Terms & Conditions
Effective Date: 2023
Website: www.micheleheffron.com
Welcome, and thank you for trusting this work. This Agreement is intended to create a clear, honest, and supportive foundation for the coaching journey we are beginning together. Please read it at your own pace, and feel free to bring any questions before you sign.
By completing the intake form, making payment, or participating in any coaching service offered by Michèle Heffron (“Coach”) through Getting to the Heart, you agree to the terms set forth below.
1. The Nature of Coaching
Coaching is a collaborative, forward-focused relationship. Its purpose is to support your clarity, emotional awareness, personal discernment, and intentional action as you navigate life’s transitions. Our work together will explore your values, relationships, identity, and life direction.
Coaching is a distinct and valuable profession, and it is also important to be clear about what it is not. Coaching does not constitute and is not a substitute for:
Therapy, counseling, or licensed mental health treatment
Legal advice, including matters related to divorce, family law, or estate planning
Financial planning, investment, or tax advice
Medical diagnosis or treatment
Michèle Heffron is a certified coach trained through iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching), an ICF-accredited program, and operates in compliance with the guidelines and standards of the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She is not a licensed therapist, and coaching does not constitute therapy under applicable state law. You are welcome to review the ICF Code of Ethics at coachingfederation.org.
Where it seems it would serve you, the Coach may suggest connecting with other qualified professionals as part of a broader support team. That recommendation is offered in your interest and not as a referral with any financial arrangement attached.
2. Programs and Services
Michèle Heffron offers a range of coaching programs and services. This Agreement is intended to govern any program or offering in which you enroll, now or in the future, including but not limited to private one-on-one coaching, group coaching programs, workshops, webinars, retreats, and digital products. The specific program details, session count, pricing, and timeline will be communicated and confirmed at the time of your enrollment.
Private Coaching
Private coaching is delivered in individual sessions scheduled by mutual agreement. Session length and frequency vary by program and will be outlined in your enrollment confirmation. Between-session support is included in most private programs and may include email, text, WhatsApp, phone, or Voxer as agreed upon at the start of the engagement.
Group Coaching, Workshops, and Webinars
Group programs are offered periodically throughout the year. When you participate in a group setting, the following apply:
• All participants agree to hold what is shared by others in the group in confidence. The Coach is committed to your privacy; however, the Coach cannot guarantee the actions of other participants.
• Group sessions are conducted on pre-scheduled dates and times. Sessions will not be rescheduled to accommodate individual schedules, though recordings of sessions will generally be made available to participants for review.
• Participation in group settings is expected to be respectful and supportive. Conduct that disrupts the safety or experience of others may result in removal from the program.
Retreats
Retreat experiences are immersive offerings that may include in-person, virtual, or hybrid formats. Each retreat will have its own theme, logistics, and specific terms communicated at the time of registration. This Agreement governs the coaching relationship and financial terms of any retreat in which you enroll. Separate documents addressing event-specific logistics may be provided as applicable.
Digital Products
Digital resources, guidebooks, and journals are available as standalone or supplementary offerings. These are for your personal use only and are non-refundable once accessed or downloaded.
3. Your Role in This Work
Coaching works best when both people are fully engaged. As your coach, I bring my full attention, care, experience, and skill to every session. What I ask in return is that you bring your honesty, your openness, and a genuine willingness to do the work.
At the start of our engagement, and as we go, we will take time to clarify what you most want from this work. Your goals, agenda, and desired outcomes will always be the compass that guides our sessions. Coaching is a partnership, and what matters most to you will always be at the center of it.
A few things to keep in mind as we begin:
• You are the expert on your own life. Coaching supports your thinking and decision-making, but the choices you make are yours. The Coach does not make decisions on your behalf and cannot guarantee specific outcomes.
• Growth is not always linear. Some sessions will feel like breakthroughs; others will feel slower. Both have value, and both are part of the process.
• The more honest you are, the more useful this will be. That includes letting me know if something is not working for you.
