Coaching and Positive Psychology, Part I

As we progress into the 21st century, one of the predicted life trends of the New Normal era which IS occuring is a significant growth in the profession of coaching. The pre-existing profession of psychology has arisen in the dicussion about coaching, as people in the psychology profession have grappled with people's decision at times to undertake coaching instead of therapy. Questions have arisen about whether coaching is really therapy that should be regulated under various psychology professional laws or whether it is someting that cannot be categorized as psychology. It has also been suggested that there is a middle ground. I have written an published academic research on the subject of coaching and one particular new branch of psychology which is called positive psychology. In this three-part series I will share with you some of my academic work.

(The material in this post is copyrighted material excerpted from my academic work, with all rights reserved by me and there is no permission to reprint or reproduce it in any form)

Barrett

---

Coaching and Positive Psychology: Roots and Connections
by L. Barrett Powell

The modern school of positive psychology is rooted in humanistic psychology. Humanistic psychological theory, as proposed by American psychologist Carl Rogers is a person-centered approach. The humanistic approach is founded on an optimistic view of the person. Psychologist Abraham Maslow posited the theory of in natural self-actualization in human beings, believing that all organisms have an underlying tendency to self-actualize. In this theory, when the context allows, people will choose what is good for them because they can experience fulfillment or happiness, which culminates in enduring efforts to evolve and grow. (Stober. 2006: 19-20) A defining characteristic of the humanistic perspective is the holistic approach -- the emphasis on viewing people holistically (range of human experience): Individuals must value the full range of human experience: our physical, cognitive and affective or emotional, realities. (Stober 2006: 24-25) A humanistic approach takes into account individuality (uniqueness of the individual): If we accept that we construct reality from our perceptions and make sense of our perceptions in individual ways, then each person is a unique individual. If the client is a unique individual, then the relationship between practitioner and client must also be customized. There is no “one size fits all” approach in the humanistic approach. (Stober 2006: 25-26) The humanistic approach holds that there is a fundamental importance of the relationship between practitioner and client as a source of change (collaboration in the practitioner-client relationship): there must be active engagement of the practitioner in facilitating the client’s own awareness of how they experience themselves, their situation, what it means, and where they want to go with it. Stober 2006: 20-22) In the humanistic view, people independently have freedom of choice in how they respond to their environment. This independence is not a simplistic notion of complete autonomy; instead it is making choices within each individual’s particular context. Finally, humanistic psychology posits that human beings can make their own decisions (availability of choice): this view theorizes that we are unable to avoid making choices that influence our current and future selves. Choice implies a degree of freedom but is accompanied by the responsibility to be aware that in any given moment a choice is being made. Cultivation of this recognition is central to a humanistic approach. (Stober 2006: 26-27)

Positive psychology focuses on examining and comprehending how positive emotions work to improve normal life, rather than focusing on mental illness. Positive emotions are central to psychological thriving and have been found to have a significant impact on increasing intuition and creativity and widening scope of attention.

The heart of positive psychology lies in the practitioner’s choice to shift away attention away from pathology and pain and direct it toward a clear-eyed concentration on strength, vision, and dreams. (Stober. 2006: 220)

Research by psychologist Barbara Frederickson of the Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology Lab at the University of North Carolina shows that positive emotions boost other psychological functions; for example they empower individuals to open up their focus of attention and see the “big picture”.

The research on what does and does not lead to happiness has significant implications for coaching:

• it suggests there is a role coaching can play to help people make upward shifts in their happiness set points





• very small increases in positive emotion can tilt the overall balance and lead to significant differences in the extent to which people flourish or languish





• it has implications for understanding the ephemeral impact of success and the so-called American Dream

Throughout the 20th century psychology was developed to measure and address human pathology. In the latter part of the 20th century and now in the 21st century there is a movement toward evolving and expanding psychology to include tools, interventions and research methods to address human strengths and virtues. Effectiveness studies of positive therapy is showing it to be very effective and with prolonged impact. (Stober. 2006: 221)

Stober, Diane R. (2006) Coaching from the humanistic. In D. Stober and A. Grant (eds) Evidence Based Coaching Handbook: Putting practices to work for your clients. Chichester, Wiley

Stober, Diane R. and Grant, Anthony M., .eds (2006) Evidence Based Coaching Handbook: Putting practices to work for your clients. Chichester, Wiley

© L. Barrett Powell, All Rights Reserved