Coaching is a field that is on the rise in popularity, but the psychological theory underlying it is not fully formed. Coaching shares many similarities to therapy, which has a much more defined body of literature behind it. Having a foundational knowledge in coaching psychology can make you a more […]
Have you ever felt that your life is out of kilter? While some areas receive all of your attention, others get none. Perhaps your career is on track, but you no longer have time for your family and friends, or your work is unfulfilling, and you are not growing or […]
If coaching intrigues you, then consider Executive Coaching as a field where you can make a significant impact. Because the effects of executive coaching extend beyond the individual client to the whole organization, the work is a good fit for those who aspire to have a broad societal impact. Executive […]
Life coaching is defined as “a dynamic interaction that facilitates the learning, development, and performance of the person being coached” (Lennard, 2010, Introduction, p. 1). It is a way to promote balance and harmony (Martin, 2001) by supporting clients in living to their fullest potential. While there is enormous variability […]
Coaching is a beautiful, collaborative process between coach and client. Being effective in this profession does take a certain amount of skill beyond being a good listener. Asking the right types of questions to a client for them to have a personal insight into their own growth is the overall […]
How do doctors or therapists track what is happening with a patient or client from one visit to the next? How do these professionals communicate this information with other professionals also working with the patient or client? Years ago, this type of communication was not easy. It often meant that […]
Looking for a counselor may feel like an overwhelming endeavor—especially for someone already dealing with troubling symptoms, trauma, or loss. The myriad of counseling approaches, styles, and specialties are undoubtedly confusing. With this article, we will guide the reader through more than 12 popular counseling approaches. Consideration of specific challenges […]
While coaching models and frameworks help provide structure to the practice, skilled and confident coaches draw from an arsenal of techniques. The most powerful coaches know the value in developing the intuitive, fluid art of using different techniques based on what will be most effective for their desired goal. In […]
Eloquent and meaningful quotes have inspired people since ancient times. Quotes cover a wide range of topics, and many are focused on psychology, wellness, counseling, and the pursuit of happiness. Some quotes are powerful motivators, or, in the words of Polish author Tadeusz Borowski, “What a curious power words have” […]
On a scale of 1 (turtle) to 5 (Cheetah), how ready are you to experience high-performance coaching? Maybe you are unfamiliar with this type of coaching. If so, we will begin with a brief history lesson. Coaching in sport dates back to ancient times, and the development of coaches and […]
Coaching comes in such wondrous variety, and so do the people who are lucky enough to work in this profession. Fortunately, most coaches get into the business to serve others, and with that heart of service comes a pathway to a personal coaching philosophy. Personal values and integrity in the […]
A powerful coaching question ignites the imagination of your client and helps them to overcome boundaries. Let me ask you these four questions right away: How long have you been coaching? When you started your career, how did you define a powerful question? How has that changed? What did you […]
No matter who you are in life, we can all do with a helping hand, a shoulder to lean on, or someone to shine a light on the path ahead. Fortunately, there are many empathic people who would love to assist us with our challenges, and they fulfill various roles. […]
The old way of being a boss is over. No longer can the leader drop orders from a place of position, unless they are in the military. Business is not life and death like it is for our beloved service members. More and more businesses are finding that leadership with […]
Every coach will tell you that everyone needs a coach. Most coaches have a coach. In addition to fully processing what is in our heads, everyone can benefit from these uplifting human beings. A coach will stand in your corner, to show you what you are capable of in life. […]
As coaches, we know how transformative the experience can be for clients. Many people who seek coaching usually have some idea of an area of life they want help with, but it’s through coaching that they begin to gain a deeper understanding of all the different areas in life and […]
Anyone who has had the opportunity to work with a skilled counselor can likely state the personal benefits of the experience. Self-reporting always offers challenges in building empirical evidence. An abundance of meta-analyses has gathered scientific proof that there are similar results across cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and diagnoses. Come along […]
One of the undeniable benefits of any form of therapy, coaching, or counseling is the greater sense of wellbeing and happiness it can help you achieve. Many people have found that finding the right type of psychological support has helped them overcome challenges and barriers they initially thought impossible, and […]
A Corporate Wellness Coach is a health coach who is brought into a facility or corporate office to help people either improve or maintain their health. A wellness coach is different from something like a nutritionist who might assign someone a specific eating plan or exercise plan. A wellness coach […]
