Pluralistic Coaching?

A controversy waiting to happen.

“How do coaches perceive the potential value of the Pluralistic approach to counselling and psychotherapy as a framework for

coaching?"

1. Coaching draws many theories and approaches from counselling and psychotherapy

2. The history of counselling and psychotherapy is a history of turf wars between the different approaches

3. Conditions are ripe for coaching to engage in (what I consider to be) similar time-wasting and pointless turf wars

4. I perceive the pluralistic approach to potentially offer a way out of this blind alley

Coaching draws many of its approaches from counselling and

psychotherapy

The history of therapy as turf wars

Time ripe for coaching turf wars

• International Coaching Federation

• European Council for Mentoring & Coaching

• Association for Coaching• Association of Integrative

Coach Therapists• BACP Coaching Division• BPS Coaching Psychology

Group

The way out of a blind alley?

“How do coaches perceive the potential value of the Pluralistic approach to counselling and psychotherapy as a framework for coaching?"

Methodology

Preparation: the long, hot (?) summer of 2013

Runners & Riders & Results

The Final Table• Superordinate themes and sub-themes • • 1) Initial responses to the pluralistic approach• Sub-theme: The boundary between coaching and therapy • • 2) The concept of greater collaboration at odds with the • practice of it• • 3) Response to drawing from diverse sources• Sub-theme: Absence of the pluralistic and postmodern in • participant’s responses • • 4) Adapting the pluralistic approach for coaching• Sub-theme: Structure in the pluralistic approach• Sub-theme: Possible benefits of using the approach for• participants

Discussion and conclusions