You’re deep into a session when your client shares something heavy—grief, anger, frustration—and suddenly, you’re feeling it too. Maybe you’re overwhelmed, uncomfortable, or even triggered by your own stuff bubbling up.

Guess what? That’s normal. Coaches are human.

But managing your emotions while holding space for your client is a skill—and it’s one that gets easier with practice.

Why This Happens:

• Your client’s emotions remind you of something personal (past experiences, fears, or challenges).
• You care deeply, and their pain becomes your pain.
• You’re emotionally “leaking” because your own cup isn’t full.

4 Tools to Manage Your Emotions During Coaching:

1. Pause and Breathe.
   • Before you react, take a slow, intentional breath. This grounds you in the moment.
2. Notice, Don’t Absorb.
   • Mentally remind yourself: “This is theirs, not mine.” You’re there to hold space—not to carry their feelings.
3. Use Reflection as a Tool.
   • If you’re feeling stuck, reflect back to the client:
     • “I’m hearing a lot of frustration. What’s that like for you?” This shifts the focus back to them.
4. Process After the Session.
   • If something heavy lingers, debrief in a journal or with your mentor/peer coach. Processing emotions outside of sessions is key.

Your emotions don’t make you weak as a coach—they make you human. But managing them allows you to show up powerfully for your clients without losing yourself in the process.

Want to have more tools under your belt to process your own emotions? I am here to help! I am a coach, mentor and a therapist! Also a mindfulness teacher and I put together a program that can help you with this. Check out the Mindful Coach program here!

Talk soon,

Olga