Mental techniques & professional reflection
Mentoring
What is Mentoring?
- What is Mentoring for?
- Passing on experience and orientation, mostly in professional development
- Is Mentoring legally regulated?
- Not a protected term and not a health profession; a free activity. As soon as it becomes psychosocial counselling, the rules of Lebens- und Sozialberatung apply.
- Does Mentoring treat illnesses?
- No
Mentoring is companionship by an experienced person (mentor) who passes on knowledge, experience and network to a less experienced person (mentee). It is about orientation, development and learning from lived practice, mostly in a professional context.
Difference to coaching
Unlike coaching, which mainly asks questions and stimulates self-reflection, mentoring also passes on concrete experience, advice and insights. Typical topics are starting a career, career steps, founding, taking on leadership or entering a new industry.
Limits
Mentoring is not a protected term and not a health profession. It is the passing on of knowledge and experience, not counselling on problems of clinical relevance and not therapy. For emotional distress, counselling (LSB), psychotherapy or medicine are the right choice.
What is allowed
- Pass on experience, knowledge and networks
- Accompany professional orientation and development
- Work with healthy people on goals and next steps
Where are the limits?
- No counselling on problems of clinical relevance
- No therapy and no treatment
- No substitute for professional advice (e.g. legal or tax)
How to recognise quality
- Relevant experience in the field
- Clear roles and expectations
- Names the limits to counselling and therapy
- No promises of cures
How it works
- Matchingfind a suitable mentor
- Clarify goalsalign expectations and topics
- Companionshipregular exchange over a period of time