• Between sessions, you may be invited to take on specific reflections, experiments, or action steps. These are not assignments with grades. They are invitations to keep the momentum of our work alive in your daily life. How you engage with them is always up to you.
• This coaching relationship is designed for people who are ready and able to engage in reflective, forward-facing work. If significant mental health concerns or other complex needs arise during our work together, I may encourage you to add professional support alongside coaching. That suggestion always comes from a place of care, not judgment.
4. Confidentiality
Everything you share in our individual coaching sessions is held in confidence. Your personal information will not be shared with anyone without your written consent, with the following exceptions:
• Where disclosure is required by law
• Where there is credible concern for the safety of you or another person
• Where required by a court order
An important distinction worth noting, especially for those navigating divorce or legal proceedings: the coaching relationship is not a legally privileged relationship. Coaching communications do not carry the same legal protections as those shared with an attorney or licensed mental health professional. Please keep this in mind as you decide what to share through coaching channels versus with your legal team.
For group programs: While your Coach will always protect your privacy, please be aware that the Coach cannot guarantee the confidentiality of other participants. All group members agree to the same expectations of discretion.
Digital communications, including email, text, and Voxer, offer convenience and connection, but are not fully secure channels. Please use your own judgment about what you share through those platforms.
5. Sessions, Scheduling, and Attendance
Being Present
Our time together is most valuable when you are fully present. Please find a quiet, private space for your sessions where you can speak and listen freely. As a general expectation, clients are asked not to drive during coaching appointments. In rare and specifically agreed-upon circumstances, an exception may be made in advance between coach and client.
Scheduling and Rescheduling
Sessions are scheduled through the Coach’s online booking system. Life happens, and rescheduling is understood. If you need to move a session, please communicate with me as early as possible by email, text, or a quick phone call, and use the scheduling link to select a new time. That keeps things simple and ensures your spot is held.
Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice may be forfeited. That said, if something unexpected comes up, just reach out. I would rather find a solution together than leave you without support.
Session Timeframes
All sessions within a program are intended to be completed within the timeframe agreed upon at enrollment. A consistent rhythm and cadence are one of the things that make coaching most effective, and I encourage you to treat your sessions as a priority investment in yourself. If life requires a temporary adjustment, please communicate with me early so we can find the best path forward together. Sessions not used within the agreed timeframe may be forfeited, though exceptions can be discussed when circumstances warrant.
Group Program Sessions
Group program sessions are held on pre-scheduled dates and are not rescheduled to accommodate individual schedules. Recordings of sessions will generally be made available so that you can review what you missed. From time to time, the Coach may offer a supplemental session at her discretion.
6. Investment and Payment
Program investment amounts are communicated clearly at the time of enrollment. By enrolling, you agree to the payment terms associated with your specific program.
Payment Methods
Payments may be submitted via Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Zelle, ACH bank transfer, or PayPal. Where a subscription-based payment plan is offered, charges will be processed automatically according to the schedule outlined for your specific program.
Payment Plans
Payment plans are offered to make it easier to begin the work that matters to you. Where a payment plan is in place, all scheduled installments remain the responsibility of the client regardless of session usage or attendance. If a payment is missed, please reach out promptly. Continued non-payment may result in a pause in services until the account is brought current.
Medical or Family Emergency
Life is not always predictable. If a medical or family emergency requires you to step away from coaching temporarily, please reach out as soon as you are able. The Coach and client will work together to find a mutually agreeable path forward, whether that means a brief pause, adjusted scheduling, or another solution that honors both your situation and the integrity of the program.
Refund Policy
All program investments are non-refundable once the program has commenced, with the following specifics:
• Private coaching: Non-refundable after the first session has taken place.
• Group programs and workshops: Non-refundable after the program start date. A credit toward a future offering may be extended at the Coach’s discretion.
• Retreats: Subject to the cancellation terms communicated at registration.
• Digital products: Non-refundable upon access or download.
In the unlikely event that the Coach is unable to fulfill a contracted program, she will work with you to reschedule remaining sessions or, where appropriate, offer a pro-rated credit.
