Episode 52

Ep 52: Duty of Care and the Future of Coaching with Dr. Benita Mayhead

Published on: 18th February, 2026

As a coach, how can you practice ethically in an industry that’s largely unregulated? In this episode of the Coaching Catalysts podcast, co-hosts Sarah Bramall and Rebecca Daniel are joined by Dr. Benita Mayhead, executive coach, supervisor, and author of Duty of Care in Coaching. Together, they dive deep into what it means to practice ethically in a largely unregulated industry, exploring Benita’s pioneering research on “duty of care”, both how coaches understand it and how it shows up in their practice.

Benita, Rebecca and Sarah explore the evolution of ethics in coaching, the increasing complexity of work faced by experienced practitioners, and predictions for the profession’s future, including the growing prominence of supervision.

The episode encourages coaches to reflect on their own sense of responsibility, learning, and curiosity, and reminds us all of the power of collaboration and care, both for clients and for ourselves as practitioners.


Highlights:

02:56: Benita shares the origin story of her book, Duty of Care in Coaching

05:20 Benita’s doctoral research shines a light on what duty of care means to practitioners

07:39 A crucial explanation of duty of care

09:50 Duty of care shows up in multifaceted ways in coaching

11:38 Benita notes the importance of supervision, especially as coaches become more experienced and handle more complex cases

16:43 There is a growing focus on our duty of care in light of AI and digital advancements

20:50 Benita predicts continued fragmentation in the coaching industry but also a growth in the focus on supervision

24:08 The importance of supervision from a legal perspective.

29:09 Insight into coaching practice: Benita and her team focus on deep-dives with leaders

30:04 Two-word checkout.


​Connect with us here:

Website:

https://www.thecoachingcatalysts.com

Work with us:


Our roundtable discussions for internal coaches here:

https://www.thecoachingcatalysts.com/organisationalcoaches

Find out more about our supervision service here: http://bit.ly/coaching-collective

To book a call: https://tidycal.com/coachingcatalysts/explorationcall

​To become a professional coach supervisor with The Coaching Catalysts, head here: https://www.thecoachingcatalysts.com/supervisiondiploma


For ICF mentoring see here: https://bit.ly/catalystsmentorcoaching


Social Media:

https://www.facebook.com/thecoachingcatalysts

https://www.instagram.com/thecoachingcatalysts_

https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecoachingcatalysts

Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbramallcoaching/

Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrebecca/

And our Whatsapp here:

https://wa.me/15557022689

About Dr Benita Mayhead:


Dr. Benita Mayhead has been in the field of learning and development since the 1980s, beginning her career in human resources within large corporates. Today, she enjoys her role as an executive coach and coach supervisor, collaborating with mid to senior level leaders, teams and fellow coaches.

Benita has an MA and a professional doctorate in coaching and mentoring, both obtained from Oxford Brookes University. Her doctoral research focused on the ethics and duty of care of executive coaches. Her research has been published in various journals, and in 2023, Henley Business School honoured her with the Research Paper of the Year award for one of her contributions. She continues to write, and a book is underway.

Her two daughters, family and friends come first for Benita, as does keeping fit and well. Living in Surrey with her husband, she can be found out walking with her dogs, most often at sunrise.


Connect with Benita:

Website: https://benitamayhead.com/


Social Media:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/benita-mayhead-840ab95/

https://www.instagram.com/thedutyofcarecoach/

Produced by winteraudio.co.uk




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About the Podcast

The Coaching Catalysts
Welcome to The Coaching Catalysts Podcast, the go-to place for coaches and professionals to elevate your coaching practice. Whether you’re just starting out as a coach, an experienced coach looking to deepen your skills, or you’re creating coaching cultures within your organisation - we've got you covered.

Co-hosts Sarah Bramall and Rebecca Daniel are highly experienced Accredited Coaches with thousands of hours of coaching experience, Coach Trainers for leading organisations and Coach Supervisors, supporting coaches via their supervision and coach development service and community.

As former teachers and leaders, with a combined thirty years’ experience in education, Sarah and Rebecca are uniquely positioned to support coaches in professional development and ethical practice, in a fast emerging industry.

With a wealth of experience, Sarah specialises in Leadership and Executive Coaching, Career coaching, confidence and Imposter Syndrome, and effective communication.

With a broad range of expertise, Rebecca’s coaching specialisms encompass leadership, neurodiversity, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), mindset, resilience, and communication.

Get ready to uplevel your practice, enhance your mindset, and amplify your skills with The Coaching Catalysts Podcast. Each episode is jam packed with relatable conversations, practical advice and honest anecdotes. Dive into insightful discussions, expert interviews, and real-life stories that serve as catalysts for your personal and professional development.

Follow or subscribe to embark on a transformative journey with The Coaching Catalysts and ignite the spark for coaching within you!

Head to https://www.thecoachingcatalysts.com/podcast to access your free guide to Elevate your Coaching Practice and check out what we have to offer.


Connect with us here:

Website: https://www.thecoachingcatalysts.com

Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/thecoachingcatalysts
https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecoachingcatalystscommunity
https://www.instagram.com/thecoachingcatalysts_
https://www.linkedin.com/company/thecoachingcatalysts

Sarah: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbramallcoaching/
Rebecca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielrebecca/

FREE Supervision Experience for Coaches: Listening Partnerships, register here: https://bit.ly/supervisionexperience

Find out more about our supervision service here: http://bit.ly/coaching-collective

For ICF mentoring see here: https://bit.ly/catalystsmentorcoaching

To book a call: https://tidycal.com/coachingcatalysts/explorationcall


About your host

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Rebecca Daniel

‘The Coaching Catalysts’ was founded by Sarah Bramall and Rebecca Daniel. As Qualified Coaches, accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and trainers for lead coach training organisations, Sarah and Rebecca are highly qualified and experienced coaches, coach supervisors and trainers.

With a combined thirty years’ teaching and leadership experience in the education sector, they create change through transformational coaching, supervision and training.

Sarah and Rebecca’s aligned passion for impact enables them to work with coaches and professionals to support them to excel personally and professionally, while developing their mindset and prioritising wellbeing in order to feel fulfilled in all aspects of their lives.