5 Key Coaching Boundaries to Protect Your Energy and Create Dream Clients

Do you need to set coaching boundaries with your clients? I've created a step-by-step guide of all the key boundaries you must set to protect your time and energy and turn nightmare clients into dream clients.

Whether you're a business, money, fitness, health, relationship or life coach, you go above and beyond for your coaching clients, but some clients will take advantage of that if you don't have coaching boundaries in place. As a lawyer myself who drafts contracts for coaches like you, I know exactly every way clients will try to cross your boundaries, and I know how to set them.

You will learn all about what coaching boundaries must be set for all types of coaching models, giving you a coaching boundaries template (including all the coaching boundaries examples) you can implement.

After learning about the key coaching boundaries you must set, your energy and time will be fully protected, and you'll turn nightmare clients into dream clients!

This post is all about the essential coaching boundaries you must set to create your dream life and a coaching business you love.

Crucial Coaching Boundaries

The ultimate coaching boundaries templates for all niches

Now, let's get into the crucial coaching boundaries for your clients, specifically to protect your time and energy.

If you want a list of ALL the basic boundaries you need as a coach, such as the following:

• Boundaries on your availability

• Creating a scope of your coaching services

• The permitted communication tools (can the client contact you on Instagram, TikTok, Whatsapp, by email, etc.?)

• Your response times

• Limitations on expectations your client may have (you're not a miracle worker; they must do the work)

• And many more essential coaching boundaries!

Then, you must read this blog post on the 10 Vital Boundaries Every Online Coach Must Set in a Coaching Contract Template.

1. Coaching boundaries on scheduling your time

The first boundary you need to protect your time and energy is a boundary for scheduling your time.

A big part of your coaching services is coaching calls. If you do not set boundaries on how and when coaching calls may be scheduled, this part will drain your time and energy. You'll be having limitless calls with clients at weird hours, especially when working with clients in different time zones. So, it's absolutely crucial that you get this right.

The first thing you need to do to set boundaries is determine your availability for coaching calls:

• On which days will you hold coaching calls? Monday through Friday, or do you only have a few days dedicated to back-to-back calls?

• During which hours will you be available (also considering different clients' time zones)?

• What is the maximum number of calls you'll take per day?

• What is the maximum number of coaching calls per week/month you'll have with each client?

Then, figure out how your clients can schedule calls with you. I highly recommend using a tool like Calendly (not sponsored). In Calendly, you can set the days and times you are available and the maximum number of appointments that may be scheduled in one day. You can also set a limit on how often, within a given timeframe, the same client can schedule a coaching call with you (so you don't exceed the number of calls agreed upon). You can simply share the link with your clients so they can find a time that works for them.

That way, you don't have to go back and forth by email to figure out a time that works for both you and your clients.

Also, make sure to include your availability in your coaching agreement so that it is clear to your client when you are available and that the client will not feel entitled to request coaching calls outside of your working hours.

I've also included in my coaching agreement template an obligation for the client to be available for a certain number of coaching meetings per week/month.

2. Coaching boundaries on punctuality

The next one of my coaching boundaries is for the client who is always late. Don't take it personally. It's not that they don't value your time. It might have something to do with them not valuing their own time...

Anyway, this is business, and you have more to do than just sit around in front of your camera, hoping that your client will show up at your scheduled Zoom meeting.

Therefore, one of the coaching boundaries you must set is a time limit for how many minutes your client is permitted to be late to your coaching calls/meetings. I think a good rule of thumb is 10 minutes tops, but maybe you think 5 minutes or 15 minutes is more reasonable.

Include this boundary in your coaching agreement. Ensure you include that you are entitled to then cancel the meeting without the client being entitled to any compensation or rescheduling the appointment. When setting boundaries with clients, you must also make sure you de-weaponise them.

Also, make sure to include this boundary as a standard part of the meeting confirmations that your clients receive.

3. Coaching boundaries on session time

This one of my coaching boundaries is for the client who tries to squeeze the most out of you. It's that client that always asks for "just a few more minutes" of your time.

It's also for that client that feels entitled to every minute you have to offer. It's that person who, because one session only took 30 minutes instead of the full 45 minutes you offered (because there just wasn't much to talk about that session), thinks that you still owe them an extra 15 minutes.

This is why, in my coaching agreement template, I set a maximum number of minutes for each session. It makes clear to your clients that:

• You are not giving them a minute more of your valuable time.

• You do not owe your clients any sort of compensation (in time or money) when sessions do not hit that maximum number.

Include this boundary in your meeting confirmations.

4. Coaching boundaries on check-ins

One of the services you might offer your clients is check-ins, text messages, or emails to check whether your clients are on the right track or to hold them accountable for what they're supposed to do.

However, these "quick" check-ins can turn into everlasting back-and-forth texting.

Therefore, you should specify in your coaching agreement:

• how often these check-ins will occur, and

• through what medium of communication (so your client won't reach out to you through 5 different mediums, like email, text, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp, Threads, etc.

5. Coaching boundaries on rescheduling and cancellations

Another major time and energy drainer is last-minute cancellations and reschedulings. You know that like no other.

Therefore, you should have a clear cancellation, rescheduling, and refund policy stating the following:

• State whether you even allow your clients to cancel meetings and get (part of) their money back.

• If you do allow clients to cancel meetings, how far in advance may they cancel meetings? 24 hours in advance? Or 48 hours? Or 72 hours? After all, you have foregone other opportunities for meetings (that would have been attended).

• If you allow clients to cancel, what percentage of their fee will they get back? Is it 100%? Or is it 75%? Or is it 50%?

• Then, state whether you allow your clients to reschedule meetings.

• If you do allow your clients to reschedule meetings, when can your clients reschedule meetings? Is that ultimately 48 hours prior to the scheduled meeting?

• Also, specify how often a client may reschedule meetings. If it happens once every 6 months, that might not be a big deal if it happens every other meeting. That can become annoying...

These were all my coaching boundaries for protecting your time and energy when working with clients to create your dream life!

ALL the basic coaching boundaries examples you must know about

Want to know about all the basic coaching boundaries examples you must have?  

Read this blog post on the 10 Vital Boundaries Every Online Coach Must Set in a Coaching Contract Template.

I also highly recommend reading this blog post on the 7 Crucial Protections Every Coach Needs in a Coaching Agreement Template.

Are you a life coach? Learn more about life coach boundaries

Are you a life coach? I've written about essential terms you need in your contract, including life coach boundaries, in this blog post on the 5 Essentials Every Life Coach Must Have in Their Life Coach Terms and Conditions.

This post was all about the critical coaching boundaries you must set to protect your time and energy and create the dream life you'll love!

Want to learn about boundaries every service provider must have? Read this blog post on the 5 Out of 10 Practical Clauses to Set Crucial Boundaries with Clients (Part 1)!

Do you also provide for group coaching? Read this blog post on the 7 Must-Haves You Need in a Group Coaching Agreement to Protect Yourself from Bad Apples.

Need a 1-on-1 coaching agreement? Get the coaching contract with all the coaching boundaries you need on this page of my contract shop!

Need a group coaching agreement? Get the perfect group coaching contract for all niches on this page of my contract shop!