Addressing the self-care needs of coaches through the use of formulation

ABSTRACT

If coaches are to deliver their best work, it is important that they are emotionally and psychologically well-resourced. In a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, the ability of coaches to monitor, manage and enable their own well-being is an important component of effective and ethical practice. However, little is known about the self-care needs and practices of coaches, with few resources available to guide practitioners in the development of personalised self-care plans. In this context, it is argued that the use of formulation has the potential to make a significant contribution. Formulation is well-established in applied psychology as a means of better understanding and responding to the needs of individual clients. This article extends the use of formulation to the domain of coach self-care. Following a review of literature relevant to self-care and to formulation, the article presents a case study which illustrates how formulation was applied by a coach to enhance self-awareness, self-monitoring and decision-making in relation to her self-care needs. Particular attention is paid to the way in which the process guided the coach's thinking and decision-making to illustrate how formulation can enable reflective practice in relation to self-care. Implications for training and practice are considered.

KEYWORDS:

• self-care
• formulation
• well-being
• coaching
• coaches
• The Health Awareness Tool

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For the purposes of this article, the term ‘well-being’ is used to refer to a desired state or outcome and is informed by the Collins English Dictionary definition of ‘the state of being well, happy, or prosperous’ (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/well-being; accessed on 01/11/20). Self-care, in contrast, refers to the process through which well-being is pursued, acquired and/or maintained.

2 This case is used with kind permission of the coach concerned although some features have been changed to protect confidentiality. As the aim is to illustrate the application of formulation in this context, the emphasis is on the choices that the formulation enabled the coach to make rather than the outcome of any self-care interventions subsequently implemented.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sarah Corrie

Professor Sarah Corrie is a Chartered Psychologist, Registered Coaching Psychologist and Consultant Clinical Psychologist. Sarah has authored over 80 articles for academic journals, professional journals and trade magazines, and ten books including, The Art of Inspired Living: Coach Yourself with Positive Psychology. She has extensive experience in both the public and private sector, delivering coaching and therapy as well as working as a supervisor and trainer. Sarah is a Founder Member and former Chair of the British Psychological Society's Special Group in Coaching Psychology and has a particular interest in how coaching might contribute to some of the most challenging issues of our time, including emotional well-being and mental health. Amongst her other roles, Sarah is a faculty member of the Professional Development Foundation and a Visiting Professor at Middlesex University. In 2016, she was the recipient of the British Psychological Society’s Achievement Award for Distinguished Contributions to Coaching Psychology. In 2020 she was also appointed a Visiting Professor in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Counselling at the University of Suffolk.

Louise Kovacs

Dr Louise Kovacs is an executive coach, coaching supervisor and researcher. She has been an executive coach for 16 years. Recently returned to Australia after 7 years in Singapore, she provides coaching, leadership development and supervision services in Asia and Australia. She completed her Master in Coaching Psychology and HRM at the University of Sydney (2004) and her Doctor of Professional Studies at Middlesex University (2016). She was the 2016 recipient of a research award from the British Psychological Society Special Group for Coaching Psychology in recognition of the contribution to the field of coaching psychology. Since completing her doctoral project, she has co-authored a number of articles on the topics of formulation in coaching psychology, navigating complexity in coaching, as well as regularly speaking on these topics at coaching conferences in the UK.