7. Scope of Work and Professional Boundaries
The coaching relationship is exploratory, educational, and deeply personal. It draws on a range of frameworks, tools, and approaches in service of your clarity and growth. The Coach is also a certified divorce coach, and as such may engage with certain divorce-related documents and correspondence in a coaching capacity, including co-parenting plans, settlement agreements, and correspondence with legal professionals, with the purpose of helping you think clearly about what you are being asked to consider, agree to, or respond to. This is not legal advice. It is a coaching conversation designed to support your discernment.
The Coach will not:
• Provide legal counsel or represent you in any legal matter
• Provide financial, investment, or tax advice
• Provide clinical mental health diagnoses or assessments
• Testify on your behalf or provide written statements for legal proceedings, unless mutually agreed upon in writing
• Contact your spouse, family members, or other parties on your behalf without your explicit written consent
On occasion and with your knowledge and consent, the Coach may participate in a conversation with your attorney, mediator, or certified divorce financial analyst to support coordination of your overall team. This is handled on a case-by-case basis and only when it serves your best interests.
8. Communication Between Sessions
Between-session support is one of the things that makes this coaching relationship feel genuinely held rather than just hour-long appointments. Depending on your program, between-session communication may include email, text or WhatsApp, voice calls, or Voxer for brief questions, reflections, or support as you integrate what we’ve been working on together.
Response times are generally within one to two business days. Between-session communication is meant to complement your sessions, not replace them.
For scheduling, administrative matters, or more detailed correspondence, email at [email protected] is the best channel.
9. Sessions and Recordings
Coaching sessions are conducted via Zoom. Sessions may be recorded to support the quality and continuity of our work together. Recordings and transcripts are used by the Coach as an active tool to better understand your needs, track themes and progress over time, and ensure that nothing important gets lost between sessions. This is entirely in service of you.
By participating in a coaching program, you consent to sessions being recorded unless you request otherwise in advance. If you prefer not to have a session recorded, simply let the Coach know before it begins.
The coaching platforms and tools used, including Zoom, email, text, WhatsApp, and Voxer, are third-party services subject to their own terms of service. While the Coach selects tools thoughtfully, she is not responsible for the policies or practices of those platforms.
General coaching themes, patterns, and anonymized insights may be referenced in educational content, the podcast, workshops, or other materials. No personally identifying information will ever be shared without your explicit written consent.
10. Social Media and Testimonials
You are warmly welcome to tag or reference Michèle Heffron and Getting to the Heart on social media. Sharing your experience is genuinely appreciated.
By participating in a coaching program, you agree that the Coach may reference your work together, in the form of client spotlights, testimonials, or anonymized case studies, for educational or promotional purposes. Your name will always be changed or withheld unless you give specific permission to be identified. If you ever prefer not to be referenced in any form, please let the Coach know in writing and that preference will be fully honored.
If you provide a testimonial or written reflection and are comfortable with it being attributed to you by name, you grant the Coach permission to use that content for business purposes.
11. Intellectual Property
All frameworks, materials, exercises, worksheets, and resources provided by the Coach, including the VIVID³ Framework, The Golden Thread, and any other proprietary tools, are the intellectual property of Michèle Heffron. They are shared with you for your personal use within the coaching engagement and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used in a professional or commercial context without written permission.
Where programs incorporate licensed third-party curriculum, such materials are used with authorization and the corresponding intellectual property terms of that licensor also apply.
12. Limitation of Liability
Coaching is a powerful and meaningful process. It is also important to be transparent that the outcomes of coaching depend on many factors, including your own engagement, circumstances, and choices. The Coach’s role is to support, guide, and challenge you thoughtfully; the decisions you make are entirely your own.
The Coach is not liable for personal, relational, financial, legal, career, business, or other outcomes resulting from decisions made during or after coaching. This includes decisions related to divorce proceedings, relationship choices, career paths or business decisions, financial arrangements, or any other area of life addressed in coaching. The Coach’s liability is limited to the amount paid for the specific program in which a concern arises.
