What Mentor Coaching Taught Me

One of the most profound learning experiences in my development as a coach has been engaging deeply in mentor coaching and evaluation.

Through my work in ICF MCC-level training and my ongoing dissertation research, I’ve

come to appreciate mentor coaching not as a requirement to “get through,” but as a

powerful catalyst for growth. It has fundamentally reshaped how I see my

coaching—and how I see myself within it.

Recording coaching sessions and watching them back has been especially

transformative. There is something uniquely revealing about observing your own

coaching in real time. You begin to notice what you couldn’t see in the moment: timing,

pacing, phrasing, moments where you interrupted insight—or where you held space just

long enough for something deeper to emerge. This practice has sharpened my

awareness of the unseen and strengthened my ability to self-correct with intention

rather than judgment.

Equally impactful has been receiving feedback from another experienced coach.

Hearing someone else describe how I coach—not just what I ask—invites me to see my

work through a different lens. It stretches my thinking, affirms my strengths, and

challenges my assumptions. Sometimes, it confirms what I sensed intuitively; other

times, it surfaces blind spots I didn’t know were there. Both are invaluable.

Coaching can be an incredibly private practice. Much of our work happens behind

closed doors, one human being at a time. Without intentional feedback loops, it’s easy

to feel isolated—like you’re on an island without clear markers for growth. Mentor

coaching breaks that isolation. It reminds us that development doesn’t happen alone; it

happens in reflection, dialogue, and shared learning.

One of the biggest surprises for me has been how much can happen in a short amount

of time. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. One or two sessions. Mentor coaching has

reinforced that the power of coaching is not housed in the length of the relationship, but

in the trajectory of trust being built. When trust is present—even briefly—vulnerability

and insight can emerge quickly and meaningfully.

Perhaps most importantly, this process is teaching me to listen beyond the words. To

tune into the undercurrents. The emotional signals. The inner struggle that often shows

up between sentences rather than within them. This deeper listening has changed how I

hold space—and how I honor what’s really happening for the client in the moment.

Mentor coaching has reminded me that growth as a coach is not about perfection. It’s

about presence, curiosity, and the willingness to be seen—so that we can, in turn, help

others see more clearly too.