Exploring the emotional impact of “stuck sessions” on both coach and client

Hey friends and colleagues,

You’ve tried it all — career inventories, personality tests, vision boards, goal-setting sessions, open-ended coaching questions, even the classic “Where do you see yourself in five years?” All your best tools.  But nothing’s clicking.  The client you’ve been supporting feels just as stuck, unsure, and disinterested as they did weeks ago. What’s worse? They’re beginning to doubt your ability to help — and if you’re honest, so are you.

“I thought a coach was supposed to guide me to clarity,” they say with frustration. And maybe they don’t say it out loud, but you feel it in their energy. It’s like you’re spinning your wheels in mud, and no amount of traction is getting you anywhere. That little voice creeps in: “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

Let me stop you right there: you are not a failure. This moment doesn’t mean you’re a bad coach. It means you’re a human one. Every coach — even the most seasoned among us — hits moments where the path forward feels foggy. Where client resistance or uncertainty becomes contagious and we start doubting our skills, our impact, and our purpose.

Now let’s talk about what’s really happening under the surface — emotionally and mentally — for both parties. When clients are deeply stuck, it’s often not about indecision alone. It’s anxiety, fear of failure, unresolved grief from past career missteps, or feeling lost in their own identity. And on the coach’s end? We can absorb those feelings without realizing it. We begin internalizing their stagnation as our own. That’s emotional transfer — and it’s real.

Mental health plays a crucial role here. If a client is feeling overwhelmed, emotionally shut down, or depressed, no tool in your coaching kit will create movement unless the underlying distress is acknowledged. And if you are emotionally worn down — overbooked, under-supported, or dealing with compassion fatigue — your ability to think clearly and coach creatively also diminishes. These “stuck” moments are often red flags for both sides that emotional bandwidth is maxed out.

So how do you move forward when you’re the one stuck? One of the most important steps is also one of the most underused: reach out. How many of you have a trusted circle of coaches, thought partners, or colleagues you can lean on when a session goes sideways or a client relationship hits a wall? Who do you talk to when you feel stagnant, overwhelmed, or unsure?

If your answer is “I’ve got people” — that’s gold. Nurture those relationships like the professional oxygen they are. And if your answer is “Not really…” then it’s time to start building your career coach co-support network. Not just for collaboration — for survival. Because in this work, isolation breeds doubt. Community recharges confidence. And connection protects our mental well-being.

Here’s the thing: asking another coach for insight doesn’t mean you’re handing them your client. It means you care enough to say, “I want to serve this person well — and maybe I need a new lens to help me do that.” Sometimes our coaching style doesn’t align with a client’s learning style or emotional needs. Sometimes we’re not the right coach in that season of their life — and that’s okay. A fresh perspective can be the bridge to progress.

Your task: Take a moment to think about who’s in your circle — and why.  “Who’s your go-to coach when your own fire dims? If no names come to mind, that’s your challenge: start with one connection. One colleague. One message that says, “I see your work — want to connect and swap ideas?” The best coaches aren’t coaching in isolation — especially when mental health is in the room, whether spoken or not.

Behind every grounded coach is a team that refuses to let them doubt their power in silence.

This is your invitation to start — or keep building — the kind of coaching network that fuels, affirms, and stretches you. You don’t have to do this work alone.

Here’s to mindful moves, 

Felicia A. Shanklin, M.Ed., CPRW 

Licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor (Adult)
Balanced Harmony Master Series Director

The hopeful candidate is dressed for success in a suit and tie. He smiles at the camera, takes a calming breath, and clicks his laptop keyboard to start the interview. Within seconds, the mechanical voice of the interviewer glitches, repeating one phrase over and over. The candidate sits helplessly by, watching his opportunity dissolve in real time.

This viral social media clip reflects a growing trend: AI interview platforms like HireVue, myInterview, Talocity and Jobma are transforming the hiring process.  They use AI to conduct one-way interviews, score the recorded interviews, and provide insights to help companies see past ChatGPT-enhanced resumes.  According to a 2024 survey by Resume Builder,  48% of Fortune 500 companies are already using asynchronous and AI-assessed interviews in hiring.  A 2025 TestGorilla survey reported that 21% of employers in the US and UK now use generative AI tools during initial candidate interviews. Requiring candidates to complete an asynchronous interview is quickly becoming a routine part of a fully automated screening process.

In 2022, I began to see an increase in clients required to complete one-way interviews. Over the following years, many of those systems started to incorporate generative AI to score those interviews. My clients wanted to know what to expect, how to prepare, and how to ensure they “scored” well. I made it my mission to learn more – researching the platforms, booking demos, and interrogating any colleagues, friends or recruiters I knew who used the tools.

