Coaching Agreement & Terms of Service
Updated 7.25.24
Purpose
This agreement outlines the expectations and fulfillment policy for coaching services provided by Melia Dicker, Certified Professional Coach and principal of Rising Spiral Coaching, LLC, (“the Coach”) and you (“the Client”).
Coaching Process
Coaching is a co-created process to facilitate the learning, growth, and ability of the client to thrive in the ways that they intend.
As your ADHD coach, my role is to create a dedicated, compassionate space to clarify the changes you want to make and support you as you make them. This may include asking curious questions and offering strategies, reflections, and resources such as research and tools. These are always offerings, not obligations.
As your coach, I may shine a light on what you may not be able to see at the moment, including your own skills, wins, and progress. As the client, you make your own decisions and create your own results.
Throughout the coaching relationship, we will have open, honest, and possibly challenging conversations that require an active, collaborative approach. I’m in your corner and will support and problem-solve with you along the way.
What We Can Expect from Each Other
Sessions will take place via Zoom video conferencing unless otherwise arranged. We may be able to meet by phone or other video conferencing platform if needed.
You can expect me, as your coach, to:
Hold a safe, compassionate and judgment-free space for you to express your thoughts and emotions freely, without censoring yourself
Help you understand your ADHD brain and how to design an ADHD-friendly life that works for you
Listen actively, ask questions, and share observations to examine patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that may not be serving you
Suggest ADHD-friendly strategies, tools, and resources that I think could help you progress toward your goals
Follow up, with curiosity, on your commitments from our sessions; if you haven’t made progress, help you figure out why not, without judgment
Help you assess your progress and celebrate your wins
Adhere to the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Code of Ethics, as a coach trained in ICF’s “gold standard” coaching framework
I can expect that you, as my client will:
Be a willing collaborator who actively engages in the coaching process
Show up to our sessions authentically, in whatever emotional state you're in at the moment. However you feel is okay; all vibes are welcome. No masking!
Log on from a quiet environment with minimal distractions (closing email and messaging apps, silencing devices in advance, etc.), a reliable internet connection, and notetaking materials
Be fully focused on our session without multitasking (e.g. driving, walking, etc.) so you can stay safe and fully engaged in coaching. Feel free to use a fidget, stretch, or switch up locations on the premises as needed.
Be open to new ideas and your ability to evolve in the ways you envision
Take notes on your coaching goals, weekly experiments, and session takeaways and create reminders to take action (e.g. phone alarms, Post-Its, keeping your list of goals and experiments where you’ll see them regularly)
Follow through on the above actions between sessions to the best of your ability
Let me know – in the session, or as soon as possible -- if something triggers you or is otherwise not working for you, so we can adjust as needed. This is your time, to be used in whatever way is most helpful to you. You can unload what’s on your mind, cry, sit quietly and co-regulate, or use the power of body doubling to get a dreaded task done.
Confidentiality & Privacy Policy
Please read the full privacy policy here. By engaging with Rising Spiral Coaching, you consent to the practices described in this policy.
I will not disclose any information shared during our coaching relationship that would identify you, unless granted by your written consent or required by law or ethical duty (when you or someone else is in danger of being harmed).
If someone such as an employer or family member is covering the costs of your coaching and requests progress updates, we’ll agree on written guidelines for the information that I will share.
Session Payments and Expiration
The first session in the package is charged when you book a package, and the remaining sessions will auto-charge weekly until the package is paid, regardless of session frequency. Unused sessions will auto-expire one year after the package booking date.
Refund Policy
Coaching is an evolving process that we create as a team, and our mutual well-being is my top priority. It’s essential that we agree to surface and address these situations, with honesty and respect, if they arise:
Something about our coaching process isn’t working for you, whatever it may be
The standard payment schedule or unforeseen life events (such as illness or job loss), present an obstacle for you
You are experiencing debilitating or life-threatening mental health issues outside of my training as a coach
If we’ve discussed the problem, explored solutions, and either of us feels that refunding the remaining sessions is the best option, we will negotiate a refund that feels fair to both of us. Please note that completed sessions are non-refundable.
Booking, Scheduling, Meeting, & Cancellation Policy
I encourage you to choose a standing time that works for you each week and schedule out all of your sessions in advance. Clients who do this up front tend to build momentum and make quicker progress toward their goals. I’d suggest pausing here to add my number to your contacts; you can find it in the PDF version of this document.
Deciding in advance means you don’t need to use your limited decision-making power every week or remember to schedule, and I don’t have to worry about your dropping out of contact!
If you’re receiving any error message when trying to schedule or aren’t finding an open slot in the near future, please advise me. Sessions may have expired prematurely, or I may be holding your regular session time on my internal calendar.
Start Time
As an ADHDer myself, I know how challenged we are with time. Please do your best to join the session on time and text me to let me know if you'll be late. I’ll do the same. We can then complete the session and end at the scheduled time (or add time to compensate if I run late).
I will text you if you’re more than a few minutes late to the session — but please don’t count on this as your cue to join! If I don't hear from you within 15 minutes from the scheduled start, I'll close the session and count it as complete. If you contact me within the scheduled session time, we may be able to reopen it.
End Time
I will keep track of time so you can focus on our coaching conversations. I’ll do my best to give you a heads up five to ten minutes before the session ends, so we can begin to transition to weekly experiments and wrap-up. If you have a hard stop time, let me know when we start. Otherwise, I may go a few minutes beyond the official 50-minute end time if we’re finishing up a conversation thread.