Psychotherapist and humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers began his career working with children. Later, as his work shifted to include working with adults and teaching, he began articulating his therapeutic approach. As he increased his skills and experience, a solid approach surfaced: Client-Centered Therapy (later called Person-Centered Therapy.) In 1942, he […]
A great coach doesn’t give answers. Instead, they ask powerful questions to unlock and surface a better way forward for their clients. But what should you ask as a coach to get better outcomes, help others deal with challenges, and grow? The ‘right’ questions will always vary depending on your […]
Coaching skills are highly transferrable and exceedingly valuable. And they are also very trainable. With conscious effort, anyone can enhance their ability to communicate better, listen more attentively, or motivate others to grow – whether that’s as an individual or as an employee. But what skills should we focus our […]
No matter who you are, where you are in life, or where you want to be, most of us will admit to wanting to be better in some domain. Whether that’s personally or professionally, within our close relationships, or generally cultivating a better sense of purpose in everything we do. […]
For many young people in today’s modern world, the list of demands they find themselves dealing with is endless. From studies at school to managing expectations of their teachers, parents, and friends, to social skills and succeeding with their hobbies, their health, personal development and simply making sense of the […]
Life coaching and mentoring are booming fields. They are popular professions worldwide and show no signs of decreasing. Certification programs abound, but as you will read, this is an unregulated field. Certification is not required. Testing and licensing do not exist. Unlike people trained as psychologists or counselors who are […]
As with many practices carried out today, the origins of coaching as we know it has roots stretching back to ancient Greece. Providing some of humanity’s earliest recorded forays into the world of coaching and coaching theory, the renowned ancient Greek philosopher Socrates methodically asked questions and engaged in dialogue […]
What would your life look like if you were to fully and completely accept and value yourself with all your perceived weaknesses and shortcomings? As a coach or mentor, which tools do you use to support your clients on their path to Self-Acceptance? I believe most of us have the […]
There is nothing more practical than a good theory. And this was never more true than in the case of positive psychology and its many applications. Chris Peterson defined positive psychology as “the scientific study of what goes right in life” and what makes “life most worth living” (2006, p.4). […]
For many years, the prime focus of psychology was to diagnose and treat people with mental health problems and psychopathological issues. In 1998, pioneers Dr. Martin Seligman and Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi popularized the concept of positive psychology, an offshoot of clinical psychology that shifted the focus of interventions from problems […]
Have you ever been completely and utterly immersed in a task? Oblivious to the outside world, focused only on your own progress and what’s going on right here and now? Maybe you’ve been doing something you love, like playing music or a certain sport, before realizing that time has totally […]
We are very happy and proud to announce the release of the toolkit's 200th tool (download it here). To celebrate we are giving this Goal Visualization tool away for free! Recently we sat down with PositivePsychology.com's newest team member, Lucinda Poole and talked about the Positive Psychology Toolkit, the creation […]
Child therapy is not always easy for parents to discuss. With the stigma of mental health, nobody wants their child to "need therapy," which is unfortunate because therapy can change lives. Whether kids have traumatic issues or are struggling with the brave and simple act of being human, qualified professionals […]
We all have anxiety from time to time. When our days are marked by worry, nervousness, and fear, it is not our fault. We are actually quite good at developing tools to handle occasional anxiety. If you find yourself facing anxiety that interferes with your daily life, professional help is […]
The idea of client-centered therapy might seem redundant – after all, when is therapy not centered on the client? This term seems redundant now, but when it was first developed, it was a novel idea. Before the humanistic therapies were introduced in the 1950s, the only real forms of therapy […]
If you want to become a therapist but are not sure where to start, you have come to the right place. While there are several different types of therapists, psychologists, and counselors (distinctions which we will address in this article), the path to each profession is similar. Every one of […]
What good is life coaching? Why do I need someone to tell me how to live my life? Am I not capable of being my best self on my own? These are questions that many people ask themselves, which makes sense given the overall misunderstanding of what life coaching entails, […]
No one is safe… … except maybe positive psychology practitioners... Forged in a world of cutting-edge research, new and more effective therapies coming out, and a science that is constantly correcting itself, positive psychology has the unique luxury of endurance in the job market. Maybe you’re looking for a new […]
Positive psychology is the scientific study of positive experiences, states, and traits. It grew as a field after the realization that psychology focused largely on dysfunctional and pathological disorders while largely ignoring the research of what conditions might lead to optimal functioning. "The aim of positive psychology is to catalyze a change […]
