We cover confidentiality when we are first getting to know a client, yet often it never comes up again. It is vital we and our clients know and keep in mind our role, our limits and our mandatory reporting laws in order to help reduce risk, a competency for all mentors/coaches or professional supervisors…

When a client comes into your session stressed, anxious or burnt out, there are many suggestions you could give to help them, but one of the safest and simplest is rest. Rest is, of course, not the answer to all problems, but most people find that rest allows the answer to a situation to become clearer, the journey ahead to feel more hopeful, and gained strength needed to grow…

In what may seem at first glance, a simple kindness, Jesus washing His disciples feet was a powerful lesson. He was deliberately taking on the position of a servant, washing away the grime and filth of the streets. At one point, Peter protested, saying, “You shall never wash my feet.”  Jesus replied, “Unless, I wash you, you have no part with me.” (John 13:8)…

It’s a feeling that everyone can relate to: too many tasks to complete and too little time. There are a few things that feel more overwhelming than looking at a full calendar or a lengthy to-do list while the clock ticks away. Feeling overwhelmed can lead to stress, anxiety and sometimes even depression. If your tasks are consuming all of your focus, time and energy, burnout is a likely result…

One of the significant challenges that my mentoring/supervision clients wrestle with is work/life balance and managing the priorities of life. On one hand, we all want to provide for our families and to be great employees. The challenge is that we want to be both a hard worker and dedicate time and energy to those we love most in life. We often face conflict with how to spend our time in a way that feels meaningful, productive and true to who we are…

We have spent months looking at the competencies that are essential for an effective leader, almost completing our series last week with a blog on self-awareness. Growing these competencies (specifically self-awareness) leads to the growth of another important, overarching necessity in leaders: emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is the ability to see, understand and manage emotions in yourself and others, and to have the humility and wisdom to rely on others when you are struggling to do so…

If you have been following Verve Lead for even just a few weeks, you will know that I am a strong advocate for the work of mentors, coaches, and professional supervisors. Personally, having a mentor has brought me closer to God and my calling, and I believe that developing a relationship with a mentor is crucial for all ministry leaders. Given its positive impact, let us encourage everyone to participate in the process. There is, however, a hard truth: mentoring costs…

If you ask any marathon runner, they will tell you that running as hard as you can the entire race is impossible. There may be moments for sprinting and pushing yourself, but what is really important is finding a pace that you can maintain for miles at a time. There are times to slow down, drink water and find your breath. It’s about using your energy in a sustainable manner. This is also true for our professional lives; working hard constantly will only lead you to run out of steam before the race is over, compromising your goals, mental and emotional health, and making you much more susceptible to injury. A person who prioritises work over everything will likewise face risks over time; this can cause stress on relationships and negatively impact one’s physical, mental, and emotional health…

The word “boundaries” is being used more and more in current discussions of well-being, from licensed professionals to people wanting more control over their lives. It can feel like boundaries are just any reason to say no to something in order to avoid unpleasant feelings. However, truly healthy boundaries take more into account. It’s not all about saying no, but also about curating habits that support your needs, and prioritising them over distractions. Creating healthy boundaries means taking serious inventory of your values and reflecting on your personal and professional limits. The goal of boundaries for a mentor, supervisor or coach is to prevent harm coming to yourself and your clients…