Rescheduling & Cancellation Policy
You can reschedule online up to 12 hours before your scheduled session. Search your email for “coaching session” to find the confirmation email for that session and click the “Change/Cancel Appointment” button to select a new time.
If something urgent and unavoidable comes up (e.g. you’re sick, are called in to work, need to care for a loved one, etc.), text me as soon as possible, and we can reschedule.
If you’d like to reschedule within a 12-hour window for other reasons, text me to discuss. If you are feeling overwhelmed or upset, it often helps to talk through it in a compassionate setting. If you’re truly not able to focus on the coaching session, let me know and we can likely reschedule.
For multiple, non-emergency late cancellations or rescheduling requests, we will count those sessions as complete (deducted from the package total) and can problem-solve to get back on track for upcoming sessions.
Missed Sessions
My policy is to excuse the first missed session — again, we’ve all been there — and to count any future no-shows as completed sessions unless they’re due to emergency or illness. There’s never any blaming or shaming on my part, only curiosity about what’s getting in the way. Let’s figure it out together.
Notes & Communications
Notes
I type notes during our session for my own visual processing and review. I encourage you to take your own notes, to capture what resonates with you and reference your upcoming experiments. I recommend using one notebook or digital document that you can easily locate so everything related to coaching is in one place.
Your Communications to Me
You can email me at any time, and I'll do my best to respond before we meet.
Let’s generally reserve calling, texting, WhatsApp, etc. for short exchanges and timely logistics (e.g. if one of us is late or needs to cancel). I may text you to check in if we haven’t been in regular contact.
Feel free to email brief updates on how your weekly experiments are going, including any photos. Brief texts or WhatsApp messages for this purpose are fine if that’s easier, and I’ll reply when I have a free moment. I love celebrating your wins with you!
My Communications to You
With your permission, I’ll share links and other resources that pertain to what we covered in our session. I may chat these to you during our session or text podcast and audiobook links so you can listen from your phone. Please remind me if I forget.
Resources are always an offering, never an obligation; there will be no assignments or pop quizzes unless you ask for them!
Referral to Psychotherapy
In keeping with the guidelines of the International Coaching Federation, it is my ethical responsibility to refer you to a psychotherapist if you are experiencing issues outside of my training as a coach. These may include trauma, PTSD, bipolar disorder, severe and persistent depression, suicidal thoughts, and/or signs of other serious mental illness.
Depending on the severity of these issues and their degree of impairment to our coaching, therapy may be added a complement to our work, or we may pause or end our work together. Refunds will be given on a case-by-case basis.
If these circumstances arise, I will communicate honestly with you about them, with your safety and well-being as my top priority.
Urgent and Non-Urgent Mental Health Care
If you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else, please call or text 988 right away. This national emergency line is like 911 for mental health, with trained mental health professionals available 24/7. They are also available to talk with you about non-urgent mental health issues.
Release of Liability
You employ me as your coach to help you understand and manage your ADHD.
I will help you to understand this neurotype and support your growth in self-acceptance and self-compassion, overcoming personal and professional challenges, and accomplishing the goals we establish in our coaching sessions.
You are solely responsible for your own actions and results. You will not hold me, Melia Dicker, CPC, or Rising Spiral Coaching, LLC, liable for any outcomes resulting directly or indirectly from the coaching process.
Legal and Binding Agreement
This Agreement is legal and binding between the Coach and Client as stated above. This Agreement may be entered into and is legal and binding both in the United States and throughout Europe. The Parties each represent that they have the authority to enter into this Agreement.
Dispute Resolution
In the unlikely event of a dispute arising out of this Agreement that cannot be resolved by mutual agreement, the Coach and Client agree to engage in mediation. If the matter cannot be resolved through mediation, and legal action ensues, the successful party will be entitled to its legal fees, including, but not limited to its attorneys’ fees.
Right to Enforce
The failure of either party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver or limitation of that party’s right to subsequently enforce and compel strict compliance with every provision of this Agreement.
Best Way to Contact You
For scheduling, check-ins, etc. – please fill in the field on the PDF version of this document.
Emergency Contact Information
Sometimes we ADHDers fall off the radar due to forgetfulness, overwhelm, depression, or shame and guilt from being out of touch for a while. Please know that I don’t take this personally. When we’re stressed and overwhelmed, our minds and bodies conserve resources, which often translates to avoidance.
Even so, I tend to worry when I don’t hear from you after reaching out a couple of times, especially if you’ve been having a hard time lately. I know you may not be checking messages, but please send a short and honest reply if you can. I promise to meet you with compassion and will understand if you’re currently too overwhelmed to schedule or meet.
If I make several unsuccessful attempts to contact you without receiving a reply, or feel that you need urgent support or intervention that I'm not able to provide, only then will I contact the person listed below.
Please note that these unusual circumstances would go well beyond the typical ups and downs of our experience as ADHDers, which do not endanger anyone's well-being and fall within the bounds of confidentiality.
In the PDF document, please provide the following information of your emergency contact:
Full Name _______________________________
Relationship to You ________________________
Phone Number ____________________________
Email ____________________________________
Signature & Date
By signing in the PDF document, you, The Client, agree to the terms and conditions outlined above.
Signature _______________________________
Date ____________________________________
I look forward to working with you!