Positive psychology coaching: Working towards a harmonious marriage of two fields

Abstract

Recent years have seen an interesting process of dialogue and interaction between coaching and positive psychology. On the one hand, coaching practitioners have expanded their repertoire by applying positive psychology in their practice. From the other direction, positive psychology has embraced coaching as a way of delivering and applying its insights. We might refer to this alliance or cross—fertilisation of the two fields as Positive Psychology Coaching (PPC). However, although progress has been made regarding the theoretical foundations for the interaction between the two fields, particularly by pioneers like Robert Biswas-Diener, the nature of their interaction is still a topic of debate. As such, this conversation hour allows the opportunity for the various issues to be explored.

These issues include: (1) a conceptual definition of PPC, in terms of both existing knowledge, as well as its potentiality for expansion; (2) the prospect for PPC to generate distinct knowledge from positive psychology and coaching practice separately; (3) guidelines for researchers and practitioners as to the direction they can take to further develop the field; (4) PPC’s scope for informing professional practice, ranging from business to sports application; (5) PPC’s scope for enhancing pedagogical practice, at all levels of education; and (6) different avenues for potential research in PPC. Overall, the hour will allow for an interesting and lively debate about these important and timely issues.

Full text

Positive psychology coaching: Working
towards a harmonious marriage of two fields
International Positive Psychology Association Conference, July 2017 Montreal, Canada
By Tim Lomas, Aneta Tunariu, Rona Hart, Itai Ivtzan, Jolanta Burke, Marie Stopforth, Hanna
Kampman, Yannick Jacob, William Pennington & Pippa Dell
MAPP-CP team @ School of Psychology, University of East London
Abstract
Recent years have seen an interesting process of dialogue and interaction between
coaching and positive psychology. On the one hand, coaching practitioners have expanded
their repertoire by applying positive psychology in their practice. From the other direction,
positive psychology has embraced coaching as a way of delivering and applying its insights.
We might refer to this alliance or cross—fertilisation of the two fields as Positive Psychology
Coaching (PPC). However, although progress has been made regarding the theoretical
foundations for the interaction between the two fields, particularly by pioneers like Robert
Biswas-Diener, the nature of their interaction is still a topic of debate. As such, this
conversation hour allows the opportunity for the various issues to be explored. These issues
include: (1) a conceptual definition of PPC, in terms of both existing knowledge, as well as its
potentiality for expansion; (2) the prospect for PPC to generate distinct knowledge from
positive psychology and coaching practice separately; (3) guidelines for researchers and
practitioners as to the direction they can take to further develop the field; (4) PPC’s scope for
informing professional practice, ranging from business to sports application; (5) PPC’s scope
for enhancing pedagogical practice, at all levels of education; and (6) different avenues for
potential research in PPC. Overall, the hour will allow for an interesting and lively debate
about these important and timely issues.