When Client Stressors Challenge the Coach

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