Chronic stress has reached epidemic levels in Western societies, with a majority of adults in Germany reporting frequent or occasional stress. Yet many widely used interventions mainly treat the downstream symptoms of stress rather than its cognitive roots. This conceptual paper presents the Socratic Intention Method (SIM), a practitioner-developed framework for stress dissolution that builds on the transactional model of stress and on Stress Inoculation Training. The SIM proposes that chronic stress is maintained not only by unhelpful appraisal but by the psychological usefulness that stress-sustaining beliefs provide, a mechanism consistent with the wider literature on motivated reasoning and belief-based utility. The model introduces three related constructs: (a) stress-sustaining belief functions, six practitioner-derived motivational categories that explain why people hold on to stress-generating convictions; (b) a two-stage dissolution process that combines Socratic questioning with intentional goal-substitution; and (c) the Creator Perspective (Schöpferstandpunkt), a stance related to internal locus of control, self-efficacy, and dispositional optimism, each of which has been shown to protect against chronic stress. The article sets out the practitioner methodology behind the model's development, presents a clinical illustration of the model in coaching practice, and discusses implications for evidence-based coaching and directions for future research.
The phrase ‘multiplicity of self’ refers to the idea that the human mind consists of multiple and distinct identities, sub-personalities or self-states rather than a single, fixed self. Multiplicity is becoming increasingly popular as a theory upon which to base coaching practice. Though there exist many different multiplicity theories, most coaches are familiar with only one or two theories. Multiplicity theories can be quite different in their philosophy and foundations for practice, and clients may respond more readily to some theories than others based on what makes most sense to the individual. In this study, we examined five different multiplicity theories: phenomenological, neurological and philosophical based, to illustrate some of those similarities and differences. We then spoke to 24 practising coaches to understand their coaching philosophies relative to those differences. We close by offering suggestions to those seeking to be more adaptive in their approach to working with multiplicity.
This qualitative descriptive study explored how formal and informal mentoring influence leadership competency development among physician associates practising in United States Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Data were collected through an anonymous online survey and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three themes emerged: leadership competency development, structural barriers in FQHC leadership development, and relational mentoring and leadership confidence. Findings suggest that mentoring supports leadership confidence, professional identity, and competency growth, while organisational constraints may limit access to structured development. The study contributes to evidence-based mentoring practice by highlighting mentoring as a workforce leadership development strategy in safety-net healthcare settings.
Leadership unfolds in organisational contexts characterised by uncertainty, interdependence and ongoing change. While organisational sensemaking research explains how organisational meaning emerges through interaction, less attention has been given to the developmental capacities through which leaders become aware of their participation in these interpretive processes. Drawing on organisational sensemaking, organisational learning, constructive-developmental theory and David Bohm's concept of the proprioception of thought, this article develops proprioceptive sensemaking as a developmental account of how leaders may become increasingly aware of their participation in the emergence of organisational meaning. This article then presents the Proprioceptive Sensemaking Coaching framework as one practical implication of this account and discusses its contribution to contemporary coaching theory and practice.
This study investigates the role of humor in coaching processes and its impact on both coach–client relationship and its role as a differentiator between human coaching and artificial intelligence (AI) coaching agents (AI coachbots). The research is qualitative and used semistructured interviews with experienced coaches. It identified six interlinked themes: (i) humor and trust, (ii) timing, (iii) humor as a catalyst, (iv) humor as a tension reliever, (v) risks, and (vi) alignment. The paper offers practical insights for coaches as to how and when humor may support their work.
This article conceives Coaching as praxis—philosophy, reflection, and ethics in action. Drawing on Dewey, Merleau-Ponty, and Freire, the article frames coaching as relational, embodied, and context-sensitive. Existential, phenomenological, constructivist, and pragmatic traditions inform a being–thinking–doing model linking ontological presence, reflective inquiry, and ethical action through recursive feedback. Critical, somatic, and creative reflection are delineated, with supervision articulated as a mechanism for sustaining ethical involvement. Implications for coach education include developmental learning, arts-based pedagogy, reflective portfolios, and ethically grounded supervision, supporting the formation of practitioners who are wise, relational, and responsive within complex settings.
Studies of entrepreneurial coaching in relation to the identity work of entrepreneurs are limited. This study is an ethnographic enquiry into the temporal, physical and social space in which entrepreneurial coaching is embedded and implemented. It explores a group coaching programme ‘in action’ and illustrates how group coaching is constructed as a holding environment for shared learning and identity work for entrepreneurs. Our findings contribute to the literature on entrepreneurial coaching as a collaborative learning space and to the empirical understanding of coaching facilitating identity work.
This case study of coaching for a 55-year-old heterosexual woman to find a relationship through online dating describes a coaching psychology approach informed by the social psychology of dating and relationship science, applying attachment theory, mindfulness, and self-compassion, with intrapersonal and interpersonal development. Ethical considerations specific to dating coaching are discussed, including the boundaries between coaching and therapy.
It is easier to change the course of history than change a history course! This is a myth offering an insight into a belief about the inertia of the higher education (HE) sector. In reality, universities and colleges are dynamic institutions. Research breakthroughs, innovative thinking and education of our youth and workforce are fast-moving, intellectual pursuits that demand risk-taking, courage and a growth mindset. Drawing on extensive practice insights and deep knowledge of the HE sector, we explore a series of myths and how they show up in session so that coaches might strengthen their practice impact in working with HE clients.
One factor generally overlooked in life coaching studies is the importance of the client-coach relationship. This relationship may be facilitated by the lived experiences of coaches themselves. Here, we examined the efficacy of a life coaching program in a sample of 12 life-coaches-in-training. Participants sought coaching and experienced positive outcomes in line with what has been previously reported in the literature. These results indicate a close concordance between the experiences of life coaches who receive life coaching and the general client base. This points to the importance of life coaches receiving coaching themselves in order to better serve their clients.
