Coaching Intake: Questions, Consent & Red Flags (Free Forms)

A comprehensive intake process is the foundation of every successful coaching relationship. It establishes boundaries, clarifies expectations, and ensures you're working with clients you can genuinely help. This guide provides everything you need to create professional intake forms that protect both you and your clients while setting the stage for transformational work.

Why intake matters

Many coaches rush into working with clients without proper intake, leading to misaligned expectations, scope creep, and ethical challenges. A thorough intake process:

• Establishes clear boundaries and expectations from the start
• Identifies potential red flags that might indicate a poor fit
• Gathers essential information for tailoring your coaching approach
• Demonstrates professionalism and builds client confidence
• Protects you legally through proper consent and documentation
• Helps clients reflect on their goals and commitment level

Core sections of an effective intake form

Your intake form should cover several key areas to gather comprehensive information while remaining user-friendly and professional.

Personal and contact information

Start with basics but go beyond name and email. Understanding someone's life context helps you provide more effective coaching.

Current situation and challenges

Understanding where clients are starting from helps you gauge the scope of work and identify potential challenges early.

Key current situation questions:

1. "What's happening in your life right now that brought you to coaching?" - Gets to the root motivation
2. "Describe a typical day or week in your current situation." - Provides context and reveals patterns
3. "What aspects of your life are working well right now?" - Identifies strengths to build upon
4. "Where do you feel most stuck or frustrated?" - Pinpoints primary focus areas
5. "How long have you been dealing with these challenges?" - Indicates urgency and patterns

Goals and expectations

Clear goal-setting prevents misaligned expectations and helps both parties understand what success looks like.

Essential goal clarification questions:

6. "What do you want to achieve through coaching?" - Primary goal identification
7. "If we could solve your main challenge completely, what would your life look like in 6 months?" - Vision clarity
8. "What would need to change for you to feel completely satisfied with this area of your life?" - Success metrics
9. "How will you know when you've achieved your goals?" - Measurable outcomes
10. "What's your timeline for seeing meaningful progress?" - Expectation management

Previous coaching or therapy experience

Understanding a client's history with professional support helps you avoid repeating unsuccessful approaches and identifies what works for them.

Experience assessment questions:

11. "Have you worked with a coach or therapist before?" - Experience level
12. "If yes, what worked well in those relationships?" - Successful approaches
13. "What didn't work or what would you want to be different?" - Lessons learned
14. "Are you currently working with any other coaches, therapists, or consultants?" - Overlap prevention
15. "What qualities do you look for in a coach?" - Style preferences

Commitment and logistics

Assess their readiness for change and ability to engage fully in the coaching process.

Commitment assessment questions:

16. "How committed are you to making changes in your life on a scale of 1-10?" - Motivation level
17. "What might prevent you from fully participating in coaching?" - Obstacle identification
18. "How much time can you realistically dedicate to coaching work between sessions?" - Capacity assessment
19. "What does accountability mean to you in a coaching relationship?" - Expectation alignment
20. "How do you prefer to receive feedback or challenging conversations?" - Communication style

Health and wellness considerations

Understanding someone's mental and physical health situation helps you determine if coaching is appropriate or if referrals are needed.

Wellness screening questions:

21. "Are you currently managing any mental health challenges with professional support?" - Mental health status
22. "Do you have any physical health conditions that might impact our work together?" - Physical considerations
23. "Are you currently taking any medications that affect your mood, energy, or thinking?" - Medical factors
24. "Have you experienced any major life changes or losses in the past year?" - Recent trauma assessment
25. "Is there anything else about your situation that would be important for me to know?" - Open-ended disclosure

Consent and privacy framework

Proper consent protects both parties and establishes trust. Your consent section should cover these essential elements:

Coaching vs. therapy distinction

Confidentiality and limits

Clearly explain what information will be kept confidential and the rare circumstances where confidentiality might be broken (such as harm to self or others).

Session recording and notes

If you record sessions or take detailed notes, clients should consent to this practice and understand how the information will be used and stored.

Communication boundaries

Establish clear guidelines about between-session communication, response times, and emergency contact procedures.

Red flags and referral tree

Not everyone who applies for coaching is a good fit. Watch for these red flags that suggest someone might need therapy, medical attention, or simply isn't ready for coaching:

Building your referral network

Develop relationships with qualified professionals you can refer clients to when needed:

• Licensed therapists - For mental health support
• Medical professionals - For health-related concerns
• Financial advisors - For money-related goals
• Career counselors - For specialized career transition support
• Other coaches - For areas outside your expertise

Setting up in Typeform or Google Forms

Make your intake process user-friendly with these digital form best practices:

Typeform advantages

• Conversational, one-question-at-a-time format
• Professional appearance and mobile optimization
• Conditional logic for personalized question flows
• Integration with CRM and scheduling tools

Google Forms advantages

• Free and easy to set up
• Automatic response collection in Google Sheets
• Familiar interface for most users
• Good for coaches just starting out

Form optimization tips

• Keep the form to 25 questions or fewer
• Use progress indicators to show completion status
• Make required questions clear and limit them to essentials
• Include a clear privacy statement
• Test the form yourself before launching
• Send confirmation emails with next steps

Download pack and templates

Ready to implement this intake process? Access these downloadable resources:

Run a client strengths profile before session one to tailor goals. Integrating a comprehensive personality assessment during intake helps you understand how to motivate and communicate with each client effectively.

Conclusion

A comprehensive intake process is the first step toward transformational coaching. By gathering detailed personal information, clarifying goals and expectations, and integrating validated assessments, you create a strong foundation for your coaching relationship. The time invested in proper intake pays dividends throughout the entire coaching engagement by preventing misunderstandings, identifying the right clients, and setting both parties up for success.

Remember that intake is not just information gathering—it's the beginning of the coaching relationship. Approach it with the same care, professionalism, and client focus that you bring to your coaching sessions.