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Acceptance and commitment coaching: Making the case for an ACT-based approach to coaching
Abstract
This paper makes the case for a theoretically driven approach to coaching using principles derived from
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Mindfulness-based Acceptance and Commitment Coaching (ACC) is goal-focused and addresses psychological barriers which hinder performance and exacerbate stress. The approach reduces emotional reactivity and increases acceptance.
Citation: Skews, R. & Palmer, S. (2016). Acceptance and commitment coaching: Making the case for an ACT-based approach to coaching. Coaching Psychology International, 9, 1, 24-28.
... Acceptance and commitment coaching, based on acceptance and commitment therapy, helps coachees mindfully respect, accept, and compassionately experience their difficult emotions, rather than avoiding, or struggling against them. 8 Useful when the coachee is overwhelmed by their emotions, the process helps a coachee move past difficult emotions to identify personal values and goals, motivating commitment to action that aligns with what is meaningful and important for their future. ...
Coaching is rapidly advancing in medical education as a relational process of facilitating sustainable change and growth. Coaching can support learners in emergency medicine at any stage by improving self‐reflection, motivation, psychological capital, and goal creation and attainment. Different from the traditional models of advising and mentoring, coaching may be a new model for many educators. An introduction to key coaching concepts and ways they may be implemented in emergency medicine is provided. Experienced coaches employ a diverse array of models and techniques that may be new to novice coaches. This article summarizes a variety of coaching models, theories, and content areas that can be adapted to a coachee's needs and the situational context—be it the fast‐paced emergency department or the faculty member's office.
... Por ejemplo, el Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid (2012) ofrece una acreditación profesional como "Psicólogo Experto en Coaching" (PsEC) y para ello, es necesario cumplir con una serie de requisitos de formación académica y experiencia en el área. Además, la Universidad Complutense de Madrid proporciona un "Programa Superior de Coaching Psychology" con una duración de 240 horas en el transcurso de 12 meses (https:// www.ucm.es/coachingpsychology). (Neenan, 2018); Coaching de Aceptación y Compromiso (Collis,2013;Skews & Palmer, 2016). Otras contribuciones provienen de la psicología social, como el Coaching Apreciativo (Orem et al., 2007). ...
El presente trabajo propone que uno de los roles del psicólogo profesional es la labor de Coaching, entendiéndose esta como el apoyo al cliente (coachee) para que logre sus metas significativas. Se destaca la existencia de una nueva subespecialidad en Psicología, el Coaching Psychology, que permitiría a los psicólogos realizar actividades de Coaching con una base científica. Además, se sugiere a los psicólogos organizacionales adquirir experticia en la aplicación del Coaching Centrado en Soluciones.
The present work proposes that one of the roles of the professional psychologist is the work of Coaching, understanding this as the support to the client (coachee) so that he achieves his significant goals. The existence of a new subspecialty in Psychology, Coaching Psychology, which would allow psychologists to carry out Coaching activities with a scientific basis, stands out. In addition, organizational psychologists are suggested to acquire expertise in the application of Solution-Focused Coaching.
... ACT is used to inform workplace coaching, training, and organisational behaviour interventions (Bond, Lloyd, Flaxman, & Archer, 2016;Skews, 2018). It provides a strong evidence-based theoretical underpinning for coaching (Skews & Palmer, 2016). In the workplace, ACC expands the coachee's behavioural repertoire towards more flexible behaviours to enhance performance, work-related behaviours and wellbeing (Skews, 2018). ...
Acceptance and commitment theory (ACT) and positive psychology are deeply aligned despite their development in different traditions, as both focus on human flourishing and wellbeing. This chapter provides an overview of ACT, highlighting how the theory is applied to coaching in the workplace as acceptance and commitment coaching (ACC). A summary of research demonstrating the impact of ACT-based interventions in the workplace is provided, so practitioners can see the workplace outcomes ACC has an effect on. The chapter outlines the six behavioural processes for building psychological flexibility: Values; committed action; present moment awareness; self-as-context; defusion; and acceptance. The reader is given examples of how to apply the behavioural processes within the framework of ACC. The distinct features of the practitioner stance within ACC are presented, such as disrupting existing behaviours which allows the coachee to develop new, more effective behaviours aligned with their values. The chapter closes with an illustrative case study and discussion points to help the reader reflect on how they can apply ACC in their coaching practice.