You acknowledge that you remain fully and solely responsible for your own life choices and that coaching is one part of a larger picture of support and decision-making.
13. Third-Party Referrals
From time to time, the Coach may suggest other professionals, such as attorneys, financial advisors, therapists, mediators, or other specialists, who may support your needs. The Coach strives to refer only professionals she knows personally and trusts. That said, any referral made is offered as a resource, not an endorsement, and the Coach is not responsible for the services, advice, outcomes, or conduct of any third-party professional.
The decision to engage any referred professional is entirely yours, and the Coach has no financial arrangement tied to any referral made.
14. Force Majeure
Neither party shall be held in breach of this Agreement for any delay or inability to perform resulting from circumstances beyond reasonable control. This includes but is not limited to illness, family emergency, natural disaster, power outage, or the unavailability of a third-party platform such as Zoom. In such circumstances, both parties will make reasonable efforts to reschedule or otherwise accommodate the disruption as promptly as possible.
15. Adult Clients Only
The coaching services offered through Getting to the Heart are designed for adults. The Coach works exclusively with individuals who are 18 years of age or older. By signing this Agreement, you confirm that you meet this requirement.
16. Non-Disparagement
Both the Coach and the client agree that, during and following the conclusion of the coaching engagement, neither party will make disparaging, defamatory, or deliberately harmful statements about the other, whether publicly or privately, in person or online. This is not intended to limit honest feedback shared directly and in good faith. It is simply an acknowledgment that we both bring integrity to this relationship and intend to maintain it.
17. Termination
Either party may end the coaching relationship at any time with written notice. Sessions already completed are non-refundable. Remaining sessions may be credited toward a future program at the Coach’s discretion, depending on the circumstances.
Payment plan obligations remain in effect regardless of early termination unless otherwise agreed upon in writing.
The Coach reserves the right to end the coaching relationship if conduct becomes disrespectful or if it becomes clear that a different kind of support would better serve the client’s needs. In that event, an appropriate referral will be offered whenever possible.
18. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution
This Agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Washington. In the event of a disagreement arising from this Agreement, both parties commit to first attempting resolution through good-faith conversation. If that does not resolve the matter, both parties agree to engage in mediation before pursuing any other legal remedy.
19. Entire Agreement
This Agreement, together with any enrollment confirmation or program-specific addendum, represents the complete understanding between the parties regarding coaching services. It supersedes any prior conversations, representations, or informal communications.
This Agreement may be modified only by written agreement signed by both parties. Electronic signatures are accepted as valid and binding. If any individual provision is found to be unenforceable, the remainder of the Agreement continues in full effect.
This Agreement applies to all current and future coaching programs and services offered by Michèle Heffron, regardless of when a new program is introduced. You will not be required to sign a new agreement each time you enroll in an additional offering, provided the core terms of the relationship remain unchanged.
Coaching is an evolving relationship, not a fixed transaction. As our work progresses and your needs, goals, or circumstances shift, the focus and approach of our coaching will be revisited and adjusted accordingly. This Agreement provides the structure that holds our work; the coaching itself will always be guided by where you are and where you want to go.
Agreement and Signature
This Agreement may be accepted in one of two ways: by checking the agreement box on the enrollment or payment page at the time of registration; or by signing below. Either action constitutes your full and binding acceptance of the terms set forth in this Agreement.
By accepting, you confirm that you have read and understood this Agreement, that you are entering this coaching relationship willingly, with openness and good faith, and that you are 18 years of age or older.
Getting to the Heart isn’t just the name of my work—it’s the invitation.
To return to love.
To become who you came here to be.
And to live the life you’ve quietly dreamed of, with courage and grace.
Getting to the Heart isn’t just the name of my work—it’s the invitation.
To return to love.
To become who you came here to be.
And to live the life you’ve quietly dreamed of, with courage and grace.
Getting to the Heart isn’t just the name of my work—it’s the invitation.
To return to love.
To become who you came here to be.