csa-company-history

CSA recognised that the coaching profession needed to be supported by the reflective practice of supervision. Founders, Murdoch, Orriss and Adamson, had experienced the benefits of supervision throughout their business and professional lives. In 2001 there were only a very few coach supervisors working in the UK. So, over time, CSA developed a first class supervision practice fit for coaches.

Following a yearlong period of consultation and feedback with senior coaches in the UK, we established the core concepts and practices of the Coaching Supervision Academy (CSA). We also set up the successful Supervision-on-Call offering individual and group coaching to coaches, mentors, HR and leaders, within 24 hours of receiving a request from supervisees. Supervision-on-Call was the first CSA product.

Edna Murdoch invited experienced executive coaches and supervisors Fiona Adamson and Miriam Orriss, to join her in creating first-class supervision training. After pioneering the 1-year Diploma supervision training in London 2005, Murdoch and Orriss took this work forward, increasing the conceptual basis of CSA’s work and ensuring that coaching supervision kept in step with developments in coaching and in related professions. Murdoch and Orriss, have extensive professional and business backgrounds – Education, Senior Management, Clinical and Managerial Supervision, Business Development and Psychotherapy. They have done pioneering work in supervision including introducing concepts from Field Theory, Advanced Dialogue Process, Systems Theory, Psychodynamic Perspectives and Transactional Analysis, Quantum Physics to Coaching Supervision. Given the range of their expertise, Murdoch and Orriss were well placed to shape the emerging form of reflective practice and CPD for professionals that became known as ‘coaching supervision’.

CSA is now a trusted global brand, known for its excellent supervision training and for offering supervision services to coaches, mentors, HR, OD, Educators and leaders. The brilliant – and constantly expanding – international training team works on our programmes in US, UK, Europe and Asia Pacific. CSA created the popular Supervision Skills Course for Internal Coaches who wish to peer-supervise – this pioneering programme has become one of CSA’s signature offerings.

Our outstanding international faculty ensures that CSA’s programmes deliver excellence as well as develop graduates who work at the highest level in a complex 21st century world.

Our mantra, ‘Who you are, is how you coach™, supervise, lead…’ means that alongside thorough training in supervision models and skills, we develop supervisors whose maturity and humanity bring depth and elegance to their work.

CSA offers: Peer Group Supervision Training, virtual supervision, face-to-face supervision, executive reflection, and supervision for internal coaches and work with groups and with individuals.

CSA continues to learn and to grow: our global team of trainers and tutors increases each year and new additions bring fresh insight and skill to our endeavours. (you can meet them all here) The team is mentored by CSA Senior Faculty on a regular basis. Members of our team frequently present at coaching and supervision conferences.

Our supervision models and our understanding of supervision practice grow as the field of coaching and leadership changes. In response to increased complexity in the field of work and the growing range of theoretical underpinnings in coaching, CSA has gathered experts from the fields of Systems Theory, Resilience, Group and Team coaching, Gestalt, Time to Think, Somatic Learning, Neuro Linguistic Programming, Transactional Analysis, Adult Learning, Transpersonal Perspectives, Mindfulness, Neuroscience, Field Theory and Quantum Physics. These all make contributions to our programmes - uniquely blending ancient wisdom, and contemporary insights with classic supervision theory and practice.

All of this is underpinned by our trademark philosophy “WHO you are is HOW you coach™, supervise or work”. Our book, ‘Full Spectrum Supervision’ was published in 2013, was well received and has found its place among the current literature on supervision.

Currently (2021), the 15th annual UK cohort of the Diploma Programme is full and the CSA international community of coach supervisors, now numbers in excess of 580. To date, the 1-year Diploma has been successfully delivered 28 times in different countries across the world.

Technology allows new freedoms and possibilities to reach people across the world that just five years ago would have seemed impossible; from virtual supervision to face to face supervision and executive reflection, we’re looking forward to finding more ways to support coaches, leaders and people professionals world-wide.

All CSA faculty are experienced Executive Coaches and Supervisors. Many have significant expertise in Executive Coaching, OD, HR, leadership, therapeutic, educational and business contexts. Some have been supervising for over 25 years. This depth of experience is in part, what distinguishes CSA in the field of supervision training.
A team of at least 15 trainers, tutors, webinar leaders and supervisors, staff each Diploma programme. Students meet many CSA staff during the 8 programme days; there they can experience a wide variety of supervision styles and make relationships with trainers and tutors. The range and richness of staff input, contributes significantly to the success of our programmes.
Students also benefit hugely from learning/practising ‘in the room’ and from getting immediate feedback from faculty and fellow students.Our work recognises the importance of relationship in the supervision conversation; while our supervisors are trained to work with key supervision models, and to be contractual, they also know the value of working with head, heart and body intelligence. Embodied Presence is key to unlocking new insights for supervisees.
CSA also uniquely provides a rigorous, annual re-assessment programme for its accredited graduates.

About CSA

In 2001

In 2003

CSA International Today

What We Offer

What Distinguishes Us