I am a Positive Psychology Coach. We all know this, I talk about it regularly, it is my professional title, and I have it written on all my social media accounts and website. But, what exactly is Positive Psychology Coaching? And what exactly does a Positive Psychology Coach do?
What is coaching?
But, before I get into Positive Psychology Coaching, I think it is a good idea to first define what coaching itself is.
It is an ongoing, collaborative and trusting relationship between two people; the coach and the client, built around the things the client wants to achieve and/or their goals. The coach holds space for them, engages with them and supports them in their journey and the transformation they will make as a result of the work they do together. The coach uses tools, exercises and a variety of techniques to help the client find clarity, solutions and most importantly a sense of awareness of themselves and the situation.
Who is coaching for?
Coaching is for the “healthy” population, by that I mean not those who suffer from mental illnesses. However, I put healthy in commas as the absence of mental illness does not equal mental wellbeing, nor does it mean a person will be thriving. Coaching is for anyone who wants to feel more joy, more fulfilment and more happiness in their lives.
What is Positive Psychology Coaching?
Positive Psychology Coaching specifically draws upon the science of Positive Psychology. Focusing on well-being, meaning, satisfaction and joy it uses evidence-based tools and interventions to improve the client’s life and outlook. It is heavily based on identifying and understanding the client’s values and strengths, and, on experimenting with a variety of ways to bring more happiness and satisfaction to the clients lives as they are right now. Positive Psychology is not about making big changes in peoples lives but about using the principles of meaning, gratitude, resilience, emotional intelligence, compassion and acceptance to allow people to thrive in the lives they already lead.
The benefits of Positive Psychology Coaching
What draws me to Positive Psychology Coaching is its inextricable link to science and evidence. As coaching is an unregulated field anyone can call themselves one so it is very important to me, as a coach that I tie myself to empirical practices and standards. By focusing on Positive Psychology I am planting my stake in the ground as someone who will continue to learn and grow in this field and stay up to date with the literature and research.
For the clients, the benefits are endless. However, it is not a panacea and not everything applies to everyone. This is important to note. Simply, Positive Psychology helps the client find increased well-being in their life using tools and interventions backed by science. Some of these benefits include increased life satisfaction and meaning, greater self-compassion self-acceptance and self-belief.
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