Autobiographical inquiry occupies a delicate position within coach supervision. While personal history shapes professional identity and meaning-making, direct engagement with it may risk crossing into therapeutic territory. This conceptual article explores how autobiographical inquiry can function as a developmental practice when held within a threshold-based framework. Drawing on adult developmental theory, we propose that coach supervision can support adult development (vertical growth) by helping practitioners relate differently to their narratives rather than analyze them. Reflective and somatic practices provide ethical containment and support readiness, enabling supervisees to reinterpret experience and expand meaning-making capacity within coach supervision. Implications for coach supervision practice Work at the threshold: Approach autobiographical material gradually, ensuring psychological safety and clear contracting before deeper exploration. Explore the internal space (three houses, internal landscapes) deliberately: Support supervisees in shifting between self, task, and organizational perspectives to expand meaning-making flexibility. Foster vertical movement and development, not analysis or diagnosis: Focus on how supervisees relate to their narratives rather than interpreting or resolving past events.
The environmental crisis demands that business leaders play an eco-responsible leadership role. Leadership coaching can promote leaders’ eco-responsible awareness. However, promoting a sustainability agenda could present ethical predicaments if not aligned with clients’ expressed objectives. This study explored the appropriateness of coaches promoting eco-responsible leadership behaviors if it was not requested by the client, and the ethical difficulties when doing so. The findings suggest that coaches with eco-sustainability values experience ethical tensions in this context, irrespective of whether they are promoting eco-responsible behaviors or not. In contrast, promoting eco-responsible behaviors may fall within the ethical parameters of the coaching profession and can be ethical if done authentically and respectfully.
Leadership coaching in Africa is largely shaped by Western philosophies, often sidelining African worldviews like Ubuntu, which emphasizes interconnectedness and humanity. This conceptual paper addresses the lack of African perspectives in leadership coaching by proposing an Ubuntu-informed framework. Through an integrative literature review, the study critiques the dominance of Eurocentric epistemologies and highlights the absence of African ontologies in existing coaching models. It calls for decolonizing leadership coaching and incorporating Ubuntu to promote more authentic, culturally relevant practices, contributing to a movement toward inclusive and pluralistic approaches in leadership development on the continent.
Leaders facing adaptive challenges must navigate competing demands and persistent tensions that resist resolution. Coaches increasingly integrate futures thinking to develop adaptive capacity, an orientation we term “futures-focused coaching,” yet case formulation frameworks for adaptive challenges are lacking. Through a personal construct analysis of 24 coaches, we identified three adaptive polarities: temporal (present-moment grounding ↔ future visioning, 75% of participants), systemic (individual agency ↔ systemic engagement, 67%), and strategic (responsive adaptation ↔ intentional direction, 58%). Building on Lane's case formulation approach, polarity management theory, and adaptive leadership frameworks, we develop pattern recognition criteria for formulating complex cases. Implications span coaching practice and case formulation.
Mentorship programs are found in academia, workplaces, and professional organizations. Mentoring involves the provision of guidance, knowledge, opportunities, and support by an experienced person (the mentor) for an inexperienced person (the mentee). The purpose of this study was to evaluate a mentorship program run by the Nelson Mandela Chamber of Business. The study used an online survey to collect data from mentors and mentees. Mentors were asked to rate their ability to mentor. The findings indicate that the mentees found the program more valuable than the mentors. Psychological support and career support were the main benefits.
Organizations face leadership succession challenges amid evolving workforce demographics and generational values. Servant leadership emphasizes follower development and ethical practice, which aligns with emerging leaders' values. This review examines its application in mentoring and coaching contexts. A structured literature review of eight studies was conducted, which revealed that trust-building, role-modeling, empowerment, and reflective practice are key mechanisms for its effectiveness. The review found that this approach offers a practical framework for developing next-generation leaders and enhancing organizational sustainability, despite limitations such as the small sample size and methodological biases of the included studies.
Coaching can be viewed as inherently improvisational, yet has rarely been researched as such. This paper explores how coaches experience improvised theatre and the insights they gain for their coaching practice. Eleven executive coaches participated in a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings highlight the power of improvisational theatre exercises as experiential learning for coaches, including in self-awareness and presence, empathy and rapport-building, and comfort with co-creation and the unknown. Application of improvisational principles and exercises within coaching practice as part of a more playful, experimental and creative approach is also explored, to support client growth.
Understanding what makes coaching relationships effective remains underexplored in coaching psychology. This study applies Personal Construct Psychology and the Repertory Grid Technique to examine how coaches and clients construe effective (health) coaching relationships. Forty-two participants generated 424 constructs analysed through principal component and content analyses, yielding 27 thematic categories. Relational constructs—especially relationship depth, trust, openness, and self-determination—proved central. Findings show effectiveness is individually and contextually constructed. The study demonstrates the method's applicability as an idiographic, constructivist approach and offers foundations for theory development and practical insights for cultivating trust-based coaching relationships aligned with clients’ constructions of effectiveness.
Undergraduate women (UW) face barriers to exercise, including low confidence and body image concerns. Peer mentorship may offset these challenges through relatable support. As part of a larger trial, six student mentors trained in coaching principles supported inactive UW ( n = 15) through six weekly exercise sessions and interim messaging. Virtual conversations and postprogram mentor interviews were inductively analyzed to explore experiences. Mentors perceived that participants gained comfort with exercise and established routines, while mentors strengthened their mentorship skills. Differing expectations and inconsistent communication emerged as challenges. Findings suggest campus wellness professionals should consider peer-based mentorship to support exercise engagement.
