Difficult conversations
Prepare for a staff conversation, reflect on conflict or examine how to respond when relationships become strained.
School leadership support
A confidential space to think
A confidential space to think
through the decisions
you carry.
Professional supervision and coaching for principals, assistant principals and middle leaders navigating difficult conversations, competing expectations and the responsibilities of leadership.
Coldstream, Victoria · Local and online
The pressure points
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02
03
When everyone needs something from you.
Competing expectations
Consider the demands of staff, families, students and the organisation, and the boundaries needed to lead sustainably.
Decisions with weight
Examine a decision involving uncertainty or ethical tension with an independent sounding board.
What a session looks like
Your situation. Protected time. A clearer next step.
Bring a current situation or an experience you want to understand. Together we examine what happened, how your role and context shape it, and the options available to you.
Reflective supervision focuses on your experience in role. Coaching helps you clarify a goal and plan action. We agree the purpose of each session. Meetings are individual and can take place online or locally by arrangement.
Across school sectors
For government, independent and faith-based schools. Sessions respect each participant’s beliefs and professional responsibilities. Religious participation is not expected.
Provided by Christian Leadership Care Australia, an independent practice based in Coldstream.
First-year introductory offer
Individual leadership support
A regular rhythm across the school year.
$2,500 per leader / first year
Excluding GST where applicable.
- Ten individual, 60-minute sessions across the school year
- Professional supervision or leadership coaching, with an agreed purpose
- Online sessions or local meetings by arrangement
- A written agreement on confidentiality, reporting and contact between sessions
Psychology sessions are separately arranged and paid for. This offer covers scheduled leadership sessions. Additional sessions and between-session support are agreed and priced separately. Renewal fees are provided before you sign the initial agreement.
Discuss a placeSchool-funded places
A school can sponsor one leader or a small group. Three places cost $7,500 for the first year, excluding GST where applicable. Each participant receives their own ten individual sessions.
Start with a small cohort of assistant principals or middle leaders and review fit and usefulness before extending the arrangement.
Christian schools seeking leadership care with optional psychology can also explore the existing Christian school leadership package , priced separately.
For the school and the participant
Clear boundaries build trust.
Confidential individual conversations
Session content is not routinely reported to the school. Any administrative or utilisation reporting is agreed in advance. Professional and legal confidentiality limits are explained before work begins.
Alongside existing support
The service can complement departmental wellbeing services, EAP and professional learning. It provides an ongoing individual relationship focused on leadership practice. It is not clinical treatment or an emergency service.
Your practitioner
Meet Chris Pretorius.
I am Chris Pretorius, a pastor, professional supervisor and leadership coach. I hold a D.Min (Spiritual Health) and an M.Div. I am an AAOS Associate Member (No. 900178). I work with leaders who need space to think, make sense of difficult experiences and find a way forward.
School leadership conversations are shaped around the participant's responsibilities, professional values and beliefs. Church and ministry support can explicitly incorporate Christian faith and theological reflection.
A clear agreement from the start
We agree the purpose of the work, fees, confidentiality, reporting and boundaries before sessions begin. Where a specific professional or employer requirement applies, acceptance is confirmed before you rely on the sessions to meet it.
Questions schools ask
Before you decide.
Can the school pay for several leaders?
Yes. The school can sponsor places, with a separate confidential working agreement for each participant. Purchasing and funding arrangements are confirmed with the school before commencement.
Is this suitable for a secular school?
Yes. School leadership sessions are shaped around professional responsibilities and the participant’s values and beliefs. Prayer, religious practice and theological reflection are not required.
Will sessions count towards a professional requirement?
Acceptance depends on the employer or professional body. We confirm the relevant requirements and suitability before making an agreement. Attendance does not automatically confer recognition.
What happens if a different kind of help is needed?
We discuss suitability and referral options. Clinical care is provided through a separate professional relationship where needed, rather than being included in this introductory offer.
Professional supervision
Looking at the whole situation.
A difficult situation rarely sits with one person alone. I use the Transforming Experience Framework (TEF) to explore what you bring to your role, the relationships and expectations around you, and the wider school context.
We also make room for the values and sense of purpose that guide your decisions. The conversation is shaped around your beliefs and professional responsibilities.
You in your role. What are you noticing in yourself, and what is the role asking of you?
The school around you. How are relationships, authority and expectations affecting the situation?
The wider picture. What is happening beyond the school, and what matters most as you decide how to respond?
A simple first step
Start with a conversation.
Request a free, 15-minute introductory conversation with Chris. Discuss what would be useful, how support could work and the fee before deciding. No obligation.
Prefer email? Contact Chris directly .
Christian Leadership Care Australia is not an emergency or crisis service. If life is in danger, call 000 . For 24/7 crisis support in Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 .