Photo credit: Marten Bjork
Most executive coaches attend training courses and have supervision to enable them to keep up to date and relevant in a rapidly developing area of practice. For many this works well in the early part of their coaching career but as they mature, they often find this combination lacks the intense and direct connection with new methods of practice that they wish for.
A different approach to professional development is called self-practice/self reflection (SP/SR) and involves understanding coaching ‘from the inside out’ – by coaches experiencing interventions for themselves and then reflecting on these and applying their learning within their practice. There is growing evidence that this approach is effective. By being in the client’s shoes, coaches find that they feel more in tune and understand approaches (such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, ACT) much better through their personal experience of it. SP/SR aims to move from personal experiences to new professional learning via a structured process of practice and reflection.
Iain McCormick PhD - 021 575449
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