By Sarah Lyman Kravits, LifeBound Director of Training and Certification | August 19, 2025

Boundaries Benefit Both Coaches and Students

Make it Policy, not Personal

Generally speaking, folks who are drawn to work in academic coaching are driven to help and serve. For many of us — and I include myself in this group — maintaining boundaries with students is a perennial challenge. One type of boundary involves maintaining appropriate limits to services. An academic coach, for example, doesn't provide therapeutic counseling. When a student veers into that realm during a session, the coach listens with presence, perhaps includes that context in coursework-focused questions, and may share available counseling resources with the student.

The second type of boundary — time and effort within the parameters of the academic coaching position — is often harder to hold. When a stressed-out student stays in your office well past the session end time, or comes by frequently and unexpectedly needing help (when your coaching program does not offer drop-ins), this can be a tremendous challenge for caring coaches. When boundaries falter, coaches can slide quickly into overwhelm.

One useful approach with this second type of boundary is to shift your language from first-person personal to third-person policy. This can help shift blame away from you, help you avoid feeling as though you are personally rejecting the student, and even build student accountability. Here are some examples:

With a student who stays, try "Meetings are up to one hour long" as opposed to "I have to stop the meeting after an hour" or "I have to go do something else now."
With a student who wants a warm handoff when you don't have time, try, "Our peer mentors take students to other offices" as opposed to "I don't have time to take you over to financial aid."
When you cannot fit a student into your day but other coaches are available, try, "Students benefit from the perspectives of different staff members," rather than, "I can't fit you in."
When a student drops in randomly (and drop-ins are not part of your coaching program structure), try, "Scheduling helps coaches give students the time and attention they deserve," instead of "I can't talk to you right now."

Protect your energy, coaches! Join LifeBound to increase both your boundary maintenance and your coaching skill. Our fall offerings include:

3-Day Virtual Coaching: Sept 5, 12, 19
Self-Paced Coaching: Choose your own dates!
LifeBound Coaching Certification: Sept 30 - Jan 13

To explore which option is right for you, visit www.lifebound.com.

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Higher education is grappling with unprecedented challenges—rising mental health crises, the need for greater career readiness, and the unfortunate reality that many students struggle to secure meaningful employment or are let go shortly after starting. These issues affect not only individual students but also university outcomes like enrollment, retention, and long-term institutional success.

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Choose Your Own Dates!

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Format: Online

Cost: $1,500 per person. If you’ve already completed the 1-Day or 3-Day program, email contact@lifebound.com to receive a discount code for $500 off the new Self-Paced Course. Contact us about group rates.

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