... Similarly, Wirtberg et al. (2007) found that those women who had not been able to accept and adapt had life-stories still dominated by and centred around their infertility and childlessness. Acceptance and commitment coaching has been proposed as a method to help with acceptance of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, using a mindfulnessbased approach, as part of the process of achieving goals (Skews & Palmer, 2016). ...
Childlessness may affect a woman’s well-being and sense of identity, and cause feelings of loss and grief. I found no research on coaching for childless women. Using heuristic inquiry, I explored the experience of coaching in six participants (co-researchers), including myself. Findings suggest that coaching helped women cope with negative self– and societal– narratives; accept and change their perspective on a life without children; picture alternative futures; build confidence; achieve goals and rediscover themselves. Some women felt vulnerable and coach understanding, support and care were important, as were trust and co-creation. The research highlights the potential utility of coaching amongst childless women.
... Links have been made between the aims of PP and ACT (Ciarrochi, Kashdan, & Harris, 2013) and its coaching equivalent, Acceptance and Commitment Coaching (ACC). Methods of thought defusion, acceptance, and contact with the present momentthe three key tenets of ACT (Ciarrochi et al., 2016) all link desirably with PP (mindfulness, second wave acceptance of negative emotion, self compassion) and CP (presence of coach, and exploration of thinking patterns), (see also the compelling case of Skews & Palmer, 2016). ...
Positive psychology coaching (PPC) is defined as activating positive psychology (PP) in an applied and systematic way through coaching (Passmore, J., & Oades, P. (2014). Positive psychology coaching – A model for coaching practice. The Coaching Psychologist, 10(2), 68–70). Currently studies looking at how PPC is experienced by coachees are limited. While there has been some early success cited in using a PPC approach in professional development in education with adults (Zwart, R. C., Korthagen, F. A. J., & Attema-Noordewier, S. (2014). A strength-based approach to teacher professional development. Professional Development in Education, 41(3), 579–596. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2014.919341) it is not yet known how teachers experience PPC. The purpose of this paper was to gain an understanding of how PPC is experienced by beginner teachers undergoing challenging circumstances. This initial explorative study adopted a qualitative approach using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith, J., Flowers, P., & Larkin, M. (2009). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: Theory, method and research. Sage). Four superordinate themes emerged: ‘perfectly normal to feel this way’; making sense and ‘joining the dots’; increased positive emotion; and, time to think ‘in an easy-going environment’. Further studies of the application of PPC in educational settings are needed.
The Handbook of Coaching Psychology: A Guide for Practitioners provides a clear and extensive guide to the theory, research and practice of coaching psychology.
In this new and expanded edition, an international selection of leading coaching psychologists and coaches outlines recent developments from a broad spectrum of areas. Part One examines perspectives and research in coaching psychology, looking at both the past and the present as well as assessing future directions. Part Two presents a range of approaches to coaching psychology, including behavioural and cognitive behavioural, humanistic, existential, being-focused, constructive and systemic approaches. Part Three covers application, context and sustainability, focusing on themes including individual transitions in life and work, and complexity and system-level interventions. Finally, Part Four explores a range of topics within the professional and ethical practice of coaching psychology. The book also includes several appendices outlining the key professional bodies, publications, research centres and societies in coaching psychology, making this an indispensable resource.
Unique in its scope, this key text will be essential reading for coaching psychologists and coaches, academics and students of coaching psychology, coaching and mentoring and business psychology. It will be an important text for anyone seeking to understand the psychology underpinning their coaching practice, including human resource, learning and development and management professionals, and executives in a coaching role.
This article will explore the possibilities that coaching psychology has for targets of workplace bullying based on a case study and the knowledge acquired during my Ph.D. research. I describe the process undertaken and how coaching can be useful in these cases, given the way it acts directly as a psychological driver that allows the generation of change. This was work was supported by coach training, which gave me key skills and a supervision relationship with a psychologist-coach, who ensured that the boundaries between coaching and psychology were not crossed.
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