Most coaches we talk to spend 30 to 60 minutes preparing for each client session. They reread notes. They think through possible directions. They stare at a blank page trying to remember what question they were going to ask. Then they show up to the session and the client goes somewhere completely unexpected anyway.
AI does not fix that last part. What it can do is handle the scaffolding — the structure, the question bank, the session skeleton — so that the time you spend preparing is spent on what actually matters: thinking about your client.
Here is the workflow we use and recommend. The whole active portion takes under 10 minutes.
Before You Open Any AI Tool
Review your client notes
Read your notes from the last session — not to memorize them, but to reconnect with this specific person. What were they working on? What did they say they were going to do? What felt unresolved or important?
This is the most important step and the one AI cannot do for you. The notes live in your practice management system. The relationship lives in your memory and your body.
Choose a framework that fits this client's current edge
Based on what you know about this client right now, which lens would serve them best today? Are they stuck in thinking? Stuck in emotion? Do they need to move toward action, or do they need to excavate what is really going on?
You do not have to commit. But having a framework in mind before you open the Question Generator will give you much better output than leaving it on "Best Fit" every time.
Ready to generate your question sequence?
Describe the client situation, choose your framework, and get 12 tailored coaching questions in under 30 seconds.
Open the Question Generator →Using the AI Tools
Generate your question sequence
In the Question Generator, describe the client situation in 2-4 sentences. Be specific about what the client is working through — the AI output quality rises sharply with specificity. Then select your framework and generate.
You will get 12 questions. You will not use all 12. Read through them and mark 4-5 that feel alive to you — that you could imagine actually asking this person. Those become your working set for the session.
Build a session plan skeleton
In the Session Planner, enter the same client situation and framework. The AI will generate a complete session structure: an intention for the session, an opening check-in, an inquiry sequence, a deepening exercise, an integration question, a closing reflection, and coach notes.
Think of it as a map, not a route. You may follow it closely. You may abandon it by minute 5. Either way, having a structure means you arrived prepared.
Edit and adapt — make it sound like you
Read through the AI output and mark what resonates. Rewrite any question that feels stiff or out of character for how you coach. Remove anything that does not fit this specific client's situation or communication style.
The AI generated a starting point. You are turning it into your plan. This editing step is where your expertise enters the process — and it should never be skipped.
Identify your opening and one deepening move
With everything generated and edited, decide on two things: how you will open the session (your first question or check-in), and one deepening move you might make if the conversation goes to a significant place.
Walk into the session knowing those two things. Let the rest emerge from your presence with the client.
What AI Cannot Do
No AI tool can do these things — and they are where the coaching actually happens
- Hold the relational field — the felt sense of connection and safety between coach and client
- Read nonverbal cues, notice hesitation, track what is not being said
- Trust the instinct that says "this question is right even though it is not on my list"
- Stay with silence and let it do its work
- Know when the client needs to be challenged versus held
- Respond to what is happening in the room right now, not what was true when you prepared
AI handles the scaffolding. You bring the craft. These are not in competition — they are complements. The coaches who use AI prep tools most effectively are the ones who use the saved time to arrive more rested, more centered, and more fully available to their clients.
A note on client confidentiality
When using AI tools for session prep, never input real client names, identifying details, employer names, or any information that could identify your client. Describe the situation in general terms. This is both an ethical obligation and a best practice — it also forces you to think more clearly about the pattern rather than the person, which often produces better coaching questions.
The Full Workflow at a Glance
- Review notes (2 min) — reconnect with your client before opening any tool
- Choose a framework (1 min) — match the method to the client's current edge
- Generate questions (2 min) — mark 4-5 that feel alive and usable
- Build a session plan (2 min) — skeleton only; you will deviate from it
- Edit and adapt (3 min) — make it yours
- Lock in your opening and one deepening move (1 min) — then let go
Total: under 11 minutes of active prep time. Whatever time you save is time back in your life, or in service of your clients.
Try the full workflow right now
Both tools are free to try — no account needed. Start with the Question Generator, then build your session plan.
Open the AI Tools →