Coercive control in coaching: from awareness to best practice
What you can see and hear, what to say, and when coaching is the wrong tool.
The scale
- 1 in 4adults in England and Wales have experienced domestic abuse since age 161
- Nearly halfof women with depression have experienced domestic abuse as adults; 61% of women with PTSD2
- 85%of coach practitioners have clients who ask for help with their mental well-being3
It is already in your client list, whether you have spotted it or not.
Why it matters
One in four adults in England and Wales has experienced domestic abuse. Many people bring it to coaching rather than therapy, because of waiting lists, cost or shame, and it rarely arrives labelled. It arrives as a goal. Coaching can help the right person at the right stage of recovery. At the wrong stage it can add to real risk.
Who it's for
All coaches, and especially separation, divorce and co-parenting coaches. It also turns up in life, executive, career, health and business coaching, often where you would never expect it.
What you'll learn
- See the pattern of coercive control, and hear "high conflict" as a prompt to check for risk
- Read trauma accurately, without mistaking it for low commitment or self-sabotage
- Know when coaching is the wrong tool, using a five-stage recovery model and a simple decision flow
- Protect your client, your notes and yourself, including when your client may be the one using control
What you get
- The half-day course
- One-page checklist and wording card for sessions
- Decision flow: in scope, alongside, or pause?
- Notes, confidentiality and court: a quick guide
- Referral map with checked contact details
- Reflective CPD log and a full reference list
Dr Craig Newman
Dr Craig Newman is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Chartered Psychological Coach who has trained and supervised more than 1,000 coaches and mental-health practitioners. He developed the recovery model this training is built on, published by BACP in 2025. Read the full trainer profile →
Price
£95 per seat. No VAT is added.
The live half day runs from January 2027, with repeat dates through the year. A digital version will follow later at £35 per seat.
Teams: book for a team. Organisation-wide training is by quote.
CPD
3 hours CPD. Designed to meet CPD standards. Includes a reflective log for your training record.
Register your interest
The live half day runs from January 2027, with repeat dates through the year, at £95 per seat. A digital version will follow later at £35 per seat. Register your interest and we will send you the dates first.
Common questions.
- I'm not a therapist. Is this for me?
- Yes. It is built for coaches. You won't be asked to assess, diagnose or treat. You'll learn to notice, respond and refer.
- Is the content distressing?
- It covers domestic abuse without graphic detail. Case examples are anonymised, and you can step away at any point.
- Can I book for my organisation?
- Yes. Get in touch and we will scope it with you.
For your clients
If a client needs more than coaching can give, ReNurture is somewhere to send them. ReNurture is a self-supported programme for trauma recovery and boundary building, for people who have left a controlling relationship. Many practitioners suggest it alongside therapy, so clients have tools between sessions.