As with any interview, candidates need to be able to clearly articulate the value they bring to the role and their fit for the team. There are, however, additional considerations that are important  for these types of interviews. Here are five coaching adaptations I may make for clients preparing for AI-assessed asynchronous interviews:

1. Just as ATS systems must accurately read every detail on a resume for the information to register, AI interview scoring systems must clearly hear everything a candidate says to evaluate it. I am more inclined to give feedback on vocal mechanics for these types of interviews; clarity, pace and diction really matter.
2. Also like an ATS, the AI scans interview transcriptions for keywords. I help clients identify important phrases, and coach them on strategies to integrate those words and phrases naturally into their responses.
3. The interview platforms are highly customizable. Companies choose hiring priorities, interview questions and time limits per answer. Some companies allow retakes; others don’t. I encourage my clients to time their answers carefully when practicing and prepare to have only one attempt.
4. Likability is still important. Our natural inclination to energy match in conversations can result in low energy and robotic-sounding responses when speaking with a robot. I may offer recommendations to keep the voice energized and engaged: stand up, smile, practice speaking with an animated tone. It can help to visualize a specific person and imagine talking to them.
5. I remind clients that once they make it through the automated system, a human will ultimately watch their recorded interview. Authenticity becomes a critical differentiator. It’s important to practice, but it’s also important to keep it real: speak conversationally, avoid the temptation to read notes, and make eye contact with your device’s camera.

AI-scored asynchronous interviews are gaining traction in many industries — notably technology, finance, healthcare, education, retail and hospitality. This trend has implications that will impact how we coach clients. Nuances among platforms and scoring rubrics will drive changes to interview preparation strategies. Clients have questions about data privacy and bias that we need to address, and the relevant laws vary by state. Interview coaches who invest the time to understand the mechanics, ethics and issues involved can give their clients accurate and data-based guidance.

In the high-stakes competition of a job interview, clients count on us to set them up for success no matter who – or what –  is on the other side. Jobseekers may interview with AI, but they are still hired by a human.  As interview coaches, we are perfectly positioned to help them prepare for both challenges: satisfying the algorithm and connecting with the human reviewing the results.

Let’s talk about something that too often gets left at the threshold of a coaching session: mental health. As a licensed Mental Health First Aid instructor and long-time career coach, I’ve seen firsthand the emotional layers that clients carry into our spaces—layers that too many coaches overlook, rush past, or simply don’t feel equipped to address. But here’s the truth: career coaching without mental health awareness is like trying to build a house with no foundation.

Career transitions are emotional. Period. Whether a client is dealing with rejection, burnout, imposter syndrome, or the loss of identity that can come with a layoff, those emotions show up long before the résumé gets opened. And when we skip the mental check-in—when we jump straight to goal setting—we risk coaching someone who’s emotionally underwater, expecting them to swim to shore with no life jacket.

Now let’s be clear: career coaches aren’t therapists, nor should we pretend to be. But that doesn’t mean we ignore mental health. In fact, it’s our responsibility to create emotionally supportive spaces and recognize when a client’s well-being is impacting their career progress. It means creating a safe environment for clients to say, “I’m not okay,” and knowing how to respond with empathy, presence, and support. It means recognizing when a client needs us to pause the job hunt and instead normalize what they’re feeling. That moment alone can be a breakthrough.

Mental health isn’t a sidebar—it’s central to whether a client can take risks, recover from setbacks, and move forward with confidence. Ignoring it means coaching from the surface. But when we integrate mental health awareness into our coaching, we empower our clients to address the real roadblocks—not just the résumé gaps, but the self-doubt, the overwhelm, the fear.

In every coaching session, there’s a choice point: are we building strategy on shaky ground, or are we grounding our strategy in self-awareness? Checking in on mental and emotional readiness is not just compassionate—it’s strategic. When clients feel heard emotionally, they’re more likely to engage, take action, and stick with the process. That’s the kind of transformation we’re really here for.

This isn’t just about being a better coach—it’s about being a more complete one. It’s about recognizing that the most effective coaching is human-centered, emotionally intelligent, and flexible enough to pause when a client needs support beyond our scope. And yes, sometimes the best coaching move you can make is a referral—not as a retreat, but as a powerful partnership in your client’s healing and growth.

I challenge you to ask yourself before each session: Is my client mentally ready to receive support—or do they need space to be seen first? That one question can shift everything.

Let’s keep this conversation going. Our clients don’t just need coaches—they need they need real support from people who show up with both heart and skill.

Here’s to mindful moves,

Felicia A. Shanklin, M.Ed., CPRW

Licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor (Adult)
Balanced Harmony Master Series Director