly define what our service is not.

  - We provide non-clinical, non-medical coaching and mentoring.

  - We are not clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, or medical doctors.

  - We do not provide medical diagnoses, psychiatric treatment, trauma therapy

    (e.g., EMDR, CBT), or crisis intervention.

  - Coaching is not a substitute for clinical mental healthcare. If, during our work, it becomes apparent that clinical therapeutic support is required, the Practitioner has an ethical duty to pause the coaching/mentoring process and signpost you to an appropriate medical professional.

3. Couples Coaching: Confidentiality, Safety & Power Dynamics

If you are engaging in Couples Coaching, we draw on principles of family mediation to ensure both partners have an equal, validated, and respected voice. Please note our specific boundaries regarding privacy and safety:

  - Balancing the Individual and the Partnership: While our ultimate goal is to support the health and dynamic of the relationship, we deeply respect your individual need for psychological safety and processing time.

  - Individual Confidentiality (Shuttle Coaching): We understand that you may need to raise things in confidence to explore whether—or how—to bring them to your partner. If you communicate with the Practitioner privately (e.g., via email or during a 1:1 breakout discussion), that information will remain strictly confidential. We will not expose your thoughts or feelings to your partner on your behalf. Instead, we will work with you individually to explore your feelings and support you in finding a safe, authentic way to communicate them yourself, if and when you are ready.

  - Power Imbalances & Coercive Control: We are highly vigilant regarding power imbalances. If a private disclosure reveals signs of coercive control, domestic abuse, or a fundamental lack of psychological safety within the relationship, the Practitioner will prioritise your safety over the coaching process. In such cases, we will not encourage forced joint communication. We reserve the right to pause or terminate joint sessions to protect the vulnerable party, invoking our Safeguarding Policy to signpost you to safe, appropriate support.

4. Logistics, Rescheduling & Expiry

To protect our Practitioners' energy and executive function, we maintain strict scheduling boundaries:

  - Platform: All sessions take place online via Google Meet.

  - The 48-Hour Boundary: You may reschedule a session up to 48 hours before the start time using your Acuity Scheduling link.

  - Late Cancellations & No-Shows: If you cancel or reschedule with less than 48 hours' notice, or fail to attend within 15 minutes of the start time, that session will be counted as "used" and deducted from your package.

  - Package Expiry: Your 6-week foundational package expires 100 days from the date of purchase. Your 6-week integration package expires 200 days from the date of purchase. Any unused sessions after this date will be forfeited without refund.

5. Communication & Crisis Boundaries

  - Between Sessions: You are welcome to email notes or reflections between sessions if it helps your processing. The Practitioner will read these before your next session. However, we do not provide coaching or mentoring responses via email, text, or WhatsApp between scheduled sessions.

  - No Emergency Support: We do not monitor communications outside of our standard working hours. If you are in crisis, you must dial 999, contact your GP, or call a crisis line (e.g., 111 or Samaritans) or the relevant statutory support in your country of residence.

6. Confidentiality & Safeguarding (Duty of Care)

Your privacy is paramount. Everything discussed in our sessions is strictly confidential and stored securely in Google Workspace in compliance with UK GDPR. However, under UK Law and professional safeguarding ethics, we must break confidentiality if:

1.  You disclose an imminent plan to cause serious harm to yourself or another person.

2.  You disclose the abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a child (under 18) or a vulnerable adult.

3.  We are legally compelled by a UK court of law. 

If the Client is under 18, we are legally obligated to involve a parent, guardian, or Local Authority if a safeguarding risk is identified.

7. Professional Supervision

To ensure we provide the highest standard of ethical practice, our Practitioners attend regular coaching group supervision. We may discuss our caseload with a qualified supervisor to ensure best practice, but all identifying details (your name, workplace, etc.) are kept confidential and strictly anonymised.

8. Agreement & Signatures

By signing below, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the professional boundaries, non-clinical disclaimers, and safeguarding limits outlined in this agreement.

Client Name:

Client Signature:                         Date:

(If the Client is under 18, a Parent or Legal Guardian must also sign below)

Parent/Guardian Name:

Parent/Guardian Signature:‍ ‍Date: